The Portland daily press., 1895-09-21
MUNICIPAL IMPROVEMENT.
The National Convention That Conn
missioner Fernald Attended.

missioner Fernald Attended.
An Interview With Him In Regard to 1t
Interesting Facts About the Public
Works of Great Western Cities-The
Great Work of This New and Important
Society.
AS recently stated in the PRESS, Com
missioner of Public Works Fernaid re-
turned this week from Cincinnati, where
he attended the convention OF the Ameri-
can Society of Municipal improvements.
In all interview with him the following
facts in regard to this Few and important
society were obtained for PRESS readers
The American Society of Municipal
improvements, which recently held its
second annual convention in the city of
Cincinnati, was formed for the purpose
of promoting information upon and to
discuss the best methods to be employed
in the management of municipal depart
ments and the construction of municipal
the reading andIdiscussion of papers upon
municipal works, and the circulation, by
means of annual publications. of the in
formation thus obtained. The first meet
ing of this society was held in the city of
Buffalo, N. Y, in September, 1894
About 60 members, representing 16 Cities
were present at Buffalo, and from this
small beginning the society has grown to
membership Of 100 at the present time,
representing 56 cities. In 1894 eleven
States were represented, while this year
there were members from 81 States be-
sides the District of Columbia and
Canada. These comparisons will show
the growing interest in the society. The
convention just held at Cincinnati was
success tar beyond the expectations OF the
founders of the society. Many valuable
and interesting papers were read and dis
cussed. new acouaintances were formed,
and the interchange of ideas was of great
value to the members.
The convention met in College Hall on
the morning of September 18th, where an
address of welcome was delivered by Hon.
John A. Caldwell Mayor of the city,
which was responded to by Vice Presi-
dent Benzenburg. After this exchange
of fornalties the convention proceeded to
business.
An interesting and valuable paper on
the purity of Water" was read by Mr..
j. W. Hill of Cincinnati, in which he
gave statistics to show that the highest
death rate from typhoid is in those cities
which have given the least attention to
the source of their water supply, and is
generally the highest where the water
supply is taken from rivers The water
for the city of Cincinnati is pumped
directly from the Ohio river into large
reservoir, and from the muddy condition
of the water in the reservoir one can well
believe Mr.. Hill when he states that the
deaths from typhoid in his city are
greater than in most any large city in the
world. In.connection with his subject of
water urply Mr.. Hill stated that the
deaths from typhoid in the city Of
Newark. N. j., had been reduced, by the
building of new works, from 81 to Is per
100, 600 of population In this latter city
the water, which was formerly taken
from the Passaic river, is now obtained
from large reservoir located in the hills
about forty miles from the city. These
works have been built at an expense of
about Sc. 900, 600 and the city of Newark
now claims to have as pure water as any
city in the country.
The Public Works of the city of Cincin-
natl are under the control of Board of
Administration. consisting of three MEM
beers. They have under their charge the
street, sewer, health, water works,
engineering, electrical, park and poor
departments, each department. being
under the charge of superintendent.
The total amount of money required to
run these various departments for the
year 1894 was nearly So, 100000. The area
of the city is a little more than "a square
miles and the total length of streets is SOC
miles, of which 1873 miles have been i'm
proved with macadam pavement, 81 miles
with granite blocks. 10 miles with brick
and II miles with sheet asphalt, leaving
1888 miles of streets paved with cobble OF
unimproved. This is remarkable show
ing of permanent street work, when we
consider that the larger part of the cost
of all street improvements is paid direct
~ by the property owners instead of out
of the general tax as in most New Eng
land cities The streets of Cincinnati are
we'll paved and are cleaner than the aver
age AS in most western cities brick
seems to be in great favor for residential
streets, and most of the brick pavement
in the city is in very good condition, al
though on some of the streets it shows
signs of chipping and wear, due probably
to poor quality of brick used. The best
practice for brick pavement at the present
time is to lay it on concrete base about
six inches in thickness and over this a
cushion of sand from one and a half to
two inches in thickness is spread before
the pavement is laid. The cost of about
30, 600 square yards of brick pavement
laid in 1894 varied from 81. 70 to $2 25 per
square yard, which seems to be about the
average price paid in many of the cities
represented at the convention.