The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-13
City Will Buy 100000
Bricks This Year,
To Construct Remaining Sec
ton of Sewer System.
Work to Be Begun With the Open
ing of the Coming Season.

The public works department has just
asked proposals for furnishing brick for
use in sewer construction during the
coming season. The number that II Is
estiamted that will be required is $780,
600, which is about half a million more
than the number used the preceding sea-
son. The new brick will be used in the
construction OF the Elmgrove avenue,
Moshassuck River and Davis Park main
trunk sewers, and when these are complet-
ed the long-drawn out work OF building
the costly improved sewerage system
will be practically finished. 1t is expect
ed that all this work can be done during
the coming season and construction viii
be entered upon as soon as the weather
will permit. In fact, proposals for con-
structing the Elmgrove avenue section
have already been asked for and bids will
be opened at III O'Clock tuesday, March 3.
Proposals for the remaining sections will
be called for as soon as rights of way
over private property have been secured.
city furnishes all the brick and cement,
the contractor furnishing the labor. There
are two reasons for this. The first Is
that by buying the brick and cement
the city gets just exactly what 1t wants
in the matter OF quality and the second
is that by buying in large quantities N
at the proper season a very material saw
ing IL effected. Last year, for instance,
the city bought 3, 200, 900 brick al a certain
price. Toward the end of the season the
supp y ran short and 10000 or so, 600 more
had TO be purchased. These latter cost 80
cents a thousand more than did those
bought earlier. In the sewer from Market
square along South Water street and
across the river, which was completed
some time ago, no less than l,s00, 900
bricks were u ed. This year, in ADDITION
to the 3 1900, 900 bricks some 20, 600 barrels
Of cement will be required.
When the three sections Of main trunk
sewer referred TO above have been built
and the whole sewerage system completed
the City Fathers Will have a nance of
discovering whether or not bad effects
follow the turning of the crude sewage
into the river at Fields Point. There is
firm belief that If the manufacturers can
be compelled TO take care OF their wastes,
everything will be well. Legislation to do
this Is TO be asked for from the General
Assembly and II is believed that an
efficient and effective law will be secured.
woEks department ''that the city will be
more successful In stopping the manu-
facturers from turning their wastes into
the sewers and streams than We were in
putting an end to the pollution OF the
iawtuxet: Several times we made efforts
to stop al pollutions. We presented
cas- $ against hose who defiied the stream
TO the grand jury but in no instance was
an Indictment found. The trouble was
that the country members OF the jury
thought that the manufacturers along the
stream should not be interfered with. III
the jury was made up of men who lived
in Providence and who drank the water
the result would doubtless have been diff
ferent; bur there isn't any chance of get
ing an indictment from a jury largely
made up OF men who live in he sections
located