The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-03-05
FIRE HYDRANTS.
There Are 1855 Located
in This City.
What it Costs to Place Them
in Position.
A Wide Difference of Opinion at
City Hall on This Question.

lue Suggestion maue Dy tue CITY huu-
itor that hereafter the general water ap-
preparation of s35, 900 year be done away
with, and that each department is
charged separately for the amount OF
water used, has given rise to very inter
esting question at city hall. 1t bids fair
to be one of the important topics in the
Council before it is settled, notwithstand-
ing the fact that politics couldn't be dis
covered in the matter with a microscope.
and that 1t is entirely independent OF the
microbe Of reform" anc Investigation.
The aud&or sent out notices TO the sew
eral departments asking them to add the
cost OF their water consumption to the
estimates of their expenditures for the
next fiscal year. Inc estimate of the cost
OF water to be, OF course, based upon the
amount set against each department in
dividing up the general appropriations
OF the year before.
For the fire department to do this Is
meant to add about $4,000 to the esti-
mated total expenditures, and the fire
commissioners very strongly objected and
sent letter TO the auditor setting forth
their objections. This letter, which was
published in The NEWS of last Saturday,
was protest against being charged for
water not used.
The price of the water Is one and one
half cent per 100 gallons OF hydraulic ele-
vation. In 1895 the bill against the hy-
drants was S23, 544.21, which meant an
amount of water that would have more
than filled Hope reservoir three times 1t
me mt 156 961, 400 gallons, which was 154,-
066, 400 gallons more than was actually
used for tire. That Is, there were used last
year 1856 hydrant streams, and allowing
that each was played for an hour, which
is too large an estimate, they discharged
2,S9o, 600 gallons, which at the rate of one
and one-half cents per 100 gallons, was
worth S434.26 instead Of the S23, 544. II
charged. In other words the fire commits
sioners want to pay for the water which
they actually use In extinguishing fires
and at the stations, and they do not want
to pay for hydrants.
On the other hand IL is claimed that
no city In the country charges its fire de-
partment for ths number OF gallons used
but by the hydrans, and for this reason.
The hydrants are expensive, 1t costs
money to maintain them, and It is neces-
sary to increase the cost OF the water
works plant to furnish the adequate press
ure to make them effectiye--that is larger
mains. and greater pumping capacity are
required solely because OF the existence of
the hydrants. The income from regular
rates of so much per 100 gallons would
not be large enough to pay the interests
on the cost OF the hydrants and the
improved plant.
In the city OF Lowell the charge against
the fire department Is $12 per hydrant a
year, in Dover and Ia Taunton IL Is $50
per hydrapt per year. These three cities
use four-inch hydrants with four outlets
each.
In the city of Providence there are 1866
eignt-inch hydrants with six outlets each
and these, when set, cost Sl5O apiece.
The total cost, therefore, was 1888, 250,a part
OF which was taken from the money that
the city is paying per cent for ana the
rest from that which was borrowed at 4
per cent. Tho interest then on the cost
OF the hvdrants Is about Si1, 900. That Is
about one halt OF the annual charge OF Si5
per year for each of the 1555 hydrants
amounting to s23, 325, and only a quarter
OF what is charged before the rebate OF 80
per cent. made necessary by the limita-
lions of the approprist ion, is taken of.
But il Is further claimed that the bal
ancs of s35, $50 which remains OF the total
charge of sac, $50 after the interest OF ;l1,-
600 on the costs OF the hydrants has been
accounted for Is necessary to pay the inter-
est on the cost of the larger service mains
which feed the hydfants and the other
increased expenditure resulting from
them.
In relation TO the above argument the
question is asked IL the water works wos
not established Just as much for the pro-
lection of the property OF those who pay
for II as for any other purpose; and III
that Is so, why should the fire department
pay for the water uipes any more than II
pays for tho highways over whicn the
apparatus is driven In responding TO an
alarm