The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-11-05

11nAnce-Ch1ef Of FOlSCe0 Hon0 re-
dsred-Ihe Artesian Wei A9aln-A Con
mite Appointed to Look Into the Pre-
sect and Eeport Back to tho Board
The board Of audit and finance met in
regular session yesterday at 3 p. m. the
! members I'm attendance being Chairman
w. H. Chadbourn and Messrs. c. w.
Yates and John III. Weber. Those abb
sent were Messrs. II. c. Mcqueen and
H. A. DeCoyer.
The minutes of the last meeting were
| read and approved.
] The board took up as unfinished busi-
ness the communication of the board Of
aldermen requesting concurrence in their
| action in appropriating $1,000 for boring
an artesian well on Fifth street. some
where between Grace and Walnut
streets.
Alderman 3. F. Keith was present and
in the appropriation for the proposed
well. He said he would like to see the
well bored. because it would give our
| people pure water. He said he believed
that half the sickness in the city was
caused from impure water. and he was
satisfied that the death rate in the city
would be reduced at least 10 per cent by
good water. A decrease of 10 per cent. in
the death rate meant a saving of 5000 a
year on funerals. He advised the boring
of a we'll on Fifth street between Ches-
nut and Grace streets, and said the water
could be distributed in a main down to
Front street or to the wharf. another
could be run south on Fifth street, an
other north on Fifth street and others
could be run to the eastern part Of the
city. He urged that pure water would
mostly benefit a class of people who
would not be able to get their supply of
! water from the waterworks company. He
said also that fountains could be placed
in several sections of the city. He in
/ formed the board that the contractors
|! who agreed to bore the we'll We're al
ready here with a part of their outfit
and would be ready to begin work in g.
week or ten days. "a
Chairman Chadbourn asked Mr.. Keith
if the cimmittee having in hand the mat
ter Of the city's boring a well had in
~vestigated the legal aspects of the mat
ter-if the city had the right under it's
contract with the waterworks company
to put in w~aterworks. TX
NI. IACltIl Lie lhoN II dS tCA DILL
| that the city could bore a well if it would
furnish the water free, but it. could not
charge for it. In reply to a question also
asked by Chairman Chadbourn, he said
6. small pump could be operated at the
we'll, if necessary. to force the water
through the mains. He went on to say
that Charleston, S. c., Georgetown, S.
c., Brunswick, Ca, Whiteville, N. c.,
Lumberton, N. c., and other cities had
flowing wells that gave great satisfac-
ton, and he wanted to see Wilmington
a one.
The contract with Messrs. Thompson &
Storey for boring the well was read. It
is proposed to bore a we'll about 1,5O0
feet deep with ten inch casing at the top
and not less than six inch casing at the
bottom, and it was estimated that it
could be lone for 81, 800.
Chairman Chadbourn said Mr.. Keith
ave some good reasons and the matter
required consideration. He suggested that
the matter be referred to a committee of
three to take the matter into consider
alton and as early as practicable report
back their recommendations to this
board. He said it would be a good idea
to appoint as a member OF that commit
tee one citizen not a member Of this
board.
Mr.. Yates moved the appointment of
the committee suggested by Chairman
Chadbourn, and 1t was adopted. Chair
man Chadbourn appointed as the COM
mittee Messrs. c. w. Yates. H. C. Nc
Queen, members of this board, and Mr..
D. L. Gore.
Mr.. r. B. Glove, who was recently de-
clared by Judge o. H. Allen to nave been
elected chief of police, instead of Mr..
John r.. Melton, who has been the In
cumbent since last April, appeared be-
fore the board and rendered his official
bond in the sum of 1000, signed by him.
self and Messrs. c. w. Polvogt, s. A.
Schloss and Henry p. West, all of whom
justified for 81, 900.
Chairman Chadbourn read the bond
and called Mr.. Cloves attention to the
fact that it was illegal and could not be
accepted in it's present shape, by rea-
son Of the fact that certain words and
lines had been erased and interlined and
no note of it was made on the instru-
ment. He said he was not doing this to
bubble over the bond, but he a sent
Mr.. Glove word that he wanted him to
have the bond in legal form when it
was presented. He also said the bond in
stead of stating that Mr.. Glove had been
elected chief of police for two years
from March 6, 1897, to March 81, 1898,
should also have the provision, "or till
earlier terminated" as the chief Of police
and all others were elected to hold their
office at the pleasure of the board. The
bond was returned to Mr.. Clowe to be
corrected. He was furnished with a copy
of the bond given by Chief Melton, con-
tanning these conditions. The matter
was then deferred to some other meet
ing.
The clerk presented a statement of his
examination of the city treasurer's books
for the month of September, showing:
Cash on hand September LIST. S, 479. 3S; re-
i GENTS for the month of Sonfa-hor e1o