The age-herald., 1898-08-06
LACK OFWATER CONNECTION
Resolution Passed Empowering Mayor to
 Enter Into Agreement
WITH COMPANY TO LAY MAINS
Birmingham Traction Company Must Use Center Pole Construction-Elec-
 tric Railway Company to Put .s. Track in 2Oth Street.

The city council held special meeting | yesterday morning to devise scheme 10 get around a perplexing problem which has l arisen owing to the estranged relations I between the city and the water company. At the regular meeting of the body l Wednesday night Sanitary Inspector | Thomas gave notice that the the Eighth l alley sewer had been completed and fur thermore that the mains of the water com- pany did not extend all along the route of the sewer. The company refused to ex- | tend its mains without some agreement l with the city.
 Thus the question of water connection l became problem which the citizens fought | shy until the city dads took some action which would protect them. The sewer Is about three miles in length and was duly accepted by the city. On top of this came | the action of the city council invalidating i\all vestige of protection which the water coippany had enjoyed under it's late char ter.
 Aide r2taaf- Altman took 1t that the sanf-- tary Conditions were imperative and hence called a meeting of the board to act upopfit.
 Tie water company was not disposed to delay the matter" said he, .-and very cohrteousy met us half way.' By the action of the council yesterday the matter is left with the acting mayor and the city attorney. It is likely that satisfactory agreement will be signed in few days and the mains extended and the water turned on.
 
 Lots of Business
 Those present at the meeting besides Acting Mayor Altman were Aldermen Ly- nagh, Rainbow, Meighan, Moore, Drennen, Graham, Hamilton, Pearce, Gray, Parker and Harrington.
 The board lost no time in getting down to business, and the following resolution covering the case was introduced and adopted: a" Resolved, That the acting mayor sign L., with. the, Birmingham Water Works company such agreement as, -the--cfty
 attorney may prepare to secure the lay Ing or the main and the turning on of water into the Eighth alley sanitary
 sewer; provided, however, that such
 agreement shall provide that the turn
 ing on of said water and the laying of
 said main shall in no way affect the
 rights or status of the city or said
 water Works company in the contro-
 Yersy or litigation now pending be-
 tween said company and said city
 The main which will be laid when this agreement is made will furnish water for the residents in Eighth avenue Below Fourteenth street.
 Sanitary Officer Thomas, in a letter called the attention of the board to the open sewer from Avenue F, on the south cid of ioht thence down Avenue through the prop erty of the Birmingham rolling mills. Sanitary matters seemed to be strictly the order, and Alderman Pearce, of the police and sanitation committee, reported favorably tn petition of T. c. Thomps on for an extension of the Sixth alley sewer The report was concurred in and at the next meeting of the beard an ordiranc, will be introduced and adopted tha, the work will be begun soon as possible. The petition asks for the extension of a block.
 Street Railway Matters Citizens along the line of the North Bir- mingham dummy had a petition before the city fathers asking that side pole con- struction be used instead of center pole The argument was made that the latter method obstructed the street. The alder men looked with favor on the resolution passing resolution requiring the officials of the company to comply with the re- quest of the citizens Several represen- tatives of the concern were present and interposed objection.
 The special session seemed eager fer work. and, by a resolution, City Engineer Kendrick was given instructions to have removed the standpipe and tracks of the Red Mountain railway line. This line skirts the mountain on the south high lands, beginning at the head of Twentieth street, and has been out of operation since 1895. One reason given for this was that the property owners in that vicinity would shortly begin some extensive i'm provements in the shape of side walks and other work.
 The council appeared to have something for all the street railway lines to ponder over. and the following resolution intro duced by Alderman Gray prevailed:
 Resolved That the city engineer be
 instructed to have the Birmingham
 Railway and Electric company pace their track in the middle of the street between Fourteenth and Fifteenth ave-
 nues on South Twentieth street.
 The petition of Mrs. l.. F.. Terry which has been acted on, was taken up again and referred to the judiciary committee. JOHN LAGER