The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-01-04

filled in compliance with an order OF the
Superior Court Superintendent Tourney
reports that a sewer is needed on fll ).
teeneh street cfo him; Nc on hand to lay
the same; / therefore recommend thal
sewer be built out of the pipe on hand as
above reported, on Fifteenth street, from
@ to S, the result will be beneficial to
the residents in that locality ana the COST
small.
The levees have been inspected twice by
the Superintendent of Streets, repaired IN
places, the gopher and squirrel holes
tamped, and they are now in good CON
dition. The Y-street pump is ready LOT
any emergency and needs no immediate
improvements.
SPRINKLING.
In reference to the sprinkling. of the
streets during the past year, | have 70
say that several of the contractors failed
to live up to their contracts and mucn
trouble was given to the Superintendent
of Streets by reason thereof; the cause
the contract was taken far below what
it could be done for, and to remedy this;
| would suggest that in the future a. bona
be required sufficient in amount to insure
the faithful performance of the contract.
We hope to have sufficient money in TINS
fund the coming year to enable US 70
keep the streets well Sprinkled until the
rainy season sets in.
SEWER PUMP.
During the year there have been added
to this plant coal bunlSerS of large ca
pacity, and now we find that 1t IS neces-
sary that they should be rooted in order
to keep the coal dry and the rain water
from flooding the plant
The engines were overhauled at very
small expense and are now in good re-
pair. but the foundation of the boilers mas
settled greatly and is out of shape. 1t
should be rebuilt with. a foundation OF
concrete, and the boilers reset.
Part of the power is furnished by cleo
tricity supplied by the Sacramento Flee
tric, Gas and Railway Company at cost
of $3.50 per month, this being $50 less than
the former contract.
CITY LIGHTING.
At present the city is lighted by 800
arc lamps, distributed at various points
in the city; the power is furnished l by the
Sacramento Electric. Gas and Railway
Company, at cost of SIS. Is per light, re-
duction of $40 per light over the con-
tract of a year ago.
during the year. Much inconvenience has
been experienced by the. failure of the
electric company to furnish power sufl-
cient to light all of the lamps. but
proper reduction has been made for those
which were not lighted.
POLES AND WIRES.
The good appearance of our city is
greatly marred by the many poles and
thoroughfares. The Board of Trustees
should undertake the work at once of re-
quiring all companies maintaining poles
to remove them from the main streets,
and put their wires in underground sub
ways. This has been done in most of the
Eastern cities and can and should pc
current conveyed by electric wires which
are intermingled with telegraph and tele-
phone wires is increasing daily, and they
are a menace and obstruction, part1cu-
larly to firemen, who are deeply concerned
in safe and proper regulation of the
same.
HARBOR AND WHARF.
Our water front needs much improve
1e.7lt he h y-f a & a
misnomer. 1t should be rebuilt or re-
placed by one sufficient in size to &C
commodate the traffic: and be source of
now received is ridiculously small, where
as the wharf privileges should bring in a
handsome revenue. This question of our
water front should receive careful con-
sideration at your hands. Lumber, wood
and freightage are permitted to remain
piled up on the city's property until the
owner or transportation company chooses
to remove the same, thereby discommod-
ing the public who wish to use the land
ing.
PUBLIC PARKS.
The City Plaza has been we'll kept and I
krow of no needed improvements. In
the tax levy sum was apportioned for
the Improvement of the Plaza at Fiji
tenth and F streets, and during the the
and beautified by the planting of grass.
shrubbery, etc.
CITY CEMETERIES.
Under the management of Superinten-
dent George f. Meister. the cemeteries
have been put and kept in remarkably
good condition. The fence around the
New Helvetia Cemetery has been re-
good as new; $50 fallen monuments and
headstones have been raised, all broken
brick curbings around uncared for lots
this cemetery made presentable.
In the City Cemetery there has been APP
proximately 49, goo of stone and masonry
one fine granite vault and one under
ground vault. making in all eight ele-
CANT private vaults in the cemetery.
The avenues and walks have all been
cleared Of weeds and the trees and shrub
berry trimmed. A large new safe was pur-
chased, in which to keep the records and
insure their safety.
At the commencement of this admin
istration, the records of the cemeteries
were found to be in a very bad shape, but
ad be Of so aso van oe pew an
location of graves; the block book is
about completed.
Interments We're made as follows: City
Cemetery, s5l; New Helvetia, 159: ST.
Joseph, 116; New Masonic plot, "a; Jewish.
g shipped from city. Il: and in vault 3,
making a total of I2s Two hundred and
here from abroad for interment
A number of owners of lots in our
cemeteries have at different times APP
piled to US for the investment of funds.
the proceeds of which We're to be applied
to the care of their lots It is desirable
that all of the plots in the cemeteries
should be kept in good order by the own
ers. and as all modern cemeteries have
such fund, / would recommend that an
ordinance be passed by your honorable
board creating IA Perpetual Care Fund
for the purpose suggested. Had this been
done some twenty years ago, there would
not now be some two thousand uncared-
for lots.
FIRE DEPARTMENT
am n1eaSp1 to ba abIe 10 renort fba
this department has been efficiently and
economically managed. and the members
thereof deserve commentator for their
bravery and services.
The Chief, Henry Guthrie, has won the
confidence and esteem of the people, and
selves that they have such capable man
to direct the department in the fighting
of fires.
one Assistant Chief, one Superintendent
of Fire Alarm System and forty-two sub
officers and hosemen. The apparatus in
use includes three steam fire engines, three
trucks and one Chiefs buggy: that IN
reserve is one engine, three hose carts and
all well trained and in good condition:
About $500 feet of cotton ruhber-lined
hose is in service, 800 feet of which is
new, having been recently purchased out
of funds donated to the city by the for
eign fire insurance companies doing bust
ness in the State, in accordance with an
agreement entered into between SAID
companies and Fire Insurance Commits
sioner Andrew J. Clunie.
We have in use thirty-Seven fire alarm
boxes, with fOrty-two miles of iron wire
ipsuls ted in dangerous n'aces: there are
500 noles and 426 plugs The alarm system
Is old and faulty and should be supplanted
by what is known as a non-interferine
system as soon as the city's finances will
permit.
Some renairs have been made to the
buildings during the year and they are
now in good condition. During the year
there We're 20 alarms of fire 80 still
alarms. and IS telephone calls. The losses