Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-02-23

failure as far as an adequate supply Of
water was concerned. The matter rested
again until the month OF May, 1899, when
ii was brought to the attention of the COM
mttee which had been appointed the pre-
vious year. The committee reported that
it considered water works feasible, and then
there was another hull. At a later date a
general committee, with S. S. Shedd, mayor,
as chairman, was appointed. 1t is due to the
efforts of this committee that the matter was
brought to a successful termination. In
June, 1899, an ordinance was passed calling
special election to settle the question of
whether water works should be established.
This election was held July g. 1899, and
the proposition was approved.
The council from that time has given the
matter large measure of attention. Meet
ings We're held from time to time for the
discussion of details in connection with the
work, and one item after another was in
vestigated and reported upon by the MEM
bers of the committee in charge.
The original cost of the work was set at
$500, with no margin for contingencies.
Bids were received by the council, which
ranged from s24. 900 to $4,000 for the water
works and $4,000 to $1,000 for the con-
struction of the sewerage system. The con-
tract was finally awarded to Messrs. Rosser
and Castoe of Belaire, Ohio, who bid $31,-
069.S So for constructing the entire water and
sewerage system.
Cost of the system.
In addition to the contract awarded to
Rosser & Castoe bids were placed for con-
structing the engine and pump house, dam,
we'll and filtering system The town also
constructed by day labor the two extensive
sewerage disposal fields. While the origi-
nal estimate of the engineer was for COM
pleting the work within the limit of money
available, it was found eXpedient to re-
spect the wishes of property owners, who
pc titioned for an extension of the plant to
points not covered by the original plans.
For the extension of the pipe line of the
water works an additional expense of $5,-
645 46 was incurred, and 3,173.10 was ex-
pended in the extension of the sewerage
system.
1t was originally intended to take the
water direct from the Sligo creek, and the
estimates called for rough dam, but after
a study of the conditions the council deem
ed it more economical in the long run to
construct a well, into which the water
backed up by the dam is filtered, thus in
surfing a supply as pure and uncontami-
mated as it is possible to obtain The addi-
tional expense of $2,934.22 for this work is
considered money well invested The same
remark applies with equal force to the
sewage disposal fields, where the original
plans contemplated the discharge over the
surface of the field. objection being raised
to such a system ii was finally decided to
construct a disposal field purely scien-
tific principles which had been tested and
tried in other cities with great success,
whereby the discharge from the sewer
mains is conducted by elaborate under
ground thing to all portions of the field and
never appears on the surface. This en-
tailed a cost of 81. $50. 76 in excess of the
estimate for surface drainage. An aggre-
gate of these extensions and additions has
brought the cost of the plant up TO $oo,-
697. %, leaving a deficiency to be met by
further issue of bonds an election Tor winch
purpose has been called for February 70.
1901.