Waterbury Democrat., 1902-02-26
BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS.
Engineer Cairns Submitted Maps
 New Taxation Districts.

The DOlFu or puDllc WOrkS uelu d meeting last night, Mayor Kilduif presiding, and all the members being present.
 Property owners on Southview street were heard relative to the con- dition of that place at this time and urged the board to take steps to pro- vide them proper outlet. It was voted to cite the owners of the prop erty directly north on Lounsbury street before the board on March Il for the purpose of having a confer ence with the board regarding the layout of a street from Southyiew street northwesterly to connect with south Main street, and that the own CTS of said land be requested to sub init such plans and layouts of their property as they may hnve prepared.
 The application of Abraham Levln for permission to make excavations i'll the public streets and for plumb CTS license was referred to the engi- neer for investigation and report It was stated that there was some doubts regarding the ability of the petitioner to do the kind of work Which he wanted q license to engage in
 It was voted to recommend to the board of aldermen that the board be authorized to construct retaining wall along the west side of Mad river from Scoyill's bridge southerly to the clock shop property, a distance of 347 feet. at an estimated expense not to exceed S3,000.
 The city engineer submitted esti- mates for paving as follows: Meadow S.fp street with dimension blocks. SS.5OO; North Main street, from Abbott avenue to Cooke street S6.S00; North Main street, from Elizabeth street to Hill street. S7,200 Besides this the report stated that it will take about S1 .O00 to do such work as has been planned for the improvement of the street at tho Junction of North Main and Hill streets. The amount appropriated for paving is S20000. and inasmuch as the estimates submitted exceed that. it is plain that something will have to wait. It is likely that the board will recom- mend that Meadow street and that por- tion of North Main street between Elizabeth street and Hill street be paved, and also as much of North Main street from Abbott avenue to Cooke street as the funds will warrant. But that is still an open question:
 The petition of AI s. Neimann for permission to remove two houses from the south side of Jewelry street to the Austin property across the way. was granted under the usual conditions. Engineer Cairns submitted such
 maps of the new taxation districts as he has prepared and the board looked l over them fhOrOughIv
 The board was about to adjourn when Mir Blakeslee asked a question ] which resulted in q lengthy discussion With the mayor and engineer on one side and Commissioner Whiting on the
 other MT Blakeslee wanted to know 1 if people had to pay for stand pipes, and if so, what was the theory of it. l He knew that there was an explana- 1 ton for such charge, but he was not l acquainted with it. He thought that so long as the water in these sprinklers l was not used except in case of fire it was not fair to charge them for it. Mir Whiting said that this view of the case | had been given to him by another party and that he had confessed his l inability to answer it. He believed l that it would he a blessing if we had l stand pipes in every house in the city
 and that the city could well afford to | let them have them without charge.
 He took the same view of private hy- | drants.
 Mayor Kilduff and Engineer Cairns contended that those who use sprink-
 lers do so for their own protection, and
 that factories and others who have
 them get q big reduction on insurance
 because they have sprinklers. some 1 thing which they would not be able to
 use if the city did not maintain press
 ure sufficient to render them effective. MT Cairns said that it was nothing un-
 usual for people to pay for protection which they never might have occasion to use. He also stated that the city went to tremendous expense in fur 1 nishing a high pressure so that fac I tories could maintain stand pipes, and then argued that they had the privilege now and that they should pay some l thing for it.
 ''Who owns that blind hydrant on l East Main street?" asked Commissions CT Whiting. Some one said it was the 1 property of R. K Brown
 l If it's not alive" chimed i'll the mayor, ''it ought 10 be buried'' i Superintendent O'Brien said he knew 1 dDOttL It, Jldl It WAS lnSEp Jp- l fore his time. It was voted that Mi I O'Brien be instructed to find out the l why and wherefore of the hydrant i'll l question and report to the next meet ] ing.
 l The following resolutions were l passed:
 Voted That the city engineer be
 and he is hereby requested to furnish 1 estimates of the expense of laying l water mains in the following streets: Oak street. from Walnut street to Rose
 street: Beacon street. from Crwn to 1 Sarsfield street; North Willow street, l from the present terminus of the main
 to Demorest street; Railroad Hill
 street. from Washington avenue south
 erly to replace present three-inch main;
 i'll Judd street, from West Main street southerly; in Highland avenue, from | West Main street to Ledgeside avenue; High street. from Cherry street to Wal
 nut street. to replace the present ce- ment lined water main; North Main street. from the present termination of
 the main northerly 1000 feet; Water- l town road, from Robbins street to the Bunker Hill road; said estimates to in- clude the cost of placing fire hylrants l in such numbers and at such places In
 said streets as may be deemed neees- sary for fire protection; also estimates | of eypenSe for placing a fro hydrant