The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-12-06
MANY new STREETS MADE.
Records of Commissioners Offices
Reveal a Steady, Healthy
Growth Exclusive of
Worlds Fair Impetus.
n>>>>>>><><<<A<><I
Q THIS YEARS RECORD 4
Q OF CITY IMPROVEMENTS. 4

l
o Twenty miles of water mains 4
. were laid at cost Of s25oooo In I
. addition $4,000 has been expended 4
. for repairs. Extension OF high 4
. service system. 4
. Thirty-two miles Of streets made
. or reconstructed at q cost of S. 4
. 100000. A greater amount OF work Z
. is planned for next year. Z
. A total of 1so.2so feet Of sewers I
. has been. completed this year. 4
. During the year 30s,905 running 4
. feet Of trenches have been dug Z
. and Lu4Gb feet Of electric wires Z
. laid BY various companies. Z
n>>>>>>>>>>>><<>>a
Every construction department Of the
city government has shown great activity
throughout tho year. and In each one. not
withstauding tho good showing made this
year. plans are laid for even moro i'm
provements for next year.
In the Water Department. under the
direction Of Water Commissioner Ben C.
Adkins. not only have some radical
changes for the better been made In the
system as whole. but citizens have the
promise Of purer water. which seems
about to DO realized. Commissioner Ad-
kins Is only waiting for two gates to ar
rive from the factory 70 a. to put them
In place to complete the wier system.
Work was started on this In August and
will be completed about tho middle Of
December. although water was turned in
70 the nrst basin about the middle Of the
month.
This work has been carried on under the
personal supervision Of Commissioner Ad-
kins and AsItstant Engineer q. q. Wall.
Early In the year tho now pair Of pumps
at Baden were tested and accepted, thus
completing the equipment Of the high
service station at Baden
Improvements at the old high-service
station At Bisselrs Point have progressed
rapidly. Two Of the original pumps of
the Waterwofks equipment have been re-
placed by high-service pumps Of the most
modern design.
A third pump Of similar design IL in the
course Of erection. These ppmps will
greatly Increase tho efficiency OF the
pumping plant and the high-service sys-
tenn.
The distribution system. in charge Of
Engineer W. e. Rolfe. has been improved
and extended by the addition Of about
twenty miles of mains, mostly of smaller
sizes.
A 36-inch main has been laid on Twelfth
street from Clark to Chouteau avenues,
giving an additional supply lead into the
southern part of the city. Several large
mains are in tho course Of construction
in the southern part Of the city also.
Special effort has been put forth by En-
gineer Rolfe to lay pipes SO as to keep
ahead OF the reconstruction work Of the
Street Department. thus saving large
amounts of money that otherwise would
have been spent in tearing up streets al
ready made for the purpose of laying
pipe. Further than this it will result in
fewer streets being torn up during the
Worlds Fair.
The contract work for laying the twenty
miles of new mains cost about $4,000,
while the material cost was about $4,000.
In addition to this the department has
repairs to the extent Of about
$4,000.
STREET DEPARTMENT.
In the Street Department a good show
ing has been made. in spite OF the fact
that work has been delayed by lack Of
material, scarcity of labor and bills being
delayed in tho House Of Delegates. The
most serious of the last-named causes is
the delay in passing the bill for the re-
Of Lindell boulevard.
Street Commissioner Varrelmann has
said that he can get the street in shape
by the time the Fair opens II the bill is
passed this winter and the contract let
by tho Board Of Public Improvements. so
that work may be commenced at the first
peep of spring next year.
During the last year 32.12 miles Of re-
constructed streets have been made. The
used was brick, 1885; asphalt,
1894: bituminous macadam. 449: granite,
2s7: wood blocks. La.
The approximate cost OF this work is
estimated at 100000. while at the be-
ginning of the year $2.61l,ooo was named as
the expenditure for street work. The bal
lnce is accounted for In the fact that
about eight miles Of the proposed recon-
struction is laid over until next year.
Commissioner varrelmann says that In
view Of the legal points which have been
raised under the Charter amendments. the |
last year is the best In the history Of the
department., and preparations are being
made for even more work next year.
SEWER DEPARTMENT.
In the Sewer Department. the same dif-
acuitiss have been encountered a in the