The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-05-19
Silence is deep as eternity speeo'
AZ - 90 Carlyle.
let the City Sprinkle It's Streets.

v F. d ,l . .
AE,tte further investigation into the
cost Of providing the city streets with a an
ADEQUATE sprln king service tends te
confirm, our opinion that such provision
would be much less expensive than some
~ the city counclln,en have been leu TO
believe.
Mr.. S. III. Cottrell, the head OF the pr.
5 yatc concern which waters certain OF tle
# city streets at the expense OF the peep'c
who live on them, Informed The Iin nssees
Dispatch that four wagons can cover
seventy-ave blocks day. with TINS as
& y definite starting point, let us attempt TO
4 discover how many wagons It would re-
o,,ire to give the city proper sprln lKNns
and how much it would cost to run
them.
As we pointed out yesterday, the daily
II sprinkling of every block in the city is
81 no sense to be asked for. Watering
Is Indispensable only on those streets
i where constant use keeps the dust coil
,,n,ally flying. Take forty blocks OF
Main Street, and twenty blocks each or
cary. FRANKLIN, Grace. Broad, Marshall
and Clay Streets. Add the cross streets
between Cary and Clay Streets for
Ak twenty blocks. Add seventy blocks Tor
vi good measure. This gives us an area OF
a5o blocks, which. If Systematically
watcred would make Richmond prob
q ABLY one of the best sprinkled c1nes N n
n the United States.
ali
gallons. One and a half tanks full' or
Nc nine hundred gallons will water one
u Block thoroughly in the Warlncst ana
{ busiest weather. One thousand gallons
costs the Cottrcll Company three cents,
$ss. !, nich & 0xes the expense for water at
4 ess; than three cents per block. On the
In sis of four wagons for seventy-avn
n blocks, It is evident that one wagon can
cover nineteen blocks a day. Allowing
II $50 monthsly as a far estimate for the
n hire OF a driver and the keep OF two
Elf horses. and twenty-five as the number OF
working days In the month. we find
IS that each wagon costs So day to yum.
Add to this 1900 gallons Of water at
three cents per thousand, and we get
8SS s257 as the total daily cost OF operation
III per wagon
,SSt. Now, Il each wagon can sprinkle nine
teen blocks day, eighteen wagons can
I sptinkle, approximately, $50 blocks q
day. Allowing twenty wagons at an
operating cost of s2.57 each. We arrive
at a total daily cost for covering tho
area under consideration Of $51.40 Figur-
TX ing on twenty-five days in the month,
ana six months in the year, we Eet a
grand total Of $40.
This hgure!tit wiz be seen. does not
isi include the interest ~ money actually
y invested in horses aud wagons, or any
VI allowance for wear and tear; but IT
"a appears to be reasonably Inclusive i'll
81 other respects It's estimate of blocks to
IA be watered and of days on which he
service is necessary seems to be l1holal.
. 1t includes a charge for water, which, It
is obvious, the city can supply to Itself
& Il practically without charscL Yet our
VI figure is In sharp contrast with that
u mentioned in this connection ny some o!
23sf.t HE -councilmen. A city can we'll afford
10 eXpcuu $S,V'v w SiV,p' W. pAc'-S 49,
y h fort and ;health, where $500 to slooo(
y would be much moro problenlauGll.
I Let the city buy The twenty serrtceaSlt
water wagons now owned ly the Cottrel
Company and operate Them on It's Owl
s X account.
@ Let the city furnish tree water to III
Virginia Passenger and Power COMPANY
and compel 1t TO waite" systematicail
u all the streets operated hy ITS lines
T.et the whole mattar be taken Up an
noted upon now-at once II Richmond
# to become one OF the best watercd clue
In the country. instead Of one OF u
worst the present is precisely the INC
ment 10 get the new order OF thing
under way.
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