The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-03-19

ed, and highly pure drinking water in
addition to the saving of the $4,000
annually insurance. Mr.. Ingalls, let
ter to Fire Chief Slaughter was read
by Mr.. Dawson, as follows:
c. I. INGALLS,. ]. H. CRANE,
Prop. and Mgr. Assistant
Details Fire Insurance Reports,
Advisory Estimate,
Insurance Maps.
Oklahoma City, Feb. s, 1911.
Mr.. l.. c. Slaughter,
Chief Fire Department,
Ardmore, Oklahoma,
Dear SIR
Your valued favor Of the 7th inst,
duly received and contents carefully
noted. You state that some OF your
citizens think that the inefficiency of
the fire department is responsible for
the increase in insurance estimates
and have asked me if this is a fact.
In reply to same. beg to state that
We have no criticism to offer regard
ing the personnel OF the fire depart
ment or the work, much which has
been done in the past years.
The classification was lowered from
the 4th to 1-2 on account of the lack
Of proper equipment at the pumping
plant At the time of our last inspec-
ton in December, you had but one
pump in commission and this was
electrically operated. The steam
pump was entirely out of commission
and in case an accident happens to
the electrical equipment or pump,
your city would be entirely without
water until the accident could be re-
paired.
Last May | secured the services of
Mr.. z. R. Townsend of Chicago, fire
insurance engineer of national reputa-
tion. In company with him | visited
Ardmore, at which time, after thor
ough investigation he submitted to me
his report, copy of which I enclose
herewith. l believe that copy Of
this report was given to Mr.. Dawson,
your commissioner. Our most recent
inspection indicated that there had
been no change in the water plant for
the better.
believe that this report should be
earnestly considered by those in au-
thority and your business men, and
we will be glad to co operate with you
to the end that your fire fighting ia
cilities might be materially improved
which would entitle your city to a
higher classification.
You centainly are not responsible
for any deficiencies in the fire depart
ment, as I know that you have labor
ed long and earnestly to improve the
conditions and l sincerely trust that
you may now be able to secure the
necessary additional equipment and
men which would give you a depart
ment large enough to cope with a seri-
Gus fire.
hope that this fully answers your
query and beg to remain, with per-
sonal regards.
Yours very truly
Signed: c. T. INGALL,
Manager.
Mr.. Dawson then briefly reviewed
the speech of Mayor Cotner in which
he claimed that the adoption of the
Erickson plans and installing his FL
ters at cost of $1O,437, that $4,000
had been saved the city, and asked
how it could be possible that there
had been a saving of 100000 by put
ting in the Erickson filters when it
had been shown by the report of the
state chemist, Prof. d. Bar that the
filters were not producing pure water,
the purpose for which they were in
stalled, and that in addition to this
the lack OF proper pumping facilities
as proposed by Mr.. Dawson's own
plans were costing the city $4,000
insurance rates.
Sewer.
The speaker next in order took up
and discussed the expenditures of the
peoples money through the building
and extension of sewers, afso his rea-
sons for abolishing the sewer rent.
After stating in detail the expendi-
lures made under his direction for the
extensions of sewers in the various
wards and pointing out that each
ward had received its proportionate
share of sewer money according to
population. the first and third wards
being the most densely populated, re-
ceived. respectively, s14,O36.O7 and
s19,776..4S, while the second and
fourth wards received each s6,097.20
and s9,093.0O. respectively, the num-
ber of feet of sewers not being the