The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-09-18
SOUTH RICHMOND
GETSL|ON' SSHARE
Fares Better at Hands OF City
Than Provided in Annexa-
ton Agreement.
WATER WORKS AND SEWERS
Hardly Possible That Gas Can
Be Put in Southside in
Contract Time.

Approval by the Mayor on Satur-
day of the long pending bond issue
ordinance opens the way for extern
sive improvements in South Richmond
| within the next few months. including
tho construction OF q comprehensive
sewerage system. general introduce
tion Of gas with the erection of q gas
| holder and the connection of the old
| Manchester Water Works with the
Richmond reservoirs and settling
/ basin. The bond Issue in Its liberal
provisions goes far beyond the annexa-
ton agreement and will serve to bring
the closely built up parts of South
| Richmond up to the standard set by
| the best improved sections of the main
| city.
Under the annexation agreement, a
| certain proportion of the revenues de-
rived from Washington Ward is be-
ing set apart for street improvements.
The committee In charge had been en-
| barrassed through the proviso that
this fund may be expended only in
improving the surface of streets, while
| up to this time no fund has been pro-
vided for drainage. The bond issue
carries $4,000 for sewers. the most
urgently needed Improvement on the
Southside, as the old house drainage
provided by the city of Manchester
was most primitive and Inadequate.
and will all have to be replaced
Lay Main Across River.
Probably the most important I'M
provement authorized under the bond
issue is the provision of 100000 for
water works extensions in South Rich
mond. UP to this time the Southside
has been supplied from the old Man
chester Pump House. which pumped
| to a stand pipe, giving ample pressure.
| though with limited reserve in case
of large fire. The cost of maintain
| Ing two pumping stations. one on each
side of tho river. and a separate water
| clearing plant for the Southside, has
| been held to be excessive. and the plan
| now proposed is to lay a pipe line
along the bed of the river. connecting
existing mains at the municipal cleo
trio plant with the present Manchester
| Pump House.
The great Virginia Avenue tunnel.
which will form the main trunk sewer
| for the greater portion of Clay Ward,
Is nearing completion. and by early
| spring 1t is expected that house con-
| nections and street basins will he con-
| nected on at least two of It's main
| branches. thus aftording drainage to a
large and rapidly developing part Of
the city. But this great sewer-the
| largest in the city-wiN empty into
the river at Haxar Station, just below
Major Dooley's grounds and mile
above the intake pipes of the pres an
Manchester Water Works Even had
there been no annexation 1t would
have been necessary for Richmond TO
supply the Southside with water from
the settling basins, or to have con-
tinued the intake pipes up the river a
mile or more to point above the
mouth of the new Virginia Avenue
sewer
Gas Ger South Richmond
The annexation agreem ert guaran-
teed that city gas would be introduced
in South Richmond within two years
that Is. by April 10. 1912. The pro-
posed plant will hardly be completed
by that time. as n gas holder is to be
erected and main taken across the
new Mayo Bridge now in course of
construction. The bond issue provides
sl45.000 for the gas holder and mains
and the various distributing pipes can
now be laid before the surface of the
streets is graded and improved, pre-
venting later tearing up of work just
comStsted.
The city is not obligated to put a
gas main into every street at once
but to introduce gas las the Council
may direct" and it is presumed that
j, | Tor the present only the most thickly
built up streets will be supplied. Where
the cost of mains Is not excessive gas
is sold by the city at a profit, and
Superintendent Knowles urges the
rapid extension OF pipes wherever Gus
toners can he found
! AS soon as the bonds are put on the
market and sold by the Committee OF
Finance, the general treasury will be
reimbursed for the amounts already
) paid out for acquisition OF site OF
+, Mayo's Bridge. for purchase of the
! Ford block and for new public schoo,
i sites and buildings.
:; a saving to the city OF so,47s pei
year is effected to the city by the
bond issue. through the retiring OF
q salS,Soo Of Manchester cunable pc,
cent. bonds by Richmond city As
street bonds Next.
!, As soon as the bonds now author
" lied have been marketed and the i'm
provoments authorized put under way
the Finance Committee will take III
the problem of Issuing ). 100000 I,
. twenty year bonds for street Improve
. nents for which tho Street Committe,
: has been directed 10 prepare a plan O
expenditure. Many members of tn
Council are opposed to making a ware
=, grab Of this fund. and members of tn,
+ nance Committee assert that tn,
y ordinance VIII be reported as soon ~
the street Committees plan Tor outla,
OF the money has been adopted by IN,
ST Council.