Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-10-01
IMPROVEMENTS
NECESSARY TO
RETAIN RATING
City Must Greatly Augment Its
Fire Fighting Facilities or
Drop a Class.
MAY INCREASE INSURANCE
All Estimates Are Made on Grade
Given City by Illinois Inspee-
ton Bureau.

Following is the letter received by
Commissioner Jonas Bear from c. F.
Persch of the Illinois inspection bu-
reau at Chicago, in which recommends
tons are made for improving the
citys fire-fghting facilities so that
Rock Island can retain an insurance
rating Of grade three:
I'VE are in receipt of detailed report
submitted by our engineer. E. r.
Townsend, covering result Of his in
vestigation Of waterworks and fire de-
partment systems Of Rock Island, H.,
and on the basis of same beg TO sub
nit the following information for the
benefit and in the interest of all con-
cerned:
Present rate estimates for Rock Is
land are based upon grade third class
Since your city was iast surveyed for
rate estimate purposes lin 1900, the
necessary improvements in and extern
sions of the waterworks and fire de-
partment systems have not kept pace
with the rapid growth of the city, ow-
ing 10 which we find that certain i'm
portant improvements are essential at
this time in order TO meet our require
ments for grade of third class refer
red 70 above.
TO RESURVEY THE CITY.
Having in contemplation an early
Tesuryey of your city in its entirety,
for new rate estimate purposes. which
naturally will be based upon such clas-
sification as We find Rock Island en-
titled TO at the time the work is taken
up, We sincerely trust that the list of
recommended Improvements following
may be carefully land we hope favor
ably considered by the officials i'm
authority, with a view to providing for
the immediate carrying out of the
same, In order that the city may not
be penalized for deficiencies by reduc-
ing IT'S classification from one-half to
one full point which means consider
able TO your tax-paying property own
ers. We not only solicit. but urge,
your cooperation. to this end.
WATEHWORKS RECOMMENDATION
a. Compile convenient sized maps.
showing size and location of street
mains and valves, also location of by
Grants In addition, compile a valve
book, indicating the exact distance of
various valves from a permanent
point.
q. Adopt a meter system for all
service connections TO prevent waste.
BY decreasing the domestic consump-
ton, the efficiency Of the pumping sta.
ton and the entire piping system will
be relatively increased. besides a no
ticeable reduction in the cost of main
tanning the plant
g. Install an elevated tank OF not
less than 100000 gallons capacity. TO
be supplied by pump OF not less than
100000 gallons capacity
Il. Install the following mains or
mains Of sufficient size and capacity
TO obtain the equivalent service: 1G
inches IN Ninth avenue from Nine
teenth to Eleventh streets, ~ inches in
Eleventh street from Ninth to Second
avenues, and ~ inches in Seventeenth
street from Third to Ninth avenue.
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
l. Establish an additional fire sta
ton IN the southwestern part of the
town. TO be equipped with an automo
bile combination fire engine and hos,
wagon and FIVE fulI-paid men.
"2.-Replace Hose company No
with an automobile combination FIRE
engine and hose wagon and increas,
the number of men in the company
from four TO FIVE.
20. Provide a diagram OF the water
works system for each station and re