The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-02-13

siiy for constant supervision and care
In the management of this vital supply
, and has taken every precantion neces-
sary to protect the purity of the water
as well az to maintain the abundant
Gas Works.
THE gas works have genera,ro
during the year 700, zoe. 600 cubic
feet Of gas showing an increase at
$4,000, 600 cubic feet over the preVi-
Gus wear The total receipts OF the
WORKS Tor the year being s53s, 600, with
/ disbursements OF s32s 900. an excess
of receipts over expenditures of S2l5,-
1000. The largest production of gas
in any one twenty-four hours was
2,S45s00 cubic feet, and the largest
consumption IN any one twenty-fouT
hours was 2H6o,S0 cubic feet. The
works have laid during the year 30
9S6 feet of gas mains. II has added
To its list Of patrons ! .0S1 consumers,
During tho year there has been erect
ed at the lower gas works a new CEN
trifugal washer with new foundations
and connections complete, costing
Z over 81 .0an. also three purifying
boxes, with III connections and foun-
datiuns. costing over 5000; new
drum Iva station meter, with index.
etc, complete. costing $4,000. with
the addition of q new roof on the
engine and boiler room. coal bins ana
tori house. with many other minor
I improvements. The total number Of
, consumers is $500; the average can
die power of the gas is 1895.
+ Cemeteries.
The board has not neglected the
care and Improvement of the Gene
teries owned by the city. At oak
wood extensive Improvements have
( been made. mainly by the construc-
( ton Of suitable roads and approaches
i to the new portion recently pur~
! chased. TIE board has pushed the
! improvements at this point tn the
/ limit of the funds provided Tor that
purpose by the CITY Council aud the
conditions there are such that il
would ne possible Ia sell lots far bur
| !al purposes 70 those who might de-
! sre them. The hoart expects to
! prosecute this WORK until the whole
/ OF the new area is IN satisfactory con-
/ dition. The public comfort station
! at Oakwood Cemetery has been COM
pleted and opened 10 the public. and
| is the most creditable structure of
/ this kind the city has ever owned.
1.-THE board will insist on constant
improvement and the careful mainte
nance of all the cemeteries owned by
I the city. ana as fast as the ancient
customs eau be overcome will remove
enclosures mounded graves and ali
other distractions which prevent the
proper protection and care Of the
sod
Building Department.
The report IF the Building In
spector for tire year 1914 shows the
erection Of Ia9 dwellings, SO ware
houses. II brick stores, with numer-
Gus garages stables, etc. notably six
apartment houses, one freight depot
3 90
buildings During the year $50 iu~
spections have been made Of various
buildings ard as a result If these in
. spccfions III frame buildings and Sc
brick buildings have been taken down
ana removed by their owners. The
department issued 757 permits for
new work ard S3+ permits for altera-
tions, additions and repairs. The es-
umated value of the new work
amounted {" s2,a30237 while the al
( terations, additions and repairs cost
/ the owners SasT834. making n total
1 expenditure for the year Of S3.3Sl,~
! 81. This department mas charge Of
the public buildings Of the city in
Guiding the CITY Hall. City Auditort-
! nm, CITY Jail, Military arrnorieS etc,
4 1t may interest the public to know
that The attendance at the auditori-
/ UNI, whlo n has opened seventy -seVen
times, was $4,000 people.
Parks.
/ THE board has given careful at
/ tention to The parks Of the city. and
as tar az the means at disposal would
| permit have made necessary repairs
: and improvements. At Byrd Park
tho main roads have been rescraped,
oiled and sJvered with granite chips.
Ornamental lights have Ueen Installed
along the boulevard and in the park
grounds Extensive improvements
were made along Davis Avenue by
grading, cnrbin9, parking, etc.
At Chimboraso Park a retaining
vat has bceu erected at the foot of
the southeastern slope which it is
hoped will arrest the sliding OF the
hill-id" at this point. and besides at
ford protection to the roadway lead
ing from the crest of the hill down
ana through Fulton At this \park "A
4 flight Of eraEohthic steps was laid
/ from the upper plateau of the park
20 the lower terrace used as play
added greatly TO the convenience ann
comfort OF The patrons using and Wis
Iung tho Fairgrounds Ornamental
lights have also been added TO the
park along the main driveway.
James River.
1.-THE work Of. the city for the inn
provement of James River has been
.
I The most important and enduring
Worl, WAC the raising Of bikes ana
. extending them for the purpose of
receiving sand and other material
taken from the river by our dredees
large amount OF dredging has been
done along the river front and In
opening the way for THE approach
t for small pleasure craft TO tho upper
waters, 4 visit To the wharf section
! Of the city along the line of Lester
street will illustrate he value Of the
river work as an adjunct to tho street
( department in making the eNtensh @
Nils needed al that point
supply, During the year the board
( has installed six-inch pipe direct
from the pump main into the settling
basins which IL used efficiently for
occasionally washing out the bottoms
of the basins. for filing the tanks.
etc, used there.
The board has also established "A
liquid chlorine plant which has
superseded the old chloride OF lime
plant ana which gives much better
! rg2ItIfs Ia, reduction of al han