New Ulm review., 1916-02-09
OIL TO BE SPREAD
ON ClTY'S STREETS
PURCHASE OF OIL SPREADER
AND NECESSARY FLUID
DECIDED UPON
CITY'S FUTURE WATER SUPPLY
MAY BE INVESTIGATED
BY EXPERT

When the city council met in adjourned
session Monday evening they crowded a
lot of business into the short space of
three hours. They decided to do away
with the present sprinkling of the streets
and begin to use oil, ordered a call for
bids for new deep we'll pump at the
waterworks station, looked over the
plans for a new building at the City
cemetery and decided to pay off $4,000
of the city's bonded indebtedness.
The matter of oiling the streets was
decided upon after a lengthy and ex-
haustive discussion in which every men,
ber of the city council, the engineer,
clerk, superintendent and the city at
torney took part. Alderman Eibner
made thorough report on the cost OF the
present method of laying the dust on the
streets. According to his Investigations
the city used 7,250,000 gallons of water
on the streets during the past year, a
rainy season, at cost of 8 cents per
1000 gallons for pumping alone, which
would amount to $5.67 for every 50-foot
front on Minnesota street. Besides this
the city paid $500 per month for labor
during the last sprinkling season. Two
applications of oil, figuring 4 gallons of
the fluid to the square foot would have
amounted to but $500 per 50-foot front
on the same street.
At the present time sprinkling districts
are created upon petition of the property
owners and the question of just how to
proceed with the apportionment of the
cost of oiling had to be left open for the
present. Inasmuch as the council does
not intend to stop at the oiling of the
downtown streets now sprinkled, it was
the concensus of opinion that the cost
should be borne by the entire city. 1t is
possible that the roads to the cemetery,
hospitals and south as far as the Aufder-
heide hill may be treated with oil, but
this was all left for future consideration.
A motion prevailed, however, that the
streets be oiled this year and that bids
be received for 500-gallon oil wagon and
100000 gallons of oil. 1t is estimated
that the oil can be procured at approx
mately cents gallon and an oil wagon
for about $500. The total cost for the
first year was estimated at $4,000.
The necessity of new deep we'll pump
at the pumping station opened up another
wide field of discussion, in which the
problem of the city's future water supply
entered as no mean factor. Alderman
Eibner reported that members of the
water committee had visited the cities
and viewed a pump now in operation in
St. Paul which seems to meet the require
ments of the local plant. It is proposed
to install new pump in place of the
present Ludweiler pump and pump the
water directly into the mains instead of
at first storing it the small German park
reservoir and then handling it again to
pump it into the mains and large reser-
voir on Center street hill. The city
clerk was instructed to advertise for bids
for deep well pump according to speci-
fications of the water superintendent.
The estimated cost of the new pump is
$1,7OO, but should the direct connection
with the mains be made at the pump
station the cost will be almost double
that amount.
In a general discussion of the subject
of the city's future water supply it was
suggested that the city secure the services
of an expert on such matters to make a
thorough investigation of the problem.
How to get rid of the present expensive
manner of handling the water with
pumps was discussed and Alderman
Krook gave some interesting data on
studies he had made of the ground for
nations along the Big and Little Cotton
wood rivers, where there are number Of
small springs. Alderman Eibner brought
up the matter of utilizing what is known
as Marschner's Creek, about two miles
south of the present reservoir. At recent
investigation developed the fact that this
spring furnishes $50 gallons per minute
and is located high enough to reduce the
cost of pumping to minimum. The
flow in this spring has not changed and
the water is pure, according to reports
made by former investigators. This is
one of the things to be investigated by
the espert who probably will be secured
as soon as weather conditions permit. -
Upon motion of Alderman Krook, tie
council decided to pay off $4,000 of the
present bonded Indebtedness of the city.