Minutes 03/12/1912 - Laserfiche WebLink

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i9!$. Second. Matters adopted by the Board of Aldermen Febm~ary 20th and referred to the Common Council for cbncurrence. To take over~ a~ter March l, 1912, all of ~hv lZoh~S now on High, Efzzngham and County streets. No action taken thereon. To instruct 2he Gamewetl Fire-alarm Telegraph Company to go to work on their contract furnish the City with a Six Circuit Switch Board. Concurred in. Third. Matter adopted by the Joint Session March 5th mud referred to the two branches of Cotuucil for concurrence. To refer to Finance Committee for an appropriation to maintain, during the month of March, 19lB, the street lights on High, Effingham and County streets, heretofore paid for by citizens. Concurred in. Fourth. Communications from the Mayor. "Portsmouth. Va., 5th March, !9lB. "The Comucil. ~"Gentlemen:-~ "Complying with your request of the Sd of February, I held an investigation of the water pressure or supply of water az the fire which destoryed the re- sidence of Mr. Syer on the night of Jmuuary 13th, on the ZSth of February, at which investi- gation Chief of the Fife'Department, Wm. R. Walker~ esgin~ers Smith, Hodges mud Carney, Coun- cilman E. B. Hawks, W. L. Davis, Superintendent, and T. J. Nooi, attorney~ of the Portsmouth, Berkley and Suffolk Water Company, were present. "The evidence showed that there was some delay in sending in the alarm, owing to inabil- ity to find the key-to the fire alarm box, and tho2 for about ten minutes after the Park View engine had coupled up to the hydrant, but before the engDne had begun ta pump, the stream of water was only about twenty feet high. "This stream went ~h~ough some 600 feet or more of hose and was before the fire pressure had been put on. "The engine was delayed in getting a stream owing to the water in the boiler, being cold and it t~king some time to get up steam. "Shortly after the fire alarm was sent .in the pressure at the pumping station wen~ up to sixty pounds and at the Chmmbers engine house, to "The evidence showed that a pressure of 43 lbs. at the pumping station would give the one hundred feet,and the pressure of 25 lbs. ~t the engine house~ would be sufficient to throw a stream fifty feet high through an one and one-eighth inch nozzle attached to two hundred feet of hose, as required by Section Xl of the water contract. "The evidence further showed that, while the pressure was not as great as at some other fires (and this it was shown was owing to many householders letting the water run to yet the supply was adequate, except as above stated for the first ten minutes. "The loss was greater than is usual for fires aZ residences~ and this is owing to the de- lay in getting in the alarm, to the necessity of throwing several of the streams on the adjoin- ing residences in order to save them, to the delay in getiing a stream from the engine owing to the water in boiler being cold. "I can not find that there has been a violation by the Water Company of section X1 of the water contract. "! wouldccall your attention to the recommendation of the Chief Engineer of the Fir~ De- partment that glass .fronts be placed in all of the fire alarm boxes and that the water in the boilers of the engines be kept warm. "In order that there may be no lack of pressure dO_ring freezing weather, I would recom~end that an ordinance be adopted requiring the proper installation or protecting, of water pipes, so that water can be cut off with the certainty that the ~ipes will be properly drained and that there will be no danger of bursting pipes when the water is cut off. ~I know that many pipes have burst after the water was cut off. "This must have been owing ~o some defective plumbing as there must be some way that pipes can be protected~ other than by letting the water run. Rsspeo ~fully~ "J. Davis Reed, Mayor." The recommendation of the Mayor in regard to placing glass fronts in all fire alarm boxes and keeping warm water in the boilers of engines was referred to the Fire Committee, and the recommendation in regard to an ordinance to require the proper installation or protectio~ of water pipes was referred to the Ordinance Committee. A communication was received also from the fund and "Dog" fund for 191~ be made available; Committee. Mayor, in which he asked that the "Contingent~ and said request was referred to the Finance The Mayor r~turned also his approval of the following matters adopted by the two branches of City Council February l$-EO, 191B: To allow $150.00 to put in serviceable con4ition the dock at the foot of High street, out of appropriation to "Repairs to Streets" in the "budget" for 1912. To allow $650.00 to move the "Armlstead house," next to the court house yard, back from its present loc~tion~ out of appropriation for buil~Iing the new Clerk's office. To appropriate $1~0.00 for mattresses and blankets at the 0ity Jail, ou~ of the ~budget~ for 1912. To pay bills of the Civic League for 1911 to amount of $~00.00~ out of appropriation for same in the "budget" for 1912. To allow $~00.00 for bricks; $1~000.00 for repairs to asphalt sidewalks; and ~l,500.00 t~ ~v~ ~b~ ~tre~t. b~t~e~n Scott and Duke: out of aooro~ria~ions for same in the "bud-