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' ~ 191~,
<br />~ia~ ch i9,
<br />
<br />to furnish the City with a Six Circuit Switch Board.
<br />
<br />cil
<br />
<br />the
<br />
<br /> The above was concurred in.
<br />Second. Matter adopted by the Joint Ssssion March 5th and referred to the two branches of Court-
<br />for concurrence.
<br /> To refer to Finance Committee for an appropriation to maintain, during the month' of t~arch, 191S,
<br />street lights on High, .~f~mngham and County streets, heretofore paid for by citizens
<br />
<br /> Concurred in.
<br />
<br /> Third. Matters adopted by the ~ommOn Council Earch 1Sth and referred to the Board of Aldermen
<br />for concurrence.
<br /> To allow the Clerk of Court $500.00 and the City Sergeant $150.00 for their services-in the
<br />late re-assessment of City real estate.
<br />
<br /> To authorize the Police Committee to advertise for bids to purchase a telephone and flash light
<br />system for the Police Force.
<br />
<br /> To appoint a Conference Committee to consider the advisability of pttrchasing a patrol wagon.
<br />
<br /> To appoint a Committee of Five to investigate the "Ferry Bill."
<br />
<br /> To appoint a Committee of Five To consider the advisability of establishing a Public Library.
<br /> T~ appoint e C~mmittee of Three ~o supervise the destruction of use-leSs papers in hands of the
<br />City Clerk.
<br />
<br /> To allow $55.00 for work done on the City Jail prior to January l, 191S~ out of Public Property
<br /> "Contingent" fund.
<br />
<br /> When the section was reached in which concurren~ was asked for,authorizing the Police Commit-
<br />tee to adve~zse for bids to purchase a telephone and flash light system for the Police Force, Nr~
<br />La~Ehorne observed that the Board of Police Commissioners ~ere present and he asked for a suspension
<br />of rules to hear from them on this matter.
<br /> E~. Earkham objected ~o a suspension of rules, .stating t~mt the Board of Police Commissioners
<br /> could appear bef~rs the Police Committee.
<br /> Mr. Ballentine then moved that the Board concur with the Common Council in its action as to
<br /> said advertisement, and after some discussion of the sub,eot, the motion was adopted.
<br />
<br /> appo~n~men~ of a Conference Committee ~o consider the advisability
<br /> Next, the proposition ~or the ~ ~ ~
<br /> of purchasing a patrol wagon, was sent back to the Police Committee for further consideration.
<br />
<br /> ~ ~' as amended, were adopted and by
<br /> And finally, the several propositions from the Cor~mon ~oun~l,
<br /> VO ~e ·
<br /> the following ~ '
<br /> Ayes--Walker, Millieme, Langhorne, ~oore, Ballentine, Adams, Privett,
<br /> ~arkham, Davis, Nutty, Nicholson, ll.
<br />
<br /> Fourth. Communications from the ~ayor.
<br /> "Portsmouth, Va., 5th March, 191S.
<br /> "The Council.
<br /> "Gentlemen:--
<br /> "Complying with your request of the Sd of February, I held an in-
<br />vestigation of the water pressure or supply of wa~er at the fire which destroyed the residence of Mr.
<br />Sver ~n the night of J~nuarv 15th. on the 2~th of February,.at which investigat%0n Chief of'the Fire
<br />D;par~men~, Wm~ .R. Walke~, ~ngine~rs Smith, Hodges and Carney, Co~u~_oilman E. B%Haw~s, ~.. L. Davis,
<br />Superintendent, and T. J. ~ool, Attorney~ of the Portsmouth, Berkzey and Suffol~ Water ~ompany, were
<br />present.
<br /> ~The evidence showed that there was some delay in sending in the alarm, owing to the inability
<br />to find the key to the fire alarm box, and that for about ten minutes after the Park View engine had
<br />coupled up to the hydrant, but before the engine had begun to pump~ the stream of water was only a-
<br />bout twenty feet high.
<br /> "This stream went through some 600 feet or more of hose and was befdre the fire pressure had
<br />been put on.
<br /> ~he engine was delayed in getting a stream owing to the water in the boiler being cold and it
<br />taking some time to get up steam.
<br /> "Shortly after the fire alarm was sent in the pressure at the pumping station went up to sixty
<br />pounds and at the Chambers engine house, to S5 lbs.
<br /> ~The evidence showed ~hkt a pressure of 45 lbs. at the pumping station would give the one hun-
<br />dred feet, and the pressure of S5 lbs. at the engine house would be sufficient to throw a stream fif-
<br />ty feet high through an one and one-eighth inch nozzle attached to two hundred feet of hose, as re-
<br />quired by Section X1 of the water contract.
<br /> "The evidence further showed that, while the pressure was no~ as great as at some other fires
<br />(and this it was shown was owing to many householders letting the water run to waste), yet the sup-
<br />ply was adequate,, except as above stated for the first ten minutes.
<br /> "The loss was greater than is usual for fires at residences, and this is owing to the delay in
<br />getting in the alarm~ to the necessity of t~rawing several of the streams on the adjoining residences
<br />in order to save them, to the delay in getting a stream from the engine owing to the water in boiler
<br />being cold.
<br /> "i can not find that there has been a violation by the Water Company of section X1 of the water
<br />contract.
<br /> =t would call your attention to the recommendation of the Chief E~gineer of the Fire Department
<br />that glass fronts be placed in all of the fire alarm boxes and that the water in the boilers Of the
<br />engines be kept warm.
<br /> ~In order that there may be no lack of pressu~e~during freezing weather, I would recommend that
<br />an ordinance be adopted~requiring the proper installation or protecting of wa~er pipes, so that wa-
<br />ter can be cut off with the certainty that the pipes will be properly drained and that there will be
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