Page:Portland, Oregon, its History and Builders volume 1.djvu/474

 ed States.

The pipe line is thirty-one miles in length, and cost $2,736,921 to lay it down and connect it with the water mains in the city. In the work of construction, Mr. D. D. Clarke had supervision of the engineering work in the field, and Mr. C. E. Oliver, another civil engineer, was an able assistant; and both these men are still at work on the city mains and reservoirs, and have been doing the civil engineering from the first ground breaking — Mr. Clarke being now chief engi- neer of the water works system of the city.

The total cost of the Bull Run pipe line, the distributing mains laid by the old water committee and the old works purchased, was $4,736,921. The total mileage of water mains of all sizes, including the conduit pipe from Bull Run, laid in the city to the close of 1909, was 355 miles. The total storage capacity of all reservoirs owned by the city up to January i, 1910, is sixty-eight million gallons of water.

The total expenditures of the city for water works down to December 31, 1909, was $5,905,978, and the total income to the city — gross earnings — for the twenty-three years the city has furnished water to the people is $7,969,673. The present annual income for water furnished is over $600,000.

This favorable showing reflects great credit on the citizen committee which managed this important business for the people for all these years without sal- ary.

The original water committee remained in existence for seventeen years, or until January i, 1903, when the new city charter took effect. During the years there were many changes in the personnel of the committee by death or resigna- tion. Of the original number, R. B. Knapp and L. Therkelsen were the only ones who served the entire seventeen years. F. C. Smith, W. K. Smith and T. M. Richardson held office but a few years. The remaining number served con- tinuously until removed by death. And they have given the taxpayers an object- lesson in favor of municipal ownership of all public service utilities that ought not to be overlooked.

Fire Department — The city fire department consists of a chief, assistant and men, aggregating 469 men altogether, with salaries running from $225 a month to the chief, down to $90 a month for pipemen, and making a total estimated cost of running the department for 1910 the sum of $450,653. The city owns one fire boat equipped to operate along the river front, 17 fire engines, 16 hose wagons, 5 chemical engines and hose wagons, 3 four-wheeled hose carriages, a dozen hose cart trucks, ladder trucks, 4 chemical engines, 117 horses and above 20 engine houses and 150 miles of fire alarm telegraph.

Police Department — The police department consists of chief of police, 4 cap- tains, 9 sergeants, 11 detectives, i matron, 2 women's auxiliaries, and 150 patrol- men. Estimate of expense of operating the department for 1910 is $313,770. The number of arrests made in 1909 were 12,829, covering every crime, felony and misdemeanor included in the city and state laws. Just now the present effi- cient chief of police, A. M. Cox and his men, are wrestling with the persistent violators of the law running automobiles, making a dozen arrests a day and not catching one law breaker in ten.

Street Cleaning Department — This work is in the hands of a superintendent and 125 men. Seventy-two men with thirty carts, two power brooms, and one sprinkler working through the daytime, while fifty-two men, 9 power brooms, 3 sprinklers and 18 carts work at night. In addition to this equipment, the city had 35 water sprinklers operating every week day during the summer on days it did not rain, covering 140 miles of streets every day, besides three electric sprinkling cars covering the car line street. The city has 80 horses in this ser- vice; and the total cost of cleaning the streets for the year 1909 was $163,901.

The Garbage Crematory — This establishment has been a bone of contention ever since its erection. No one wanted it for a neighbor. And well they might object. For the year 1909 the crematory cremated 480 horses, 2,434 do