Report of a special committee of the City Council, on the improvement of the Fire Department / and also, on the best means of obtaining an additional supply of water for fire purposes, for the city of Halifax, N.S.

by Halifax . City Council. Special Committee on the Improvement of the Fire Department

The Committee are of opinion that £350 in addition to the £650 already paid, is too large a sum to pay yearly, for a protection, limited in extent, and of somewhat doubtful efficiency. They recommend, therefore, that the offer of the Water Company be not accepted.

The two remaining topics are the most important of all, as they contemplate large operations, and heavy expenditures.

At this stage of the enquiry, it may not be uninteresting, nor uninstructive, to shew, what efforts other cities have made, to obtain the inestimable benefits, of an abundant supply of pure water.

The New Water Works of Glasgow, lately inaugurated by Her Majesty the Queen, cost a million and a half of pounds sterling, or about three pounds sterling per head of the population. The Liverpool Water Works cost about the same sum. New York has expended twenty millions of dollars on her Water Works, or about forty dollars per head of the population, and the works are still in progress. The Boston Cochituate Works have cost some six millions of dollars, or about thirty dollars per head; while in our own British Provinces, Montreal has expended four hundred and twenty thousand pounds, or twenty-four dollars per head, and Quebec two hundred and twenty-eight thousand pounds, or twenty dollars per head. To come still nearer home, we may instance St. John, New Brunswick. The population of St. John is not much greater than the population of Halifax; her wealth and resources, certainly not superior to our own. St. John has embarked one hundred thousand pounds in her Water Works, and considers the investment, one of the best, in every sense, ever made for the city.

It will thus be seen, that we are somewhat behind the age, in this, as in some other matters. To be prepared for a liberal outlay, in some mode or other, is in fact, scarcely optional with us any longer. If we refuse to pay for water, we will be obliged to pay a larger tax in some other way. Supposing the rates of insurance to be doubled—as they may be; there is, at once, an extra sum of ten or twelve thousand pounds to be paid, every year, in cash—a sum more than sufficient to pay the interest on a capital of £150,000. To say nothing of protection from Fire, and the large amount which would be saved in the way of insurance, which a really efficient system of Water Works would give us, there are the additional considerations of health, cleanliness, and the promotion of manufacturing industry. Then, there is the question of Sewerage, which, before many years, will be forced upon this Council, but which, without an abundance of water, will be absolutely unmanageable. It is impossible to over-estimate the beneficial effects of a plentiful supply of water. It would be worth some thousands of pounds, every year, if our city could, thereby, be effectually relieved of the one single nuisance of dust, which every Summer pollutes our atmosphere, and spoils our goods. The Committee trust these remarks will not be deemed irrelevant.

The Resolutions of Alderman Twining, in reference to the purchase of the Halifax Water Company’s Works, are, of course, based upon the presumption, that the Company are willing to sell. The Committee have reason to believe this to be the fact, though they are not, at present, in a position to state, precisely, what sum would be required for the purchase. It certainly, however, would not exceed £50,000; probably, something less than that amount would suffice.

Upon the general principle involved in Alderman Twining’s Resolutions, the Committee think there can hardly be much difference of opinion. They are firmly persuaded, it would be greatly to the advantage of the community, for the city government to have control of all such works. But there are some grave points which ought to be discussed, previous to the opening of negotiations with the Water Company. To make these works thoroughly efficient, for every requirement of the city, and having reference to the future, as well as the present,—an expenditure of not less than forty or fifty thousand pounds, will be necessary. This is a startling statement, but, upon examination, it will be found to be not very wide of the mark.

It is a well known fact, that the water will not rise, with any force, in the north suburbs of the city; in the vicinity of the North Barracks, for instance; which, before ten years will be a very populous district. It is laid down, as a rule of engineering, that the efficiency and value of any system of water supply, is in direct proportion to the quantity of water which can be stored with sufficient head, as near as possible to the points of consumption. The water systems of New York and Boston, though so enormously costly, are said, still, to be defective, from the want of head pressure; the nature of the ground not permitting better arrangements. These defects, in the water systems of the cities alluded to, are in some measure remedied, by larger main pipes, and by reservoirs.

Now, it has been ascertained by the actual measurements of Mr. Gossip, that the plug at the corner of North and Gottingen Streets is, in fact, higher than the point where the water pipes diverge at St. Andrew’s Cross; while the long ridge to the westward and northward of North Street, is 197 feet above low water mark,—being as high, if not higher, than the surface level of the Long Lake. When it is borne in mind, in addition, that the lake itself, is five miles distant, without any intervening reservoir,—we have in these facts, a sufficient explanation of the inefficiency of the Water Works at the North end of the city. The same reasoning applies though in a less degree, to the south suburbs, where the ground is lower; yet the distance, operating with an extended system of distribution, deprives the water of the necessary force.

To make the present Water Works, therefore, thoroughly efficient, for fire purposes, and for the supply of every part of the city, would involve, first,—the laying down of larger pipes, from the lake, and through the city; second,—the construction of a reservoir sufficiently elevated to command the highest streets; and thirdly,—the cost of machinery, suitable for the purpose of keeping the reservoir always full of water.