LOCAL HISTORY

In October, Mr. Roberts had the honor of turning the first sod on William Street, between Broadway and West River. Soon afterwards, work was begun on the reservoir, and on the pumping station near Devil's Cave on the Nith river. As often happens in such undertakings, the system was not completed without disappointments and mishaps The actual cost exceeded the contractor's estimate by $10,000. Careless pedestrians, especially at night, fell into trenches and sued the contractors or the town for negligence. Reckless drivers frequently crashed into barriers or excavations. The town was illprepared to combat fires. The Brant Review, on December 6, 1883, criticized the construction of the waterworks system The fire on Wednesday morning was nearly uncontrollable Every aspect of the system was poorly executed, including the connection between the boiler and steam pump. The expert responsible for the connection was often intoxicated. Two weeks later, the system underwent an official test with more positive results. Water was elevated 32 feet in different parts of town, providing a steady stream. Some leaks occurred, but not as anticipated Troubles persisted as mains burst and hydrants froze during the winter of 1883-1884. A steam engine was dispatched to thaw the hydrants. Eventually, these issues were resolved, and the system operated more efficiently. In 1884, the installed steam engine pumped 36,400,000 gallons of water, serving only 82 private residences. However, as the mains expanded, more people requested the service. In 1886, new services were added rapidly, necessitating a new Duplex Steam Engine. It wasn't until after 1900 that the mains extended throughout most of the town. The fire brigades were reorganized to align with the new system and conducted regular practice drills.

Before 1900, two other improvements were made in relation to fire-protection One was the installation of seven electric alarm-boxes, at a cost of $600. The other was a further reorganization of the brigades. Achief, a deputy- chief, and a teamster were appointed, and seven men were engaged to sleep in the Town Hall, near some of the equipment. At last, the people of Paris felt reasonably secure against fire The Paris Fire Brigade continuously won competitions with other Fire Brigades and many were also members of the Paris Lacrosse team.

Gradually, with the extension of the mains, an increasing number of householders asked for waterservice. At first most of these had only one outlet, usually in the kitchen; but later they installed complete plumbing-systems Thus did Paris get a water-works system and a flow of refreshing springwater.