The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-10-11 00:00:00

SUPPRESSION OF FIRES

The following is a copy of the memorial on the late de-
structive fire sent to the Town Council by the American
Chamber of Commerce ;
" TO THE MAYOR, ALDERMEN, AND BURGESSES OF TH%

BOROUGH OF LIVERPOOL, IN COUNCIL ASSEMBLED

ca THE MEMORIAL OF THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COM'

MERCE, LIVERPOOL,
" Respectfully showeth,—That your memorialists, sire WE
bring under the consideration of the Council, as guardians of
the town, the alarming state of insecurity in which both life
and property are placed, in consequence of the very inade-
quate means which at present exist for the prevention and
speedy suppression of fires, especially from the want of on
immediate and abundant supply of water.
" That this want has frequently been admitted and la-
mented on former occasions of destructive fires, and has again
been exemplified at the recent calamitous conflagration in
the neighbourhood of the Borough Gaol.
" That independent of the deplorable sacrifice of huniao
life, and the consequent misery brought upon many poor
families, the enormous loss occasioned by fire, (amounting/
during the last forty-seven years, to upwards of £1,900,000,
and the value of property in the town liable to destruction
from that cause, (estimated at not less than twenty-six mil'
lions;) demand the most prompt and energetic efforts to
guard against the recurrence of similar losses ; and your me'
morialists trust that the feeling of alarm and insecurity which
has been aroused by the late melancholy event will not he
permitted, as on former occasions, to subside, without the
establishment of the best means of prevention for the future
that human wisdom can devise.
" That, owing to the defective and insecure construction
of many of the warehouses in which the valuable merchant
dise in the town is stored • the narrowness of many of the
streets in which they are built ; their proximity to small te,
nements and places in which hazardous trades are carried on '+
the injudicious stowage of goods liable to combustion along
with others of an inflammable nature , the use of insecure
lights in warehouses ; and the custom of smoking by porters,
employed in them (which, owing to the defective system ei
management, has not hitherto been effectually suppressed).;
and, above all, the inadequate supply of water, Liverpool IS
exposed more than any other town in the kingdom to the
ravages of fire,—no less than five hundred and seventy-nine
instances having occurred within the five years ending 111
December last.
" That, in consequence of the greater risk, the insurance
companies have from time to time increased the premiurel
for insurance of goods and warehouses in Liverpool beyorl°
the rates charged in other parts of the kingdom. PreviouslY
to 1826 the premium on floating policies was 2s. 6d. per cent,
In that year, in consequence of heavy losses, the premill°
was increased to 7s. per cent., and again, in 1833, to 125"
but with a promise of a revision of the rates whenever a°
effective supply of water, engines, and firemen, should be
secured at the public expense. In 1837, on the establishment
of a rival local insurance office, the premium was reduced to
10s., at which it continued till the late fire ; but now, in coo'
sequence of that event, the London insurance offices bale,
raised the premium to 18s. per cent., a rate which impose'
upon Liverpool an annual charge of £lOO,OOO, at least,
beyond the cost of insuring the same amount of property to
London, where the premium on a general floating policy ',6
4s. 6d. per cent., being only one fourth of the rate charged
,
in Liverpool. So great, indeed, is the risk considered'
especially at the north end of the town, that some of the
leading London offices have directed their agents not t°
insure warehouses or goods to the north of the Exchange 06

any terms.
" Your memorialists would bear willing testimony to the
admirable discipline and efficiency of the Fire Police Forcer
but their skill and their patient endurance of hardship, e$A.
erted at the imminent hazard of their lives, are exercised
comparatively in vain, so long as their efforts are neutral
or inadequately supported in consequence of defective et"
rangements in other respects, especially in regard to t""
means of furnishing a prompt and abundant supply of water'
" Your memorialists would earnestly appeal to the Town,
council, in the confident hope that they will take every praci
ticable step to prevent the recurrence of such evils, and thsk
they will call upon the Parish Authorities and the Doe ,:i
Committe to co-operate with them in an energetic plan vo
prevention and precaution as to the future, not merely
guard against the loss of life, and serious destrUpop
j
property to the town and country at large, such as th:.
caused by the late and former fires, but as essential to cLA:
trade of the town, which can only be retained and secured be
. ;4e
measures that will lessen the expenses of the port, and g...
greater confidence to those who contribute to its prosperiti, ;
" The points to which your memorialists would especho4
draw your attention are, the widening of streets where war',
houses are built ; greater security in the mode of constructi°'
them, especially by the prevention of internal communicati99.l,
and by the use of iron doors and windows; their separatio;
from buildings in which hazardous trades are carried 'op ; tl'
adoption of scientific inventions for the more powerful Pte'
jection of water; and, above all, the means of securiffo 1
ample supply from the higher parts of the town, which taL
at once be brought to bear upon the loftiest buildings. '1.1;
classification of warehouses, according to their degree of s;e
curity, as to locality, construction, &c. (on a similar prineir
to the classification of ships at Lloyd's), would also bo
valuable improvement on the present system,
"That such precautionary measures will, in the cumenOe
rn "
ment, increase the local taxation of the town, your menif):
rialists are well aware, but, considering the magnitude of the
_
interests at stake, and the comparative insignificance of Oil
cost of the remedy, your memorialists feel assured, that 5.„
portions of the community, who value the prosperity, 04
'
may say the security, of the town of Liverpool, will at ort,
see the absolute necessity of supporting the Council in seesa
ing, if they do not now possess, the necessary authority and
means for the protection of the lives of the inhabitants an
of the property on which their welfare depends.
" Signed by order, and on behalf of, the American Chatv
ber of Commerce of Liverpool,
"THOMAS TODD, President.
" Liverpool, Ist October, 1842."

_r
THE LANCASHIRE RIOTERS.--We were informed yeste:
day that it is the intention of Feargus O'Connor, the TW,
James Scholefield, and one or two other rioters, to al%
their right of traverse; and in such case they will not
tried until the next assizes.

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