New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-09-28
Prevention and Arrest Of Fires.

To ne Editor q The Tribune
The numerous aud exceedingly destructive fires
with which recently many Of the cities and large towns
OF the UHted have been visited and the severe
losses OF property which the mercantile community
have thereby sustained to have produced strong
impression that the Of exiingushng and prevent
ns fires much less perfect than they ought to be-
That fremen prompt daring, and sell sacrificing
they are well known TO be, not furnished with al
the means the best means of checking and putting
out fires Is admitted tina; have active intelligent
engineers and fTemen. good machines and hose hooks
and ladders aud yet before these can possibly
be brought together and made with vigorous snd
united effect, the flames often acquire such mastery
over dry buildings and combustibe merchandise as
rsge and spread in defiance OF the whole power of the
Fire Department
Now. what we want is an earlier spplica,ion-a stin
more immediate remedy. Something to act ius,snter
while the FIRE is kidding before it has acquired intense
heat and burs, forth with resistless fury Tha, such
remedy is at the command Of every city in the Union
"a no longer matter Of doubt however difficult ii may
be 70 account for the fact that has been long and
sadly neglected.
At the late confsgraton at Brooklyn few individuals
made II their business to go all around the FIRE and beg
and persons exposed to put their carpets
blankets and any other wooens upon the roots OF their
houses the caves and down the sides OF the parts
exposed 10 the fire. and keep the covers wet This al
vice variousy received. Some refused. and their
houses Immediately consumed. Some did it Of
their own accord and others followed the advice thus
kindly given them. Nearly all who did saved their
houses although IN more or less scorched condition.
and set bounds TO the devourng element in such direc
tons.
On the west side Of Henryst the buildings generally,
If not all which were exposed TO the FIRE, were in part
wholly covered with wet carpets and combustible
those buildings generally were the fire did
that street Jonathan TrOtter formerly Mayor Of the
City, was very active in saving the city buildings in
this manner and also in encouraging other citizens to
do likewise with their own houses.
By means of wet carpets upon the house OF the late
Mr. Bach the IRE prevented from spreading across
Concord a. Had the ire crossed ConcOrdst. on the
south, and Henryst. on the west the calamity must
have been tremendously extended Some Of the
pets used on Henryst. were little more than shreds
and patches, and could not prevent the buildings from
being badly scorched although they saved them from
destruction.
the nre was raging with such violence what must have
been the effect ct ample supply OF housecovers OF
tie Kind described below and applied and kept wet
saturated with water by body OF active and expert
enced men, under the judicous direction of the En-.
gneers OF the Fire Department Eight of these
covers applied 20 the houses the South side OF Mid
daghst. wet with a few buckets of water would have
stopped the fire In that direction and less number of
covers upon the houses on Futonst. would have pre-
vented the IRE from crossing that street still less
number OF housecoyers, bad they been at the block
where the fire broke out and applied to the building
IRE and 10 those adjoining H. would have confined the
havoc TO two three buildings. possibly to one and
the cost Of the and eathern or India rubber
buckets with which apply the water would not have
exceeded s2,0O0-perhaps not half that What
folly then for city authorities, or for individuals
longer to slight such preventive rs well as protective
security
A former Mayor of Boston, now IN the enjoyment of
/ "A old fOli his in
70 nuisances, that prevention rather than remedy,
should be the object OF soicitude is not enough
that the obstacle which mpedes the citizens way or
the nuisance, which oiends his sense, should be
"moyed on complaint, by complaint. The true cri.
teriDn OF efficient City Government is that should
be removed BEFORE complaint and WITHOUT COM
plant If prudence and forecast have not become
obsolete il would seem that prereHfion would be quite
applicable TO the spreading of city hres 10 any
other species OF city Duisances have long desired to
cities protected from the desoatng scourge OF
hres, by means OF house covers, and have often men.
toned the subject TO persons connected with City Gov
ernments As no one else seemed inclined 10 systema
tie and combine plan for that purpose have under
taken the task myself and have recommended 10 the
Common Council OF this City TO provide In sufficient
quantity. hOusecovers. They may be made OF coarse
thick, but rather loose wooden CLOTH somewhat like
blankets but cloth thicker and stronger than blanketng
would be be,ter-of uniform size, and perhaps from
twenty-five 10 fifty feet square. OF such size expe
Renee may prove to be most easily handled. Hooks,
and eyes rings 10 match should be placed at equal
any of them may be quickly hooked to any other
one, quickly separated The edges OF the House
Covers may be bound with light chains of iron timed
If ropes should be found too combustible.
Let such housecovers be deposited in each ward of
city, at places conveniently near, as hookadders
hose carts and machines kept ready TO be hurried
70 the scene of DANGER and when fire occurs, to be
saturated with water, with some alkaline mixture,
fastened hooked together spread over the buildings
blocks of buildings. either on IRE or in danger and
kept wet. very small quantity or proportion OF the
water usually thrown on buildings hre, and in dan
ger, would keep the house-covers wet. Buildings on
fire might often be covered thus aud the FIRE smothered
1t appears to me that the lives OF many OF our valua
Die fremen might be saved well as immense amounts
OF perry by adding this system Of housecovers and
liberal supply Of lndiarubber buckets 10 the present
mode of extinguishing ires. The two modes will
work well united They are by no means antagonist
CAL unless indeed should put the fire out so quick
IL As 10 allow time to bring the other to bear upon IT,
The union OF all these means together with plenti.
ul supply of water must prove highly interesting to
Insurance Companies and insurers well az 10 the in
sured II may be difficult to estimate now the dimnu
ton of risk and decrease OF premium which would
thence result but | should not be surprised to see
premiums reduced fifty per cent unless, indeed the
present too low and whether or not they
so have means of judging.
SIR very respectfully, mend and ooedcn SER .nt
Br0otlyn, sept rs, 1873 C. IkEAD"ELL
Ill ~. ~ n