Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1859-08-13

Allo every falA q le CITY uQtA loL ltdlAA 4AN
protection, London remained stationary fol
four hundred years. a prey to p~es;lenes, and
ruin BY fire. After the great e~onhagration ia
1851, active preparations were mads, under
Cromwell, BY the government and citizens fol
conveying water into an parts Of the city BY
means Of aqueduets, which served as defens'
against The arch destroyer, until The modern
improvements In hydraulics suggested The more
eeonouscaipla Of kysraafs and FIRE eHginss.
The Introduction Of these effective invsntions
for ue protection Of LIE and property marks a
new epoch IN the progress OF that city, bytreb-
! ling its population IN The last $50 years. The
evil genius Of tksir city being ~eOnq-gred TIER
stupeDdous palaces and elegant mansions put
forth their eonOsal heads, and ne srohtesture
OF tested tine now stands uumolestsd.
The capitalist was secured against the great
destroyer, and that which was swept away in
airy vapor was turned into new channels Of
trade, instead OF rebuilding massive ruins. In
. word, London only grew rich after establish
ing a complete system Of uatsr-rorks.
Paris however, was In advance Of London,
in such enterprise. Hydraulic machines were
IN use in that city as early as the year 1908
r. he year 1912 after Maria De Needless built
the beautiful palace Of Luxumburg, Henry thr
VI conceived the idea Of protecting such mag
nihesatstrueturss from fTe, and ordered bic
scientific men to design plans BY which the
waters Of the seine could be forced through the
streets Of Paris. This great enterprise was
carried into effect By Jean Going. Louis the
yII and the Queen Regenthis mother, ofheiat-
ed in hying the corner stone % the adsqueduet
which was completed in eleven years, at the
cost Of over one million liyres. This structure
was thirteen Thousand yards long, and the gov
eminent paid to the company one half the ex-
pense Of its erection
TheviIhge Of Belleyille, situatedin the hills
2 few miles north Of Paris, formerly supplied a
portion OF the city with water; the aqueaaet
| having been CONSTRUCTED during the reign Of
Philip Augustus upon the Roman PLAIN and
Is perhaps the most ancient Roman building In
the country of Gaul.
The cities Of London and Paris are not only
protected BY water works forcing water through
every street and alley, but they abound in
/ fountains where the poor may drink and cleanse
| themselves at the public expense, and t~besTeets
/ and sewers washed every day, thereby freeing
the city OF disease and Peshlenee- Nor is this
system confined to these great cities, for every
/ town and city in Europe is more o. less pro
| tscted. aud many smaller places are better
/ fortified than either London or Paris.
The frequent devastation Of New York by
fire and psstflenoe, forced upon the city suthor-
tiles the necessity Of constructing the Crotch
Water Works, at an expense Of several NIL
lions Of dollars. This enterprise al55e marks
a new era in the history Of that great eEty Of
enterprise and progression.
Philadelphia suffered likewise, in consequence
| o. which she conceived the idea Of elevating
the waters Of the schuyIkm to Fairmount, and
thereby supplying their city with abundance Of
water, making her the mode Of cleanliness In
the Union.
New Orleans was the constant prey Of Tie
fiery god. until the establishment Of Der rd.T
w0rks bv a company, assisted By the city, and
is nos found inadequate to the demand caused
bv the rapid increase Of IFS Inhabitants and
progress Of its improvements. The city au-
thoudes are now about erecting new works ct
great expense, for the purpose Of supplying IRE
1 engines and washing the streets.
Boston, Baltimore, St Louis, etc, all have
expended vast sums Of money to obtain a sup
ply Of water.
Thus we find that the FIRST effort Of every in
faut city in all ages and countries, has been TO
devise means for the protection Of property
from FIRE, and a supply Of good water FOR her
citizens
In the ruins Of ancient cities which are ex-
eeEa4adGgahefs, bsths and fountains cone
forth amid palaces and nunents-rsvealiHg
to our wondering eyes that the sBe:erts too,
conceived that accessory ooousmg which The
city Of Memphis row thirst fo--a supply Of
Eater. Tie evidences are in her sewers, gut
ters, Suburban population, and the ehared and
blsckened heaps Of ruined buildings.
All semi-eivilized nations protected their
towns and cities with some species Of aquatic
defense. The Egyptians had al their towns
supplied with water from the Nile. The Per-
slams, Arabians and the Mexieans adopted
similar means. The great aqueduet built by
the Toltecs, centuries before the Montezumas
established their reign iReAnah1ac, which cor
veyed the water from Lake Tezeueo 10 the
City Of Mexico, as described ~ Bernsl Deaz,
gas one Of the mos. s~tupsndous works Of az
tquity.
But it is Of Memphis We speak-not the
Memphis on the Nile, with as hundrs5s o.
fouufaiHs and Ggueducis-but the Young and
aourishing metropolis Of the Southwest, the
middle gate Of the western empire Of the Union,
and the great emporium between the Pacific
and the Atlantic, where the fossy staple
Of the South and the golden stores Of the West
are garnsrsd; aud the grave question arises in
the face Of this great resPonsiblitY-Where is
he protection
TIE recent CONGREGATIONS which have deras-
tsted the city, causing such immense losses OF
capital, have already put merchants abroad
and planters at home on the alert as regards
the infallibiity Of its mercantile responsibility,
and may seek a safer market, where all rro-
visions against fire are complete, and Insurance
nuch less.
This is a subject Of grave consideration for
the merchant, as well as the real estate owner,
as il viii eventually seriously affect these
classes.
u is not only a duty, but an absolufe necessity
that Memphis owes to herself and to Der
people 70 adopt immediate measures BY which
this immense destruction Of property may be
prevented. Authorities and citizens Of Mem
phis, see 70 thisl NEPTUNE.
DOUGLAS AND HIS As
SAHLANTS.
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