Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-04-28
pnorosIrIoN EXTRAORDINARILY.
Five Hundred Fire Engines simuifa-
ne0usIy Playing on Nashville.


cation in our issue of Sunday morning:
To the editors Of the Union and Dispatch.
Owing TO the recent discussion in the
press Of this city in relation 10 the pur-
chase of ST. Cloud Hill for the purpose OF
erecting a reservoir, and adjoining the
grounds 80 az to make fashionable park,
hope you will allow me to discuss the
matter through your columns and give the
public my views on the subject. with some
few pertinent remarks on the unsclenthc
manner in which the present machinery
at the City WaterwoFks was originally
constructed, and the great disadvantage
with which il is working, in such man
ner that any mind viii be able TO compre-
bend the necessity OF an immediate recon
struction, 50 as to render the property OF
the citizens secure against the possibility
of destruction by fire
First. In my opinion the condition Of
the country at present and depressed state
Of the city finances would not warrant the
purchase Of anything by the corporation at
this time, but demands a reirenehment in
every possible way in order to enable il to
meet the very urgent demands Of its credi-
it il, and are compelled to seek their funds
when due. doubt whether there is one
sane man in the city who would advocate
the purchase of any tract of land at a cost
of 100000, payable in thirty years, and
bearing 6 per cent. interest from date of
purchase. Just look for moment and see
what the property would cost the corpora
ton at that time. Original cost 100000 :;
interest for thirty years $4,000, making
a total of $280,000 Now, if you advocate
the purchase of this hill of heated rock to
scorch the brains of yourself and offspring
in midsummer, it is more than | or nv
family will do, aud | believe the majority
of the citizens Of this city will think With
me.
Second. will give you the reason why
the city Of Nashville does not require the
purchase Of any site for waterworks or re-
servoir, as have perfected plan by which
/ will guaranty to furnish the city with an
unlimited quantity of water for family,
manufacturing and fire purposes, without
the purchase of any land or cost of any
kind comparatively the alterations
that | would make would not exceed So 900
at the furthest, and there would be no
change of pipes, plugs, or anything not now
Ia use and requisite for the present fire
There is one other thing
that l will guaranty to do, and that is to
furnish the city of Nashville with all the
advantages of five hundred fire engines at
the same time, at a cost to the city of
$4,000 a year, against $4,000 year for
four fire engines, as now; and | will
guaranty suffcieDcy of water at the high
est point in the city for all purposes.
This / think, will be satisfactory reason
for objecting to the purchase of the land ia
question. Furthermore, / will guaranty
that you will have all the advantages of
those facilities for extinguishing fires that
you do not now possess, as You could not
prevent more than one fire at a time, when
there may, at any moment, dozen occur,
and it Is entirely out of the power of your
tire department to render You the least
only at that one place, thereby
causing tremendous loss of property and
perhaps life.
Now, sir, will be able to lay my plans
before the honorable Mayor, Aldermen and
City Council Tor their action, as / have al
ready applied for letters patent.
Thirdly. l will give you statement of
the detects 10 the construction Of the pumps,
and Of the pipes appertaining to them, in
such a manner that | hope you will see the
great need there is for remodeling of
them, az it would save the corporation
vast sum in repairs, aud, perhaps, at any
time, heavy outlay for d total renewal.
As they are now the city wonld be entirely
at the mercy of the fiery clement during
the time Of such repairs or change, which
cannot possibly be less than thirty days.
The question may I've asked, "Ia there d..
another engine 10 take the place OF the dis.
abled one 2? answer no rs the old
engine is not worth the value OF The scrap
iron ia it, and cannot be made avaiiableto
the wants Of the community az il stands
now. 1t was reported in good order on the
Let Of June, and it was not run ten hours
since, and consequently is in good order
yet; but still it will not furnish suf-
ticiency of water for family use. I worked
it six hours under my immediate obserya-
ton, and during those six hours there were
three inches of water more consumed from
the basin than was forced in by this old
engine. The average consumption could
not be sustained at this rate many DAYS.
and what would the city do in case of FIRE
but inevitably burn up? have no doubt
my remarks will be severely criticised,
and the fact OF the engines having
done the work during the war will
be adduced as argument to support the be-
lief that they can do it now. This | adj
nit; but is there any guaranty that the
engine which is doing the work now, and
which did it during the war, will remain
an hour without aniaceident? If any one
IAN guaranty this, then there would be no
necessity for any further remarks from me
IN this point; and l will further add that,
30 long as no accident occHrs to interfere
With the proper workings of the engine, che
IS able to supply the present number of in
labitsnts with a suficiency of water by
rom six to ten hours working in the TWEEN
y-four-eight hours being about the aver
lge daily work required.
Now | will give you my reason for the
remarks in the beginning of my letter, in
relation to the unmechanical manner in
which the new engine was originally con-
'tructed: The pipes which lead from the
liver to the pumps are not of sufficient di-
nensions to admit the free access of a
5upply of water TO the pumps the pipes are
lut ten inches, whilst the pumps are of
ixteen and eighteen inches respectively,
Ind nearly eight-feet stroke. The area Of
each pump is as follows: the fourteen-inch,
I56 square inches; the sixteen-inch pump,
l0l F; total, 3j4 square inches, discharging
'6l6 gallons per minute, through an aper--
ure with an area Of l53 inches
Ifthis Is not forcing water at tremen-
ious velocity / don't know what is and
here Is certainly a very great strain on all
he joints, which has been and is telling
very senslbly on them, as they are continu-
ally IN leaky condition without remedy
ave the one mentioned in the first part OF
10Y letter, that il, 10 remodel all the pipes
and valves / am credibly informed that
he reason assigned for putting in small
pipes as discharge pipes, was that if they
were larger than the pumps, that they
would be strain in proportion TO the dis
charge pipes, which is itself ridiculous, as
every school-boy knows that no matter
What the area Of the body of fluid, that
here is only corresponding pressure ia
to the number of square inches
IF the surfacs Of the body on which it
bears. ! am, etc, etc,
JOHN c. HAGAS. .
~ u