Norfolk day book. [volume] (Norfolk and Portsmouth Va.) 1868-1880, 1869-08-31

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our patrons.
WHO'S RsspoHsIBLE.-The late burning
of Hozier' store and residence at the con-
junction Of Butte and Charlotte streets BRIL-
L,ANrLY demonstrated two or three things;
first, the need of a small engine; secondly,
the want of supply of water; and thirdly,
the great necessity of an alarm bell in that
section of the city. The citizens in the
section indicated have as much right to
protection in every form as those of the
other sections... Ills imperatiyely necessary
that they should have either hand-engine
or a 'ssteamer" up there'-a small one
would answer - to protect their property
from the danger of confagration. Those
opposed to the intro duction of an 'up town
engine say lat it is unnecessary for the
reason that the engines can reach any
loca lity in the city by the time it takes
them to get up steam, and that steam
engine 'up town could not render any aid
in case of a fire until it generated steam,b
which time the other engines would be on
thespot.I Hi VIZ 5&}EE 4 u
This argument falls at once to the ground,
from the very fact that it requires from
only ten to fifteen minutes for the engines
to generate steam, and wherever fire has
occurred, In the past twelve mon tbs, in the
upper part ofsthe city, they were from q
half to three quarters Of an hour reaching
the frs-scene. A tip-top fire, encouraged
by good stiff breath of old Eolus, would
play the most serious havoc in that time.
Now, If there were an engine provided for
the said section, in the event of fire, it
would, insnins cases out Of ten, reach the
scene Of disaster from fifteen to twenty
minutes before the arrival of the down
town engines, and thereby save in the
'long run an incalculable amount of prop
erty. One of the great objects of the age
is, we believe, to economist, and, all things
considered, we know of no economy more
apparent than to establish, upon basis
small steam engine in the upper part of
the city.
Besides the good people of that Sec
tion have right to demand it; they pay
their taxes, and should receive oo-equal
protection. As to the supply of water,
that is sore question, indeed. But as we
have not, as yet, the establishment ofwater
works, we must do the best we can with
the means most available. Therefore we
would call the attention of the responsible
authority to the condition of the several
large city cisterns. All of them need look i.
ing after, but more especially two of them
the enc near Christ Church, and the other
near the scene of the late fire, on Butte st.
These cisterns wero built at various points
in the city for use in case of fire, and they
should be kept, as far as possible, filled
with water. The man les shouldbe kept
fastened down, and the populace not allows
cd to exhaust the supply of water contained
in them.
The one near Christ Church is supplied
from the Church, and would be, as general
thing, kept pretty well filled but for the
residents in its vicinity, who use it extern
siveiy. But why is this? Because through
the negligence Of somebody the man,hole
Is not fastened, and to obtain water the
people have only to remove the top stone
and dip it out. The one on Bnte Street, rs
for the good it has done, might as we'll not
be there. 1t will hold, probably, twelve
OF 6fssen Thousand gallons, and al no time
has Il been one-third full. The scanty sup.
ply is obtained from the drippings Of the
old well-pump, wELL-known in that neigh
borhood, and to fill it through that medium
would take not less than twelve months.
For instance, at the late fire contiguous to
it, the drippings of several months were
exhausted almost in as many minutes, and
had the esidence Of Mr.. W. R. Gait, gotta
ten fairly under way, there would not have
been water enough in that whole neighbor
hgsnce, great lack of duty somewhere,
and who's responsible ? Certainly some
body Il. This cistern could be kept filled
by the simple process of systematically
pumping into it every day SO much water
from the said we'll. The cost would be but
nominal, whilst it would, perhaps, result in
much benefit to that neig there's
no telling when it may be needed. Should
FIRE break out there just at this time, the
result wonld be most disastrous and who
would be responsible The Councils No!
The Chief Engineer of the Fire Depart.
ment would be responsible. He is paid by
the city for his services, and such matters
are left to his surveillance and control.
Last, but not least, is the great import,
nee OF an Alarm Bell in the 'up town sec
aion.' Whom the kitchen attached to the
residence ofMr. Jno. E. Doyle, caught fire
month or SO since, little boy had to run
all the way down town, in order to give
she alarm consequently it was at least
three-auarters of an hour before the engines
reached the scene of the fire. Had there
been an alarm bell, OR bells, up there, they
would have gotten there at least fifteen or
twenty minutes beior they did. We hope
these suggestions may be acted upon at
once, that the property Of part of our
oitizsns will not longer be kept in jeop-
ardy.
Still TaEY CoME.-Our vanity has OF
late been put to severe test through the
happy medium of flowers. Had we been
vain, or conceited onr ruin had been in
svitable, for the boquets that have been
showsred upon Us were not only delicately
h..-Afc.Y kuk - axnk1o..