The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-03-23
C1v1ANTELLIGE GENCE.
DISCRETION.
rbe.rew Fire Departmsnt-Hsw It Is worked

DISCRETION.
Tho.Nevy Fire Deparfment-How IL ts Worked
Admirable ResuItS-rhe Effects OF system.
Perhaps some of the readers of TIE rELE-
QRARH have had the unfortunate experience to
have had slight fire occur no their premises.
II lamp upsets and table-cloth is burned, or
n defective fiue ignites some portion of the
woodwork of the dwelling and the information
thereof should (bad iuck) happen to get on the
streets, an alarm of fire would instantly be
started and In less time than it takes to
write this, that unfortunate dwelling
would be instantly surrounded by group of
perspring and fussy men who would break furni-
ture, smash windows, pour floods of water and
go alter the condition of things about that house
that its owner would scarcely know It if he
wasn't told of the fact. This it will be OBJ
served, would be the condition of affairs had
our defective fue or upset lamp done this damage
under the old Volunteer Fire Depart
ment. This is not written with
desire to reflect on the personnel, but on the
sUste,,f of the old regime. The same men who
gave Tn. %r services M the old we have now in
the new. Il was the utter want of systematic
ynonaoornos flowing from lack of authority
on the nort ~ the managers, which rendered the
did Man nearly Vseless in some cases and very
destructiye in 9th, rs. Especially in small fires
Syora tba defects of the old system painfully
weTG tne n Spe mine out ola hundred
throa onSines are On ough, and more than
enough" remarked an o. nIenisI ni tae oIner
day, with great truth; and We arc S,su tt sus' luz
commissioners fully recogl, De IRe TACT. Its
ruth Is so potent that it nee, IS not a word of
comment. The men of the new d, Spartueht nave
had an opportunity in two or three sses $50. W .eSU
their hand, and in all have they done u,oss % aul
rably. Yesterday morning about oc. oeK a 1re
was discovered between the plastering al u uuuer s
the stair flooring of the flight of stairs rt unlng
from the second to the third story OF the eSr ,i.
dence of Michael Weaver, No. 1907 VAIN VI
street. 1t was trifng fire, and was easily ex-
tinguished. "a few buckets of water extn-
guished the flames" was the newspaper report;
but this simple announcement contained the
it is not absolutely necessary in all cases TO
deluge house with streams of water, when
the work would be as well done with a few
buckets. This little piece of reason has been
frequently overlooked. and the results of its
neglect have been disastrous, as all know.
The parties in Mr.. Weavers house are ex-
travagant in their praises of the admirable way
in which the fire was managed. The engines
on the ground were:-No. ! (Delaware), No.
(Philadelphia), and Truck E (Fame Hose).
hose was attached TO plug and run to the front
door OF the dwelling, but the water was not
turned on.
T. was placed in this position merely to be in
readiness in case of emergency. The extent of
the fire was then ascertained and extinguished
by buckets, the water having been obtained
from the bathroom of the dwelling. With the
exception of the burned portion of the stairs
and some very trihing damage done by the
water, one would hardly know that fire had
rushing here and there, no fur
niture broken, no mirrors smashed. All
was done quietly and effectively. The house is
beautifully furnished and near where the fire
took place were numbers of little articles, just
convenient enough to be placed in the pocket
Not single article was taken from the place.
There was silverware also near at hand, but it
was left untouched. We do not give the fremen
credit for not being thieves, but the fact is
worth mentioning. The men we're also cour-
teous, careful to preserve everything from in
jury, and were willing to receive any reasonable
suggestions that were made. So much for the
new system. 1t promises most excellent results
A LARGE sEwER.-Across Darby road, half
way between Forty fourth and Forty-ffth street.
new sewer is to be constructed which will
cost from $4,000 to $4,000 1t will have a
clear inside diameter of 20 feet, and length
of "a SO feet; to be built of brick, circular in
form, with an eighteen inch arch and counter
arch laid in hydraulic cement. A channel-way
is to be constructed at the INNER end Of the
sewer, connecting with Mill creek, about 270
feet long, and one at the lower end about 100
feet. This channel will be 20 feet wide at the
bottom, with side slopes of six inches to the
foot The work is to be pushed forward at once,
and proposals will be advertised for in few
days.