New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-11-29
VOICE OF THE PEOPLE
| THE FIRE QUESTION.
now TO INCREASE OUR SUPPLY op wSTER.
The TrihMna

ro IA, Editor Of The Tribune.
sw Tn TIE TRIBUNE of the 18th I read
vour RESPONSE tho question, " OV saiof
and learn thererom that your Fire Commissioners re-
oognize a. the chief difficulty to DO encouhio" ro ,x
=, adopate means for distributing water, Tho dincwy
IA said 10 arise from the smailness OF tno nFup'o
I ,ho,r great distance from each other The precise
no,ure of the difficulty you indicate as tonoVS
mrbe frat engine at q hre gets e"""
pressure or head OF water from uio n.y. ~.
to which she may attach, but lno $50"
ment OF succeeding ongines to otncr DyuIan's $1,000 .
the pressure 10 such an appfeciso' 80
that the efficiency Of the Department Is pi'en
soriousIy ,mparedv This difficulty you share In com
mon with almost all tho other cities Of the country anu
IL strange Il should be when the remedy Is 50 easy
and inexpensive, The present system OF MIGRANTS "
aaopted when hand engines we're IN use, ana was 'n'"
sufficient but with the adoption OF steamers eano
change In draft upon the water 80 great as 70 Spo" ~
necessity for corresponding Increase IN tue wafer sup
nlv which there has been little no attempt 10 moot
u.,,i,g had occasion several years professionally
20 examine this subject hope I.may be permilIeu io
! tho beneat OF the public to state what KnO" s'ou'
hydrants -, .,
The water supply Of cities is derived from series OF
pipes laid in all streets and connected at tno %
sections of streets by branches form connected
network of aus all OF which therol - the same Poe
sure except of course as different parts OF the HahS
NAV he under different heads. There Is pressure III
each main equally In all directions according 10 gen
eral hydrostac law. When hydrants are ntt&cheu "
mains under the present system II Is by Orahch' ~
branch pipe being either Of the same size as the a "
| generally smaller. These branch pipes are cOmnohv
not over five inches in diameter and the serycemaihs
by which the water distributed from the great arter
mains are most frequently six inches In diameter IL 10
then obvious that the difficulty Is In the supply Vi 'ho
| water TO the hydrant Any fluid nowlng through
nine, soon loses It's pressure If compelled to change
| its direction several times at q rgnt angie
| IN the nine Instead OF connecting the mains
| with the hydrant by small pipes, Is ca
pedent TO enlarge them much possible ana thlS
diminish friction Instead Of taking pipe between inc
DO nts Of intersection they should be tapped where they
cross and as the pressure toward that point equai
from all directions and through four eonYergng pipes
II we make the branch pipe II inches In diameter ares
1ISO9T6 square nches) instead OF inches area 2oz'
square nches obvious that as the branch pipe has an
area equal TO four that of the conyergng mains
will deliver TO the hydrant all the water that the four
mains can bring to that point. II three OF the eonVerg
ing pipes OF the main entirely cut OF, we VIII SUN IT,
ceIye through the branch thus constructed as much
water "a can delivered to the hydran by the oraheh
nnes in com mon use Having the four pipes conyerg-
ing to this point of uncture and intersection opeh we
can deliver four times the quantity Of water to the ny
draut that IL can receive through the branch pipes now
| used There may be some diminution in the supply OF
one of the by Of differences In the lever Oh
the direct and back flow through the MAINS but we shail
be perfectly safe saying that under any
we shall get three times much water by TINS mode OF
| taking the water from the mains
Instead OF taking the water from single pipe Dy sucn
branches as are now used taken from tue intersection
through pipe OF double the diameter OF the lah' we
can hydrant with three discharges anu taIeo ou
inas may he ocated at the the fire, and
each will get as much water than they eau now
draw from the single hydrants Instead the vi pelaS
compelled 20 use one engine 20 supply another as you
say must now be done in your city, the engines can DC
attached directly the nearest hydrantS ana SIX en
gines may thus DO attached TO the multiple MIGRANTS at
the nearest corners. incidental advantage result
in0 rom ths location OF the engines, there Will Dc
minimum OF OF power from the friction OF the "steI
passlng through the hose, and fireman need be tod
what thls means in practice and as consequence tn9
streams viii be- mucn powerful, the engines VIII
get more promptly into action, and the supply OF nose
be made available FOR putting on additional seath a
few minutes efficient action In the beginning make
nil the difference between fire exting1ishad IN tue
buding i'm which IL originated, and sweeping and de-
| structiye conf grafton. L. MAsON
ID q NDu