New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-11-13
is NETWORK CITY SAFE ?


THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS or OTHER GREAT
CITIES-A CHAPTER ON BUILDINGS-POLICE
PROTECTION AT FIRES
A reporter Of THE TRIBUNE, yesterday, held
long conversation with the principal officers OF
the Fire Department with view OF ascerainng their
opnions as 10 the means OF defense against fire pos
sessed by NewYork city, and il will be seen by what
follows that IL very clearly and conclusively demon
srated that this great city, with its immense wealth. is
inadeQuatey protected against fire. and is liable at any
moment under unfavOrable combination OF crcum-
stances to extensive devastation
President Hitchman, Commissioners Galway, Hon
messy and Blair and Chief Engineer Perey OF the Fre
Department, while expressing desire 10 aVoiu eIeahS
unnecessary apprehension, unite IN inc ophon n'' III
the Of the simultaneous occurrence Oh an unSU
nuber Of serious fires certain localities the metropo
lis for two main reasons would be- TO great extent Az
the mercy OF the Gsmcs-hrst because OF lack OF sur
fcient numbers OF engines and trained hremen' anu
second op account Of the nsufcency OF the existing
means for distributing the abundant supply OF water
avs stored I'm the local reservoirs The details Of this
bghympOrtant interview, reproduced rs far as posi-
BILE in the language of the Commissioners and CHIEF En-
cineer are substantially follows;
THE PROPERTY REQUIRING PROTECTION
New-York covers square miles OF territory, large
portion OF which is filed with lofty buildings and
dcnsely populated The lower. southern section OF
this vast area below Canast.is crowded with immense
warehouses obviously not frcproo yet filed with mer
chandse Of value almost beyond computation and 20 an
almost startling degree Of al inhammable nature Alter
mating with these spacious repositories Of untold wealth
are oldfashiCued structures of brick and wood which
seeming ignition have by their dangerous ehac
ter fully earned title of finder boxes In
sections these dangerous buidnTs nrevai. almost
exclusively, and hcquenly en9ehJeT IN IT,
which might otherwise be easily subdued scattered Ia
all directions throughout this section are also sugar
and malt houses from seven TO zen slOrSs b
hight whose upper halves are plGoucaiN ueS Ou . Sno
reach OF fremcn; large furniture anu OtlSI
crammed with light, hiEhly-seasoned wood
and other S6Sn I5 yeTai of the latter OF
which, from their great hight are viewed with dread DIV
the hremen Who feel themselves poweress to save some
of the spacious caravanseIies should fire gain even
few minutes Roadway on their upper hoors, MANY 81
the streets Of this section are dangerously narrow ano
such bad order that engines, arrival at tes are
often found TO have been disabled en- rOu Ahong to
streets most In danger Of extensive conagat3ns may
Ike mentioned Church Bcekman, JOnn IADery'
is considered less in danger than has been popularity SUP
posed, yet, on account Of the large quahtSs 30, O
urcs OF wealth deposited IN them, II Is watched an
city, though ian less densey settled, IS for that very
reason unsafe, IL being necessary 10 concentrate iaEe
leaving comparatively for distribution in the upper
or OUTLYING sections The water front, with It's wGOd'n
UieTs covered aud surrounded by wooden sheds, rs
viewed particularly dangerous and IRE among the
shipping is always conto mpiated with ALARM
TIE METHOD OF PROTECTION.
Briefly stated the method Of protection is follows
As precautionary Tic storing of large quant
ties of explosives and Of highly cOmbusible materials
such as oils paint rCsin &c. within the limits OF the
thickly settled portions Of the city. is prohibited by law
the execution OF which is inrusted Bureau of Com
Dustbcs but be extremely difficult, many mer-
chants pcrs5enty violating the law by surreptiu"usy
keeping on much LARGER stock than is needed FOR
supplying demands Below Fifty ninthst the
streets are constantly patrOlled by members Of tho De
paitmcnt DAY and night but, above Futy nlhtl-s'.'
there beng So lew mon 10 regular pduOiuhg Is u9Ae'
II member while patrOlug, discovers an incpient he
ne exuSuishes It, D. ssDic as Is often the case VIE
cut giving alarm. t. however, he is unable to sub
due IL aOue, he summons his engine By what
is known rs "stiI alarm which j. simply CIV
ing verbal information Of the fire.. II the
company ia found unable TO successfully cope
with the fire. an alarm sent from the nearest ne-ook
by telegraph, 70 Fire department Headquar eIs, ana
from thence lustantaneOasiy Transmitted TO an the
the Department, LOokOuts are also Kept III 8
belLtowere from which alarms sure likewise trans
mittcj. On fist alarm, below Canalst, en-,
and FOureenth-sts.; between F2aTteentn apd
a sica.5 ior ana from 10 engine compan;i
respond; according 70 the loenilS' nm 1np ont
In the event Of need for further assistance the remain;
ing companies are qmoty suHm0hcd ~ sPec'ai car, Us,
engines the 1uneDto OF Charities and Correction
manned y details from regular companies assisted 10y
from the rcpgryard where me reserve engines
engines respond 60 summons IN case OF exlgency
II tie force thus summoned Is overcome ny a.iSue Or
proves inadequate, reliance must De placed uOA the &c
par mems OF adjacent cities Tor assstanCe Which, may
be added. Is invariably rendered in advance.
TIE DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED
The difficulties encountered by Department at fires
are many Chief among them however seems TO be the
lack Of adequate for distributing water as above
mentioned. This mainly arises from the smalness OF
the hYGrdnt5 ana tLeU great distance IO tdCh OIhe4
The first engine tlrc GOOd pressure or head OF
water from the hydraut to which she may attach, but
the attachment Of succeeding engines to other hydrants
reduces the pressure to such appreciate extent
that Il efficiency Of TIE Department is often seriously
impaired. The ordinary engines, II properly supple =
can each throw co gallons CT water per minute Win
only single stream but the average amount thrown %
found 10 only about 100 gallons per minute On q
second alarm, when eight engines are WORKING az one
fire the supply particularly IN some or the elevated
dstrics, is cfcE alallnCy SMALL ana nearly n0t Qc
all Of the iaI W Te which nave occurred are attrDuJaJe
to this defective distribution case ~ point was th1
fire IN Tweutystycnfh and Twenty -elghtn-Sts ABOUT
a. m. last Saturday, when, though an unusually nIge
uUmbcr Of engines were summoned, tnISe nuiUinss
were destroyed several badly DAMAGE, ana S0OOO lOs
because Of the inability to obtain water win proper
raudy. The space between bydfants ranges from ~
feet, thus requiring two engines 10 convey "aIf
10 But this rlOublc i Lot caused ny the saii GA
paCiiy Of tie h}cfhls aOhe iAhny vi w i eis
so small thai they barely suffice 10 supply the 0TdhirJ
domestic consumption, ana 10 cases VI arse nreS Sro
almost useless.
The prime necessity is an increased capacity OF the
water mains and bydrants IN order that the waters OF
the reservoirs which always contain supply ample for
a weeks fierce cOuhaHauon, may be OF swift avail.
The number OF hydrants should be doubled,
aud none should be more than 200 feet apart
This would give great security 10 that portion OF
the city below Twenty thlrdst which section there
are now located 20 engines and 10 hOok-andladder
trucks would also greatly increase the safety of that
portion above Tweny-thlldBt when now CONTAINS II
engines ave trucks In this latter section. however
urgent necessity iCr greater humber OF engines mas
long experienced IL IS the oppressed opinion
OF the and the Chief Engineer that there
should be at least I'VE adailiOhal engines ,
one 20 be located In the vicinity OF SeVenA-
ave- and Twenty ninthst two on the east side and Two
ON the west side OF the city above fyDlnin 81. ~ Is
also deemed highly necessary 10 proper state OF e.
1cency that all O the companies when now nave eas
number should be filed TO iDaXIDUn OF IL men
each and all the members be required 10 give their en-
tire time TO the dnes OF the department
From two to four more hook ana ladoet eompSnSS are
also desired but considered less urgently needed than