The New York herald., 1872-11-15
THE GREAT FIRE IN BOSTON.

NOW AOrA's UEooS O84Bers
To THE EDrToR OF THE HERALD:-
Your suggestions OF this morning on this last
great calamity by fire are timely, and ought to be
acted on in respect to future buildings. But what
can he done to avert from this great "tinder-
box" OF . city as 1t now exists the fate
Of Chicago and Bostoni great nre once
fairly underway in almost any locality below Canal
street, under circumstances similar TO those which
spread devastation through the richest portions Of
Chicago and Boston, would mr. exceed those enor-
nous disasters In extent and In the value OF tho
property that would be destroyed. Take, for in
stance the site OF the memorable hre OF 1895 and
the district west end south OF II, including Broad
and Wall streets end tho lower part OF
Broadwsy-say from tAe HBRArD Building to
Beaver street or the Battery. Let nre get well
under way in this quarter, - be carried by high
wind through and over tAs district In question,
the destruction Of properly would far exceed that
In Chicago and Boston put together. Just fancy
all the costly structures with their contents, occu-
pied BY the chief banks and insurance companies
the Custom House and sub-Treasury, stock Elk.
change, Trinisy church and everything else-swept
Oh In twentyI0ur hoan by Q whiriwind q nre /
VINO can estimate the damage that suoh calamity
would innict on the wAele countryside whole com.
merciai world; for IN ssch an event nothing could
stay terrible money panic That such catas.
trophe is within the bsunds Of prohabDity, II not
imminent. cannoe b doubted alesr the two memor.
able examples % fresh IN the history of the past.
That oss the d,Ss'r q alarming cnarcss,
Of water !: ven scvn q everybody dSIpBBS Bs.
MS daily supply nom tie croton ppes rns sraM: r
ther down you 60 the less the supply. Just let us
suppose case xnsrs more than twenty houses
on exttnguighlng, much less cnrtailing the spread
OF, the devcuring element, on the supply from the
Crot0n pipesf answer Monochrome whatever. It
would only be an aggrnvation OF the calamity. Tne
new Oroton pipes VIII not, nor weud the whole
csSn sapI meet s1e and for water IN the
in our suburban city OF Boston. II this were the
only source OF supply Of water our case might
cure on the resources Of brooklet, when we have
got the ocean TO draw froml
little rejection vii snow that our position
s'Ancicnt Mariner" with water, water every.
where, and not drop to drink The simple prac-
tical engineering question to be solved q how to
raise from the TWO rivers between which, at q
short distance from the central line OF Broadway,
lies the inc tncalcala6le wealth Of the city OF New
OF view the business OF New York Is national prop
erty-suficicnt water to squelch the most extern
sive IRE. The Idea Is not my own. 10 was sug-
gested by young gentleman at dinner table ou
Monday evening" and your correspondent, being
The plan proposed y e 70 pSSc Ssye
placed at suitable points on the two rivers
say near Fulton ferry, on the East River, and
Chambers street, on the Hudson side, powerful
steam engines, not less than Eve hundred horse
power each, with towers OF adequate height and
forcing pumps to correspond. These engines and
pumps to De always In readiness to be set In Ope-
ration IN the shortest practicable time. and from
the initial points lay pipes-to be galvanized or
timed inside to prevent the corrosion OF the salt
watcr-through all the leading streets OF the dis
trict most exposed to great and calamitous conna-
gratiOns. With such supply OF ocean water as
two such engines would provide deluge could beI
produced In an hours time and be maintained till
self to engineers, l wish 1t to be understood
that my engine power Is not to be measured by
the figures named. would not send boy Co do q
mans errand, bat would make the power equal
to any reasonable emergency Suppose such
scheme were TO cost two, three or Ave millions,
what would that amount TO In comDaris0n with
the losses OF either Cnlcago or Boston II New
YORK goes into competition with these cities IN the
matter OF blg 1res depend on IL she will beat them
both seneol1 nerefSre let the cost Of prevention