The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-11-12
WhcelIDg,s defense, Against Fire.

Inc lesson taught Dy tue Chleago hre
q year ago, and eniorcedaby The Boston
Ere, Is ono that every CITY ought to take
TO heart. Itht that under certain iAVora.
bic conditions any eompactly built city is
liable to destruction by fire. Given, o
strong gale and q frswsll started on the
windward side Of closely built squares,
and 1t Il almost beyond human agen-
cy 10 stop the conaAgradOn that must
ensue until the material that feeds 1t Is ex.
hausted.' Chicago and Boston are the
latest, % they are the most disastrous, Il.
Illustrations Of thGS truth.
The thing TO do Ia Of course to provide
all reasonable precautions against such q
contingency. An efficient fire organize.
ton may save . city by It's promptitude
In extingubhIpg dfes before they have
got dangerous headwSy. In this, aS in
the treatment Of disease, prevention is in.
tinitely better than cure. We desire to
suggest to the citizens Of Wheeling the
inquiry whether they have such protec-
ton in this respect as they ought to have
or even such ashley pay forH We have
no wish TO say word that would be I'm.
Just tothe present Fire Department, nor to
say anything Of 1t save for the single pur.
pose Of making it better and contributing
to the security Of the people Of this city.
But this is good time 10 inquire-and
the inquiry Is proper One-whether the
city has adequate protection in It's Fire
Department, and Il not whether some.
thing ought not to be done about it City
readers can easily recall their experience
with the fires that have occurred here
within the past two or three years. Can
they recall any instance where the delay
In getting water on the fro was not so
great that with fierce gale half a block
would have burned before the first drop oil
water was throwns By great good Tor.
tune no FIRE has occurred in this city Tor
yearsin compact locality, except when
the air was calm. We cannot always cal.
culate on this. Some Of these days or
nights fire will get out in a time OF high
winds, such as blow here great deal in
the Fall, Winter aud Spring seasons
Then, with half or three.quarters Of an
hours delay before water was thrown, the
fire would have its way and the destruc.
ton would be limited only by the amount
OF material that lay in its path. These
are serious facts, and the citizens of
Wheeling ought to take them into co1sid.
Grafton. - =
Furthermore: fla good fire depart.
ment is essential to security, 1t Is still
more essential, because prerequisite, to
have An adequate supply of water. AT
present, with everything going on smooth.
y, as al our people know, the water sup.
ply is barely sufficient TO carry the city
along from day to day Tor ordinary pur.
poses. The distribution Of water is
steadily extending in the southern and
eastern parts Of the city and on the Is
land. It's absolutely certain either that
this extension must cease or the source OF
the supply be enlarged, and that soon. 1t
Is furthermore fact, as council has been
repeatedly assured by the Superintendent
Of the Water Works, that the capacity Of
the works II their best is barely equal to
the task, by constant running, Of keeping
up this present supply, and they are now
90 old and rickety that 1t Il awork Of
continual difficulty to keep them in good
working order. We arc assured by gen
tlemen who have no interest whatever in
the matter save that which every citi.
zen feels in having plenty OF water for
domestic and manufacturing purposes,
and for protection, that the present Water
Works are and long have been In such a
condition IS 10 be liable to let down at
any time. Should the machinery get out
OF order, even few hours delay would
leave the city without water. The &C
luHl and possible consequences Of such q
state Of things all well understand.
The necessity for an immediate and ex.
tenstve addition to the Water Works, or
rather the erection of new works, has
been understood and discussed by the
city authorities for year or more. It
will be an expensive work Of necessity
It will require two or three hundred
thousand dollars, and that is a good deal
OF money TO raise In the present over
taxed condition of this city. Yet the
question Is whether the people Of the city
can not better afford to build these Works
than to incur the perils that lie in wait for
Us II they are not built. II big fire
should burn up million or two Of proper.
~ one of these nights, then even men,
Der Of the city Council would be
able TO understand that this long
triaiug with the most serious want
Of the city was a false economy.
Fire is the memorable and most terrible
enemy of cities. External vigilance is the
price Of even a reasonable exemption
from it's ravAges. There can hardly be a
city In the country to-day Of equal magni.
tude and wealth SO exposed to the dangers
Of fire as Wheeling, with its present IN.
trained Fire Department and the present
inadequate mcanS'of water supply. 1t is
high time our people recognized this
state oil affairs and sought Tor practical