, 1873-10-12

HH6t-1Qe tIu0 p1hEHGtpTldLl0 clement or the
coming conf]agration ID the rapid progroaa of
comparatively small, detached masses OF fro,
simultaneously, over an extended urea. A care
full observer would notice thia Us ths protni-
nent featuro Of tho late fire, Of tho proface
to tho Great Fire, and, for that matter,
Of every widoly-e1tonded fire no have suffered.
In each onso it is tho samo old story; q rapid
repetition Of potty fires, individually inaignffl-
can't and eaaily extinguishel; but collectively,
Intensely difficult to manage, simply and solely
because thoy arc many and tile engines fow.
Second-lhe Fire Department consists Of only
s;,a; s6Gqt twenty steamers Nov, fairly,igitod
merely to restrain ita further progress. Scyoral
Instances have occurred where twenty or thirty
housea waro simultaneously IN flames: To-day or
tomorrow may, present like condition, md
every sreh combination Of nanny Ares and high
winds is far from idle threat to ot.r e1igtonce.
Tho magnitude OF tho danger, it's nearness,
and our holplessnoBe, arc apparent but where
shall NO sook for safety?
Perhaps the diagnosis of the diaenao suggests
it's otiro. We havo found that fire is dangerous
in proportion to its speed and facility OF repro
ducsion. The remedy is the provision Of an e1-
tingniBhng clement Of like apoel, and admitting
wido extont Of territory.
TO meet this requirement., would suggest tho
following
ADDITION TO oun PRESENT DEPARTMENT.:
Having divided the wooden portion of Chicago
Into say twcnty DISTRICTS to each alot len porta-
bio Dabcock Extinguishors with n light wagon
nnda single horse for each division. fortheirsWift
carriage. Enlist tventy men, resident at central
horses and wagons on their own prem
,ses,-thug avoiding the otherwise heayy
expense of purchased grounds and building:
These men, having charge Of tho wagon, and
in aetiye service, arc to remain constantly OIL
duty, like other paid hremeu. Erect ut oach
station water-tower Of sufficient height to over
look the immediate noighborhoo1, providing it
into watches, go TINT each alternate ono shall bo
always, on tho lookout. night and day,
tary notice Of fro by tho discoveror. Ten
vcry beginnings Of many fires now well ad-
7anced before m alarm comes ill.,
Finally, to complete the scheme furnish eaeh
wagon. in addition to tho E1sing1lishors, with a
Q OF 80 feet long, with suitable pipes for attach
ag to house-hy1rants; dozen 1lrc-buckotH;
nd two sections, 10 or - feet long, Of light
dder, arranged for interchangeable combiua-
Now that VIC have constructed our Auxiliary
apartment, let ua sec
WHAT IT CAN DO.
i.can concentrate at given point in its own
roper territory half-a-dozen wagons, admitting
rapid travelling because Of their lightnoss, be-
re tho arrivnl OF a single heavier and slower
owing steamer. At the moment Of arrival, tho
achines arc ready for efficient operation, not
wing to 10y heavy hoao land burst itD A sual--
mt number Of cnpable mon are always ut hand
operly to manage tho Eztnguishers, undor
) wagon, and the police. With the
! Of tic combination.la191ors, the roofs
easible. Its garden-hose and flro.buckots
/ wet down tho adjacent buildings, preventing
lit chiefcst Of dangers, tendency il the fire
nost instantly to apread over wido o1tont.
sstly, every passing minute brings roinforce-
aptB which can DO distributed over the whole
diangered district, plotting out oach nowly-
,fted fro in infancy.
Perhaps ita efficiency will bo
MORE THOROUGHLY APPRECIATED
consideration OF itB status, say ten or fifteen
inutea from sounding an alarm, when, by con-
ntrating only half-n-aozcn wagons. 1t will
We in active operation GO 1sztinguishor-
ksts Thee prsvsntye as We al a'u o9tinguia e is
6, value of such an ally at this stage Of fire,
ln:hardly bo oyereatimated, Oh exports will nd
Init. Even II the original fro escapes thoir con-
;ro1, they will bar its further progress in othor
Of flames, which must nocdB burn through one
building to reuch tho next. This il equivalent
70 Restricting a fire to Its cradlo and, II ne
u, =. accomplish that, re may safely dismiss all
tain n'aevor to reach imposing figures.
To estimate the value Of our eystem
:" UNDER ALL POSSIBLE CONTINGENCIES,
suppose the fro to l,aye quite ESCAPED present
10 length throwing out nkirmiehers on either
aank and hundreds Of yards in advance. Hero,
indeed, is genuine danger and grounds for tho
zrnYest alar1n. diagram OF tho scene would
,reaent an exact picture OF IN outspread fan,
With its handle at the point OF inception. Tho
p.er edge of tho diagram is fringed with,
'orhsps, three dozen burning houses; hun
reds OF ysrds onward, freah flames leap
M mil {%r,4 {1.rpn ~
ructsrea hayo bocomo miniature volcanoes,
j there arc only half or third as n1n,Y en-
ines to faco thom.. Now is tue opportunity Of
70 Extinguished Brigade. It concentrates its
ut upon its tanks and tho fresh territory ahead,
Extinguishor-st streams. capable Of continuous
laying by recherging, 2io gaEdon"hoso- -ateams,
nd 2io hro,hnoketB, in oil 6so efficient lighting
cred district, and each, Mt tho commencement
faros from sparks, is III efficient az huge steam
tein position for oIthor VIII prevent danagos, md
!eithor can 10 moro. Whole , blocks aloaa eau
:adually tho 1ire-1ingram will DO reversed, no
nger widening with progression, but steadily
,nfraoting toward second llaiMllo not for for
plrd, Tho narrowed limits oiror tho regular do
irtment q fair chance for efficient operation,
ID tho disaster B ayorted.
THE E1tiuguielIer-DrigRdB ot7ors Chicago this
,gnlacent gift Of exemption from tha horrors
second obstruction, III vol as projection
fainBt oven tho heayy loHseH Ho hayo loarnol to
l,epk as necessary evils, for
MERELY NOMINAL. hEcoNpESaE.
TWENTY-FIVE Thousand dollars will place It In
ration, and a like huln por a'm will suffice
.its maintenance, HI tho following estimates
prove:
10 COgr or oR0ANIzATI0H.
&,Ext1nautallera and charges, at 900
u ho1ses and wagons, ut $300,,.......,,,... G,000
J. lengths garden hose
i sectional lAddora
; 10 nre-buckets .............. 9,e0o
% watch-toWers
o Df-e-ala1u-bo1es
! $4,000
y SKNy!cE FER AANuk.
IL wlgea 20 moa and feeding 20 horses, ut