, 1873-07-27

FIRES AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS.
It wanted only favorable conjunction Of cir
oumatancos, auch as n protraoted drought, high
Wind, and failure Of tho wator-supply, to mako
a. largo FIRE In Baltimore, On Friday, as those
Of Chicago aud Boston. The summing up Of tho
wore consumed, shows smaller losa OF property
than took place in q single building in Chicago
OIL tho 9th Of October, 1871. Nevertheless, tho
whole country WAS profoundly shocked by tho
first kilograms received. We have become 30
familiar with tho burning Of cities, that. WHOM
fire has acquireda breaat Of two who1o squares
IN densoly populated district, TIC arc prepared
to hear that it got beyond control, and that it's
further spread is only qucstion Of Tho amount
Of fuel within it's reach.
Tho groator frequency aud dostructiyonesa Of
hrcs In this country than in Europe Is accounted
for in m article in tho July number Of tho
North american Reuie,o by Nr. Jamea M. Bugbco
upon two grounds: ~ reoklessness OF archi-
teets and builders, (2) want Of discipline and
education In tho fire departments. as to tho
former cause, no find in American cities uni
yorsal propensity to employ tho fundB sct apart
for building purposes, whether public orprivato,
either IN uaoloas and dangerous oruamontation,
or in attaining superauous and o1ually-dangor-
limit tho height of buildings to cor
tain proportion Of tho width Of tho
atrcot In front Of thoa On narrow Rtreets,
fro will, OF co1rao, leap from one sido to tho
other much moro readily thau on broad ones.
But IT the buildiugs arc low tho flremen can
more easily master it. Tho cubical contents Of
buildings arc also limited by stringent building
regulations. II an ambitious builder wishes to
cover half an aero OF ground, ho can only do 10
by interpoBing brick walls at regular distances
roof. onthc Continent Of Europe, sevcror rogu-
| lations are enforced. In Paris, cvory floor must
| ho lined with mortar to prevent q fire, ouce
started, from extending either up or
down. In Paris, Vionna, Berlin, Florence,
| DroBden, Amsterdam, and Madrid, Government
architects supcrintend every building erected.
for tho express purpose Of seeing that the build
| ing laws arc complied with. Nc structure OF
any kind can bo erectad which does not comply
with these lawR, and furnish tho amplest guar
antcca against tho spread Of fire. 1n short, tho
| experience Of European cltios has taught the
| peopla that On ounce Of prevention, in order to
be worth q pound Of euro, must DO systematlt
and invariable, and must be despotically enforced
Imagine tho indignation OF n Chicago arclitoc
who stlou1d fnd Government officer interfering
with tho execution OF his suporb design Of {
wooden Manaard roof, six stories high, covering
spaco Of 5000 squaro toot!
Fro departments in this country arc provided
with tho bost machinery, tho most admirable
signal System, aud generally with tho most copi
ouB wator-Bnpply in tho world. Nevertheless, tho,
arc, on tho whole, loss efficient than those
the Old World. Tho REASONS for this arc tEreo
fold: ~ American lremen aro not educatos
and drilled except in actual battlo with taros
In Europe, tho training Of iircmon is ~ method
ical and continuous az TINT Of soldiers i'll tim
of pence. (2) Political interforenco aemorallze
tho force and weakons tho authority Of I'll
cliefs (O Too much reliance is placod on til
steam hro-onginos-Aand-o pumps, all
buckets being ontiroy discarded. "Tho dopar
ments Of Paris, Berlin, and other largo cltioa 0
tho Continent OF Europe" says MIR. Bugbcs
"nro organized in n manncr SO entirely dl
feront from ours that tloy can hard
bo compared, except aH to tho II
suits accomplished. With inferior apparatus
(mostly hand-machinos OF littlo powcr) they q
compllsh far bettor results in tho preservation (
property from fro than the American dcpar
mouts /; but how much is owing to superior disc
pline and training, and how much to tho sup
rior construction Of tho buildings, 1t is mposs
bic to TOLL Their succeas is largely due, u
doubtelly, to the colerity with which they brir
their forces to bear. Thoy recognize the IA
TINT a small qlllntity Of water, properly app'so
!, in the oarly atagca Of a tlro, is moro oifoott'
"a than q largo quantity fow minutes later.
= Mr. Joseph Birds plan for reorganlzl1g Il
4 lro departments Of clifton Ia TO lave tho1n cot
- poAod Of two brigados: tho first to hayo char
). Of tho heavy apparatus now In use (tho htoa1
engine to bo altered 30 that stoam may
thrown into buildings whore tho famas hayo n
:. burst from tho doors, wndows, Or roof; t.
;. second brigade to have Charge Of tho light a
,, paratus, 1lo would have small ongfno, thr
buckets, aud QUO axo placed In eyory largo bull
~ ina usod for tho storage Of oombuHtil
~ :, materials, or for manufacturing or public pl
t.. poseH, with card OF directions as to their III
:, at tho expense OF tho ownoE or occupants Of t
building. In certain dwellings, workshops, q
storea, l,e would haye small engines placed,
10 the o1penso Of tue city 80 near each other tt
1t one Of tl4om can DO brought into uss within Q
10 1,i,,uta from fha t[n1a fira III lacnYaral In q