The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-01-16

we'll have been dictated by utter despair
and infinite disgust-"1 have recommend
cd for the last three years better supply |
of water In some parts of the village, but
so far IL has done no good" True. 1t has
done no good. Fellow citizens will 1t ever
do any good That Is a question for us
to answer, and 1t behooves us to answer 1t
wisely and ere our property, too, is laid In
ashes.
We repeat twill 1t never do any good?
We may be answered that 1t has already
done good In the laying of one hundred
and thirty rods of larger pipe through West
street and beyond and In the placing there
in of four hydrants. We reply, that this
ought We to have done and not left the
other undone. Ask yourself, what would
have been the result of Friday mornings
fires, IL we had been compelled to rely
solely on the water owned by the village
Picture to yourself, if you can, the scene
which Merchants Row, Center and Willow
streets would now present but for the timely
and generous aid of the Central Vermont
railroad company Your fremen did all
that human beings could do, but they would
have been powerless but for this assistance
which enabled them to concentrate their
efforts elsewhere. The failure to suppress
these disastrous fires lay at our doors, not
at those of the fire department. They &C
out themselves like men, but we-how!
Answer for yourselves. Is it not the same
old question of taxes We know that our
citizens are already burthened with taxa
ton We know that they can lily afford
to pay increased taxcs-each additional per
cent. seeming almost like the last hair to
the camel's back. But we must meet this
question like men some time, why not now?
We can never forget the terrible days of
1853, when to the want of water was added
the want of sufficient apparatus for extn-
gushing fire, or how, OH her first trial, the
steamer paid for itself five fold. Would
not the value of the property destroyed,
yesterday morning, have paid twenty times
over for full supply of water, hydrants
and reservoirs 1t matters not. so far as
this question is concerned, what may be i'll
dividual losses or gains, the fact
remains that so much valuable prop
erty has been destroyed, and the vii
Iage, as a village. is so much poorer Nc
man can tell whose turn it may be next
1t may he tonight, or next week or, neX'
year, and it bchoovcs us to be prepared FOL
it. With an adequate supply of water, ou
hremen can prevent a fire from spreading
without it, they are helpless. If the pres
ent aqucduct and reservoir are not suill
cent, let them be made so. 1t will cos
some money but better little now thai
when we have no property left to be dc
stroyed. Additional water can be obtalne
, at small expense and that close at hand
r Shall it be had? Water, however, will b
of no use unless it is distributed throug
| the village. Three thousand dollars wi
lay a six inch pipe from the corner o
West and Main streets through Main an
Washington streets to the reservoir in depo
park, and, also to the corner of Center an
Court streets, and supply suitable hydrants
Shall it be done? The reservoir at til
corner of West and Grove streets is SUI
Q piled by six inch pipe and, yesterda
e more than paid for the one hundred an
t thirty rods of six inch pipe laid last veal
v The reservoir is inexhaustible SO long d
: there remains water in the main reservoir
i Does not this demonstrate the value an
s necessity of laying the new pipe in IL
" streets mentioned =? If it doe, not, /
D." words OF ours, no facts, no bitter e.
Il perience can show it. We must have mo
s water. of this there is no question, and Il
n places mentioned are not the only ones tn
l. are thus deprived of that which is SO nece
s. sary for their safety and protection. 1t
j. not for us to say how the water shall
i obtained, where larger pipe shall be lal
a where reservoirs and hydrants shall be /
T. cated--the ways, means and places mu
be patent to the most common observ
tion-and we can only urge upon our fl
low citizens the urgent necessity for mo
water, and the great importance OF atten
~ ing to the matter at once. Our interes
ro are common, and our action should be II
to mediate and directed solely for the CO.
o? mon welfare. safety and convenience
m the community.