The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-08-19
PUBLIC DECENGY AND PUBLIC
SAFETY. ..-

Great and terrible conhagrations in many
cities, especially of this country, serve to
show that we have progressed very slowly
IN the art of controlling fires. The destruc-
tion of Chicago was unavoidable even when
the firemen of many cities, with most ap-
proved steam machinery, exhausted every
appliance of art and mechanical and engl-
neering skill. Even so of the great con-
fagration in Boston; and when water pipes
are frozen in New York, if fire swept over
single street, the magnificent city would
be laid in ashes. The danger of complete
annihilation is even greater in the small
city than in the great metropolis. Houses
are compactly built, the sun shines as fierce
ly, roofs are as dry and materials used as
combustible, and winds blow as strongly
here on the confines of boundless plains as on
the shores of Lake Michigan. What secu-
rity have we against utter annihilatlon
There are few bucketsful of water in each
public cistern, and the city authorities are
excavating u few more; but these, if a
great confagration occur, would be speed
ily exhausted. OF recent years much at
it is now universally agreed that steam and
other fire engines and patented devices for
the election of carbonic acid gas, while
often very serviceable, are not trustworthy.
one building at least is destroyed before
a steam fire engine Can be put
in motion and moved q mile, and
cisterns leak or contain too little water
The dc cree is final that each building must
have within it the means of saving itself.
When constructed iron pipes must be pro-
vided, by which each story may be flooded
at once. and there is no security for. prop
erty or health or public decency till the city
sought to be supplied with water furnishes
baths for each household, and stream of
living water penetrates each story of every
building. This is of more importance than
the free distribution of atmosphere, since
he who does not obey laws Of cleanliness
should, of course, be deprived of breath.
In this, the capital of great State, grow
ing in greatness as no other can progress,
there is no adequate security for property
or public health, or provision for popular
cleanliness. With river at the base of
the hills, as clear and beautiful as the San
Marcos, with heights from which it de-
scends, on whose SUBMITS good reservoirs
might be cheaply constructed overlooking
the capital; with every facility that nature
could provide for the construction of water
works, such as are required in irrigating
farms and gardens, and. in cleaning cutters
and sewers, and in rendering confagrations
impossible, we are content to pay enormous
rates of insurance, and live, each year,
through nIne months of summer, with no
more water than should be supplied for an
equal number of canary birds. The scheme
OF constructing temporary water works, as
approved by our city government, is emf
Dently laudable, and will serve many adj
miiable purposes, and do, now and then,
infinite good; but il il operates TO prevent
the utilization of the advantages given US
by the river, and by the natural reservoir at
Mount Bonneli, it must become, in the eyes
of property -hOlders, q great calamity.