New-York tribune., 1875-06-30
THE CHIEF ENGINEER's LETTER.
OFFICE CHIlF OF FIRE DEPARTMENT,
NEw-YOIK March 80, 1873.

JOSEPH L. PERLEY, President.
SIR: In compliance with your Instructions dated Nov.
IL 1874 that sond furnish Information to tue Fup
py OF water for fire purposes in case Of nergency in
this city and If inadequate the of such and how
the difficulty should be rcmeded have the honor +" re-
port the followDs
II is well known fact that within the last ten years
the character of the buildings in this city has undergone
great change. Formerly the greater number " those
occupied business purposes covered an area OF
feet each and of moderate hight but now We hnd
whole sections Of the city covered with buildings Of
almost twice the area and OF far greater hight.
Thc improvements IN the water supply nave
fallen far behioi the advance. changes, and
improvements OF the buildings AS the city
increases in size is used which of course
dninisies the pressure the pipes. The pressure on
the hydl1ns used for fire purposes in this city varies
from 10 90 pounds according to location. SUNDAYS
when there is less water nsed the pressure VIII some
times up TO 26 pounds. The majority OF the IRE
hydFz.nts OF ts city attached tn mains OF six luehes
in diameter which are entirely too small TO supply the
powerful engines now In would respectfully call
your attention to some of the most exposed os III tue
city.
TIiR QUARTERS MOST IN DANGER.
Starting from the southern end Mud New Church
st. from Morris LbertySts., supplied with sixneh
pipe and sufficient number OF hydrants and there
are many large buildings In tAs section stored w.h cou
bustibe materials. West Broadway, from Chambers 10
C,nast has six-iuch pines one on each sie OF the
SniIInSs in this street ale ia the of other large
warehouses Chureh-st. and an increased supply is
BroadSay, iIom ChaIubers-st to Whiteha-st, has
conpectei Tae east SIDE Should also be supplied win
pipe of the same IL is now above ChambeiS.st
With 6inch p,cs The large bqiins ON the lower end
of Broadway cal for an Increase hefc. II hfe sh"na
get under great hcadway III inns section uie pipe on
Hroad-st WOad b.. sufficient to give sui ply Mas
sau' 2nd Fad2% 1 S Sf %1o Re III city '' ad ont IN
very arrow ami contracted streats, anu IA
kinds of business carried On in its limits prlntln offices.
newspaper bIildDgs, &c. large main should be Ia,
medatey placed IN & at SECTION from chamDers ana M
Cafba1,.t through PdTkTOw, and connecting with the
large man Broadway at the lower end OF the PARK
;sno liant befweeM i5o feet south OF Chatham and
North Wiliam-sts aud Vesey-st and Broadway In iaet
ere are bIt i've hy,rans witnin the boundary OF Fa-
ION william, and Chathainsts, an PaTk-row The wator
for the west side IN case 0 large nre I'D ms lnnhN
would be foi eel from the wet side Of oaGwaX
Canal from broadway 10 tentFe-st on We SCUM
side, there is 12-ineh pipe but no bydrans on the
arr, are attached IRON, Centre to S,neTyst there g
st. Caast is supplied with i2-inc1 pipe which j. me
confirmation Of The wakei,st pge ILls section OF tne
stored with infiInna6c matei AL aud is known us INC
faure district In my opinion the & waer sqIpy y Is nfl
but the hydraots not connected with IT, .
Tie iSowcTy from trank klin-squae 10 ChafhaIns1'Me
Rowery from Cathain-sInsre sxt-st, has twelve
west side and Fonrtbave fron sxtI-sI FourieentD
ST. has W. sXnch ppes one On ech ''de o '"e ''i0o'
East the Bowery tnere are no pipes larger ihan SIX
Inches OI ESSCASt., Nliu uttWt.n tuo i'oNciy
broadway and Canal and Eigntists. the streets run
nng north and south are AL supplied with sxinch peS
ca eciIy whn near Broadway. The immense hGiidnss
in tits tiororhfaIe expose this section Ia the greatest
ST. bat One and it - located about loo ee east
OF Broadway-no nydrant ct the corner oi itarw ,,a
the BOwcry tins section would I've the oniy alternative
That section of the city bounded by Caltist. SOuth
Fiitlave Houston and Crosby-,ts.. Is particularly ex-
lOscd. By the march "f business up OWh thls setioh is
built up by mammoth buildings degoel to the wholesale
MANY buildings are nilcu
material, and their contents aje oi great value ihe
ci,aIl ed since IL was occupied by small dweinShouSs,
and s really sufficient for fire in even one OF these
large buildings.
CENTRAL SECTION OF THE CRY EXPOSED.
Tie whole central section OF the city FouIeonthst.
should receive without delay Mercer-st mas
not x-inch pipe, which is next TO nothing considering
the size tile buildings running through iron Broadway
and in the vicinity. There Is alsO scarcity OF hydrans
IN this section-hocks 400 to 500 feet long with no
Dydrsnt in the eei,ter OF them; .., -. poo,,ro,
rwHn; ydrsiost ana Thirdave supplied with sx'nch
pipes only. This IA dangerous locahty some oi the
largest teaers and puDic nails are ioca'ea 'niS e"
Some Of the principal are supplied with six
running through ali the avenues. and the pipes ID
lie cross streets connecting Win them. Thcle
~ nnes siS' Thee s'" nveyuSs are from 500 to 900
feet apart which naes very long eiocE, @ anu gd'a, y,
some cases none the corners. There should be two
hrdranis on the avenue corners at the CROSSINGS Of each
street ana at least additional ones in the block he
tween the avenues And rule this city should DC
covered with hydrants more than 200 feet apart
TAPPING SUPPLY MAINS
somc Of the streets and avenues have large mains run
ming through the 10 conduct the water to the lower end
OF the city, These mains not used for any other pur
pose except supplying the smaller pipes am Of the
opinion that mains could be tapped at bc street
corners and cisttJns built with All opening into the
mains. by this means two or three couid dc cohce.
trsed on each corner and all get gOod
eupuly uf water. This would be great ihi-
movement aud help at large fire. Now II tnerc
arc than eight engines to work at fire, some OF the
lus are that the do not Satsfactiu
and II would los great sa ing OF hose. The elsn's
cnull work with short lines. ana would nave spare
hose for any emergency that mi ht arise. Tnis would
not interfere with the Object for which the mains
large fire. In the cold season, after shutting on. the
water could be al drawn out OF tue ciscIns, 10y tGis
means preventing any liability of freezns would
recommend that the proper authollu e consulted on
The lracticalnlity OF tins plan without delay.
another fact which WOud cail your attention
TO- which Is the liability VI the serNicc pipes leading
from the mains the hydran6s, freezing In severe
weather These pipes are bat lOu inches IN diameter,
aud i'm some eases run "A considerable distance between
The mains aud the iydfants and laid from two 10 five
feet under the grade OF street The frost pentrtes
tbc ground beyond that distance consequently me
water "a liable to freeze The Ice can DE tdWcd o the
lltrant III "a few minutes, but tbaYInS service pis
bVond the valve Is another thing These pipes should
l uf ed Al least sS feet under ground Tue eXpefhcc
Of mis- Departnent for the past Winter has dfnoStTdd
tbo fact that grat many hydrans IN tins CITY nave
teen rendered entirely worthless on tins account very
respectfully, EIi bAffe' '1e' vi Dopa' ''i0H''