The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-02-15
S750,OO0,000 Worth Of Property
In Danger.
OPINIONS OF EXPERTS
The Street Mains Unable To Garry a
Sufficient Supply.

unsafe condition should a great IRE occur IN
deed IL is very clear to people who have
1ected the subject that the city has every
congratulate itself fortunate escape from dsas-
consequences from the late fire in Broadway The
result that shows that prompt and earnest
action is needed provide the city with better means
OF overcoming and extingushing any large fire that
may start in the heart OF tie busncss Section on the
map which is herewith given will be noticed a shaded
section showing the location Of peculiarly valuable
business portion Of the city. Starting from the
corner of Chambers street and West Broadway
the line marking this section runs eastward
past Broadway nearly 10 Centre street. noytherly
TO Howard street. then to the westward one block,
then the north blocks then one to the west and
one TO the north, stopping al snrng street The line
runs along Spring TO the west as far as Greene street.
down Greene street to Canal and West Broadway TO
tho starting point
II would not be possible without large and
necessary expenditure Of time and money TO asccr-
tain precisely the value of the capital invested in
this section, but experts have given estimates that
are not IN any sense exaggerated The value OF the
buildings alone is thought, is fully $500 000, 000
Added tins figure the stock Of the differ
dry goods is estimated $225 COO 0O0 and
1t Is said, that in various other lines of wholesale and
retail business within compass value of
the cannot be stated at any figure less
in the insurance business have disclosed the fact
that this district is very well insured the policies
covering fully wohrds fnot larger proportion Of the
entire value Of the buildings and their The
insurance on the buildings averages over forty per
ent OF their full value and the goods the
at the lowest sixty-six and thirds per cent
their value. In numerous instances the goods
fully insured, where they consignments tran
Sit on which temporary holders do not want TO take
any risk; so the figures given are somewhat under
estimated than
So much Tor the value OF the property and the
assurances thereon Now the great question arises,
What would be the consequence Of a great fire.
such that recently started Broadway, if the
weather was so cold at the time Of It's occurrence
as partially TO cripple the efforts OF the nremen, a
gale such as passed over the city week before hap
pened to prevail2 The answer may be easily imagined
for IN such event. even if the flames
swept only third OF the described every nsur
company in the whole city would put up its
shutters, and almost utter rain would come upon the
merchants. That such a disaster possible is belief
very generally entertained, and the commercial
community IS anxiously considering the ounce Of pre-
instead Of waiting for the costly pound OF cure
The water mains are believed TO be wholly Insult
Gent In their carrying capacity supply the demands
IN such emergency The HERALD map shows the
different lines Of water mains and the cabre OF each
These conductors from the 36-inch pipe down TO
lo-inch The intermediate mains are the "a, 20
and I6-nch pipes. On the map the position OF these
pipes readily traced estimate made OF the
force and quantity of tina, could be relied upon
TO extinguish or check great fire. As 49, without
any check TO its full force, it has been said this
supply would be found insufficient but how much
less effective would IL be in Of another fire further
up town, or in the event OF any accident any of
the few large mains. During the sessions OF the
Senate Committee good deal of elected
showing the insuthciency of the water supply down
town, and this fitting time again atten-
tion subject Of such vital importance to the COM
mercal interests OF the metropolis Many Of the houses
in this section little better than finder boxes
The floors and partitions are of Southern pine, and
the goods such ignite readily add greatly to
the intensity OF a conhagration. Advantage should
be taken Of all available means for checking fire
in its progress and every safeguard known
TO science should be secured by the city for
the protection OF the merchant and property owner
In OF these facts and the startling truth con
tanned in them behooves the authorities this city
bestr themselves and the actual danger TO
which exposed The HERALD has frequently
pointed the necessity Tor such action yet the
of departments and other officials have suffered the
warning to pass by UNDECIDED, so that to-day, With
really one or the 6nest Fire Departments the world
the city Of New York may any moment be compelled
to share the fate of Chicago and Boston
With water front OF nearly twenty miles in extent
there need be further efforts made to bring fresh
liz for Gre purposes The plan proposed by the
Board OF Health few years ago, to erect stationary
pumps with independent mains and hose hydrants
would place in the possession Of the Fire Department
nexhaustible supply Of the necessary element The
cry against salt being ruinous to goods should
not have any weight II would be better 10 ''runn
few thousand dollars worth goods in the ncpicnt
stages Of Gre than TO pcrmi. the destruction Of mill
ions upon millions.
NEED OF MORE WATER
With the view ofasceraining the opinions OF experts
In relation 10 our water supply and the capacity Of
our aqueducts mains and hydrans in the case Of FIRE
as large as that which occurred on Tuesday evening
hast HXRALD reporter made inquiry yesterday at the
Offices Of leading FIRE insurance companies The gen.
tleman whose statement Immediately follows is the
president OF one the oldest and soundest Gre nsur-
pnce companies In the United states
Upon being approached he opened book and read -
at is Of vital Importance 10 the city that additional
mains be laid at the earliest practicable day For many
years past the department has kept gauge Of the daily
quantity Of water flowing the Croton DAM in ad-
diuon TO that which Is conveyed 10 the city by the
aqucduct and during the past ten years an average
daily quantity Of $40 600 900 gallons has to
over the dam in addition 70 the quantity that
brought 10 the city"
He then went on TO say:-''Mr. Edward II. Tracy
then Chief Engineer Of the Department OF Public Works
made this statement in his annual report for the year
1873. II the advice Of practical engineer well
schooed IN his profession aud who had thoroughly nves
tgated the situation Though than two years have
elapsed yet regard whatever has been paid to this
advice AS will be from the sequel II Is the
opinion Of every at all familiar with the SUBJ
that the water supply Of New York city IS wholly in
adequate to tie demands OF our rapidly increasing
population, very large proportion Of which resides in
those sections Of the city, and tho time under
those peculiar conditions where fires are most likely
10 occur and be followed By the most disastrous
sequences Those who build fast, rule, build