The New York herald., 1877-07-08
Where the Peril from Fire
Exists.
A CURIOUS sINECURE.
Views of the Chief Engineer Of
the Fire Department.

u
hand, and only the necessary combination OF circum-
stances is needed, as In the at Chicago Of Mrs
O'Leary's COW, a kerosene lamp and high wind, to
such nrc would lay the pfoudest part OF tbs
metropolis IN ashes. Who that has ever travelled
along the river front Of tho city that has not been In
voluntarily reminded OF the tremendous risks 10
which tho city subjected by the constant presence
OF the enormous wooden sheds covering the piers,
the vast collection Of hay in bales on barges,
dry and nlammable tho freight
they bold. the West Washington Market structure
touching the water's edge ana all consisting CT
frame sheds tai OF grease and comhustibe as an oil
factory II is roaily appalling 10 think o the conse-
quences OF confagraton once fairly started on tho
west side Of town in high wind such rs sprung from
Lake Michigan when tho kick from Mrs O'Leary yscow
gnited the straw miserable wooden shanty ON the
outskirts OF Chicago, and expanded into blaze that
no human Efforts could withstand The great question
Is, wnat have got TO meet any such contingency
WANTING GREAT EMERGENCY.
The Fire department OF New York city is admitted
all hands TO be composed OF skiifu and fearless
u set OF men bo found anywhere. Their organi-
zation is nearly all that might be desired. The pro-
Vision made for such an emergency as this article
Indicates is, however, defective. Enough experience
has been furnished us TO prove that In great nrcs
such that OF Boston Chicago, whero the wild,
untamed winds take tho 1amos in their embrace and
fire engine, worked BY willing hands, IL
as impotsnt as toy syringe. In cases lib this IL
is the part OF wisdom to adopt arbitrary though severe
measures, and IN the general interest it becomes
necessary to sacrifice private property
HISTORY
Evelyn relates in his diary that when the great Ore
OF London under way for several days occurred
TO King Charles H. 10 order the blowing up OF several
blocks that between the raging flames
and the palace OF whitehal and this saved tho West
minister side OF the city from destruction. BY u law
which passed tho Legislature February, 1873, II was
enacted that the assistant foreman Of fro
pany should form company OF sappcrs and miners.
whose duty to DO on hand the occurrence OF .
great drc and with torpodocs other explosives pre-
the spread Of a conlasra after all other
failed
SOFT AND sUccuLEsT sISEcuRE.
The same law created the ollce OF an instructor IN
the OF these explosives, and tho appointed
salary OF 81 900 year such instructor bore the
name OF Strtngcn. II ever man had soft and easy
situation It is Sritingcu and the sooner Stritingen
abolished the better Tor the taxpayers Where Is the
use Of CORPS OF sappcrs ana niners when they have
no means by which TO sap or miner This corps. 70
which allusion has made, haa Of tho
requisite material to blow up blocks OF build.
ings dwellings Though sritingen has been
drilling the ASSISTANT foromen tor tho four years
that could give eest 70 bis thsQresieal nstrncsion.
II complained that the city Authorities viii not
allow the Storage within tho city limits Of explosive
material. The Park Commissioners refused permis-
Tor the erection OF magazine AZ Union square,
about the most central part OF tho city, for the deposit
OF dynamite explosives, but II would seem that the
Fire Department earnestly sought the carrying
out Of the project. Soldiers without firearms
OF much account and Stritngcns corps OF sappers and
miners. without anything whcrewih TO sap and mine,
are about as worthless
THE VIEWS OF TIE CHIEF EsGISEER.
Chief Engineer Bates OF the Fire Department. said
to the HgkALD reporter in 10 the question
10 what the department had TO great
1re:-'Wcll, wc have forty steam engines sixteen
hook and ladder companies and about seven hundred
men on Manhattan Island and hrc boat the river
front"
'.what could you do In case Of great FIRE. such
would take hold OF tho wcst sido in a nurricanef"
well, Il Is hard to say, OF course wo would do
our best The department wouldn't be wanting, and
think We have just about good Of ,hers
Is any where"
"whcre do you reckon tho greatest danger 70 the
city exstsi"
II think West Washington Market Ii . constant peril
TO tho city, and gives more anxiety than anything
else. These great long wooden sheds the pcrs
too are groat danger. Some Of them much as
six hundred feet long, and single match would
them in a blaze. AZ tho foot OF Beach street the
lumber piled up high ordinary building and
tnat another OF danger Then Ihore are oil
works tho foot OF Slxtysixth street and IN Bank
street, aud tho gas works below Bellevue Hospital
the side OF town, all OF which contingently
dangerous"
"Docs tho water supply answer to your wishcsf"
s'Not quite The slx-inch pipes tho river streets
shouo be replaced by :wcve-,nch pipes. the Same
at tho request Of TINS department. wcro Iasd down
Greenwich street as tar up as Eighth avenue. There
twclvc-nch pipes on every other from The
East River, on Cherry. Madison, East Broadway and
Division streets, but south ADD Front streets the
sx-inch pipes stall remain. The department put
on any OF fire all Its forcc within q worry short
time, but there Is no uso-in fact II would bs
foolish in dong " the water supply
s sufficient The hrc engines only In tho way
unless the abundant, and find that twelve.
Ia ch Pipe the only that gives anythn hko
fair show with big nre."
HAS thero been anything In your experience 70 sug.
gest the likelihood OF tho city suffering such ate q
Chicago?"
"wc, that nro Broadway February las.
year ago. between Grand and Howard, might
have been a Chicago nrc, but We stamped
II out IN the nick OF time. I am Just 20
fearful OF Gre that starts 10 tho middle
par, OF the city OF any that might spring up on the
cast or west front, because there Is plenty OF material
Tor are TO feed upon anywhere below Canal street.
among those tall warehouses, too tall for to reach
with our hose. | think We are well equipped enough
to meet any ordinary nro. but In great emergency
such you speak Of VIC should probably have to take
desperate measures as already suggested with out
corps OF sappers and miners, though, unfortunately
they have nothing as yet to work WITH"
The accompanying map is intended to show the por.
tion oil the city most liable great nre. Ia Chicago.
Between the Battery and Christopher street on the
north. and from the Battery up as far as sixteenth
stree, the east 'front.' lie all sbo combustble things
and places tina, cndanger the integrity OF the mctropo
lis The North River front Is decidcdy tho most dan.
gcrous, for tnerc s accumulated the great mass Of
material most easily set on by stray spark Of 6rs
Tho suggestion from all tho foregoing Is that the do