The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1877-12-22
S195,6OO

S195,6O0
The sympathies of our community are with the
sufferers by this fire, but more especially are ex-
pressed for the enterprising mechanics, Mr.. Hop
per and Mr.. Bruins, who each by this disaster
lose the results of many years industrious appli-
cation.
We regard it as a work Of good management
that the building occupied by Green, MacEarlane
& Co., was saved from total destruction, it's
preservation being due almost entirely to the
strenuous efforts of Messrs. Wundenburg and
Macfarlane, who, with their force of thirty men,
continually threw buckets of water from the in
side of the building on the iron shutters and
doors, which were at one time nearly red-hot.
Among the contents of the building were $17 900
worth insured by Green, Macfarlane- & Co.,
$4,000 in the Liverpool, London & Globe, and
y$5 900 in the Fireman's Fund)-which is a large
saving to these companies.
There are several lessons to be learned from
the misfortune of Tuesday night. OF course the
first is the unsafe nature of merely wooden build
ings in business localities and secondly, the
folly of storing piles of coal alongside of f~re-proof
buildings. The noble fre-proof stores lately
erected by the government at a considerable cost,
fairly crumbled before the heat of an ignited pile
of Goals. But the last and most important lesson
for the community and for the government, is the
necessity of providing for future emergencies by
procuring, with as little delay as possible, a
steam fire engine. We have seen how powerless
was our Fire Department, with its hand engines,
and with all the energy and vim displayed by its
members, to cope with the devouring element.
We trust that some one of the members of the
next Legislature will be found thoughtful enough
to secure an appropriation for procuring a steam
fire engine. We are informed upon good author
lty (Nr. w. j. DuttOn, assistant secretary of the
Fireman's Fund Association, San Francisco) that
an engine of the sort suitable for our city could
be landed here for something less than A 900.
The class of which we speak (the Amoskeas) is
considered by those who claim to be informed on
the subject, as the simplest, least complicated.
and least liable to get out of order of anv manu-
featured. 1t is believed that a third class engine
would suffice for our city, and could be easily run
by hand over our comparatively level streets,
thus obviating the expense of horses. An engine
of this class burns about 100 pounds Sydney coal
per hour. while in active service, and throws a
one-inch stream about 900 feet, aggregating
say 400 gallons of water per minute, the force
being about double that of a frst-class hand
engine, while the stroke is steady, even and con.
slant, instead of arterial or depending for it's
force upon the amount Of I" muscle employed.
In the paid departments of other countries about
twelve men are employed to each of these
engines, but our department. being volunteer,
would need but a single employee, to serve as
and engineer. For hose. that in common
use for steam fire engines We are informed is the
d inch :" carbolized,' costing about 81 % per
foot, without couplings, which cost So per pair.
We cannot doubt but that this subject of pro-
curing a steam fire engine win meet with the