The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-06-28
PROTECTION AGAINST FIRE.
Some Sensible Suggestion.

| Mn. EDIToR:-I noticed in this mornings
PRESS two communications, the suggestions in
which if carried out would be otherwise than
useful if not positively injurious.
In the first upon our Shade Trees, the desire
is expressed that some good marksman would
shoot the night hawks that have come here
to destroy useful birds. Now if by this is
meant the caprmulgus or night hawk that for
a few years past has been so common in this
vicinity; it is only necessary to say that they
are insect feeders only, the construction of
their bills no more fitting them for Selling and
destroying birds than do those of hen.
But it was to the suggestion made in reg ard
| to protection from fire that wish more parti-
cularly to call attention.
l believe that a committee of responsible
men from each ward, who shall be empow cred
| in case of large confagration to blow up
buildings to prevent the spread of flames,
would prove to be irresponsible bands of the
direst incendiaries that ever swung the torch
and firebrands in city wrthing in the agonies
of great confagraton.
Whilst do not think that the blowing up of
one or several buildings had anything to do
with the saving of the First Parish and other
buildings in the vicinity during the fire of
1866, am and ever have been thoroughly con-
WINGED that the blowing up of the two story
wooden house next adjoining on the west yet
twentyfour feet from the Natural History
building, was the almost certain cause of its
| sure and swift destruction.
L was with other members of the society,
close observer and actor in the scenes. and
events occurring in that vicinity for hours
before the approach of the fire, and until it
had passed by after accomplishing its work of
| destruction.
If what I have further to saw wouId on1v
elicit fuller inquiry as to the auxiliary utility of
nand engines at such a crisis; it might result
IN tgreater good as a means of protection
against fire than the dangerous suggestion
above made in regardsto bands of miners and
sappers
If such work is ever necessary and suppose
that it is, it should only be put into execution
by small corps of men educated to such
service and who have become skilled and
psactieal englneers. BY ouch men the
blowing up. wooden building twenty-four
feet from brick and nearly fireproof building
that. could very easily have been made a
barrier and protection for the City Hall,
instead OF volcano OF fire ejecting its red hot
its roaf.
Oar first attack was in the rear of the build
ing from the large stable of the Elm Hotel
ana though only some twenty feet from our
wa VANS we succeeded in extinguishing the fire
that had taken in the only vulnerable spot.
the coving, and this by means of the hand
engine that was working in that vicinity. All
danger from that quarter had ceased and the
ire was approaching the wooden structure on
the West side, and we confidently expected
that by the aid of this engine we could protect
our building against it. But the engineer
oecided that 1t must be moved futher down the
street for the protection of the City Hail. In
vain we urged the opinion that the saving of
our Natural History building was the best Way
to save City Hall, we could not persuade him
to remain.
But even then we did not despair, for we had
abundance of water in cistern, and it only
would be necessary to wet the gutter on that
SIDE to prevent or extngush the fire. This
western wall was pierced with only three win
dows on the first or lower story, that were iron
cased and about or near which there was no
wood, except the sashes.
:, with wooden building twenty-four feet off
II allowed TO burn in the ordinary way, and all
danger from the rear having passed BY, am
sure that our brave fremen with hand engine
only. would have made light task of SAVING
the Natural History Hall. We have ever en-.
tertained the opinion that the saving of it
would have gone far towards the saving of City
Hall, Tor from no other source was there that
night such tall column of fire bending direct
ly to that building and delugiug it with burn
ing cinders.
But the fate of our building was onicklx
sealed Dy corps of just such men as your cor
respondent would have in every ward, empow-
cred to blow up buildings. Without any warn.
ing to US, and whilst we were still engaged in
removing our library to the Chadwick mansion.
t s pooy OF men ruined the building, and in a
few minutes, by one of the heaviest explosions
heard on that night of terrors, it was lifted into
the air, one moment standing safely enough
twenty-four feet from US, the next piled ten
ieet deep against our Hall in the shape of kind
ling wood, all on fire!
The effect of that terrific explosion was not
only to blow out the three windows on that
side, but all others in the whole building, and
tnqs Pre- the way for its swift destruction
binary way, even if we could not have finally.
with our limited means have prevented the ca,
tastrophe that befel it, still it would have been
hours, instead OF few minutes, before the fire
coaia nave worked its way to the interior and
we shouid have had opportunity for saving
much valuable property, and the delay thus
produced would have tended very much to IA
vor the safety of City Hall.
Ii then this corps of irresponsible men who
ruined this wooden building could have been
arrested or prevented in their work of destruc-
ton, or better, if such corps had not been
created and (this is the point to which L wish
call especial attention) if hand eaqine could
have saved the Hall of Natural History, and
not one of us who were there present doubt it,
it would have been the saving of at least fiftV
thousand dollars and if the saving of City Hall,
the gain would have to be counted by hundreds
of thousands
The chance of saving building situated as
was that OF the Portland Society of Natural
History, will ever occur in all great confla-
grations, and often when the fire is compare
lively limited. What then, the question arises
is the best additional means to the effective
ones we already possess for preventing the
spreading OF fire that is taskipg all the ener-
gies and demanding all the apparatus of the
Fire Department? In my opinion it is at least
partially answered by the above statement and
which find, concurs with the general views of
an article that appeared in the PRESS few