Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1879-08-30
AUGUST %. 1879
OUR WATER SUPPLY.

Every one who was present at the fire on
Thursday morning, must have been i'm
pressed with the fact that there is something
defective in our water department. If that
fire had occurred the previous night, with
such deficient supply; indeed with no sup
ply at all, nothing conld have saved that end
of Carson from humiliation. The fire COM
panies were promptly on the ground, only to
find that the water was shut off from the
plugs, for which the city pays good round
price, and the man whose business it is to see
that a supply is furnished for every such emer-
gency, was sound asleep mile off with the
keys under his pillow perhaps, to prevent
some citizen from irrigating with water be-
longing to the corporation, which was safely
housed in tanks, and inaccessible at that criti-
cal moment. Now the question arises, is
not this firm, or company, or corporation or
whatever it is; which supplies-or does not
supply-water for protection against fres
and for which taxpayers put up a good round
sum- liable for the damages resulting from
their neglect! If the city of Carson digs a
trench and leaves it unguarded in the dark,
and a valuable horse breaks his neck through
such neglect. we believe the city is liable for
the damage to the owners and it is right it
should be. The city of Carson contracts with
some party for a supply of water to be kept
on at all times, or ready to be turned on at
the first alarm; holders of property are taxed
not only for that, but for the support of
fire department, and yet when crisis comes;
when some prowling incendiary applies the
torch to some match box such as the Morris
mansion, situated among frame cottages and
inhammable material of every description,
with two large hotels, and some of the most
important business houses iust under their
shadow, there is no water in the plugs, and
no Waterman to turn it on at the reservoir
he is asleep and does not hear the alarm
and the city may burn, and still that watch
man and those contractors may snore, in
unisen with the alarm bells, and the scream
of the steam fire engine, as Nero fddled
while Rome burned; and the houseless and
half naked women and children, and i'm
poverished business men, and responsible
insurance companies are to be satisfied with
the lame excuse that the water is turned off
to prevent people-who pay taxes too
from irrigating i'll the evenings and the "msn
at the wheel did not hear the signal, but
hereafter, eve won't do so no more
Fortunately in the late fire there was not very
hn+ Is
kind Providence, or the consideration of the
incendiary, who put it off for quiet night,
and not to our water supply. We seem to
have slready forgotten the lessons of Reno
and Eureka and Silver City and Battle Noun
tain, and that our mountain towns, subiect to
sweeping zephyrs, and built in most cases as
a sort of temptation to the fire tiend, need to
be watched by an Argus, and to have every |
appliance ready for the emergencies which |
may occur at any moment, and from the most |
unforeseen causes; and the citizens of Carson, |
who pay for protection, should insist that at |
east some reasonable protection is afforded. |
One other remark and We have said all We
intend on the subject at present. We have
well appointed fire department, good hose,
good trucks and engines, aud the men are
prompt and active, but it needs organization
There seems to be no unity Of action, no head;
md every man who handles rope, directs
pipe or drags a section of hose, seems to be
chief and to issue orders as such. Gentlemen
IF the department, organize and elect a chief
perhaps you have one-who shall direct
every movement, and whose word shall be
1beyed. See that no one interferes with
your work in subduing fires; and you will not
nave 20 work half so head, nor scream half so
oud as at present, and you will find also that
EN- men, well disciplined, will accomplish more
han a mob of ten hundred, We make this
uggestion in all kindness, being an old fire.
nan, and not in any way to find fault with
,ody manifestly earnest in doing its duty.
md extremely active too. The fact is, it
becomes serious question to citizens of Ne
ada towns, and one in which we cannot af
ord to be tacit.
A Few California journals still keep up the
,owl of X alloch's cussednaSs and nublish z