Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1880-07-31
vIRalnlA's FIRE STREAMS.
why They Have as Times and
Places DO Listio Erect The
Remedy.

yirginia's Fire Department is in trou-
bic. Chief Psnnison has recently been
testing the hydrants to ascertain both
the dead and actual press use when the
hose and nozzle is attached. The latter
is in most cases greatly reduced from the
former; and as II is the actual working
pressure that determines the effective
ness Of the streams for the hydrants, 1t
is the most important OF the two.
The trouble does not find its origin In
any fault Of the Water Company. but is
in the bydrants themselves. These
have four.inch orifces through tho
standard portions Of them. but when
opened. O., when water il turned on
to supply the hoss-the valve Of the by
drspt is not sufficiently removed. The
result is that but little water, compare
lively speaking. is allowed to flow
through into the hose. What does get
out for use il compelled to squeeze itself
through an orifcs four inches In diane
ter with q three and a half inch plug in
iii. O., through an opening OF one
quarter OF an inch around the outside OF
the four-inch hole.
Again, the hydrsnts are defective In
length. On G street Is Q V gutter which
drops from a foot to fifteen inches below
the sidewalk. The hydrants MEASURE
but eighteen inches from the surface OF
the ground to the valve beneath which
the water flows. It will be seen at once
that but from three to six inches Of COW
sripg can be allowed between the water
and the bottom Of the V cutters on @
street, and that in no place is there more
than eighteen inches between the water
In the bydrants and the surface. Frost
In this country gets down three feet.
No wonder the hydrants freeze.
The investigations Of Chief Pennison
OF Virginia are likely to be OF great use
10 the citizens. Sometimes 1t seems al.
most as II water had given out at q fre;
but an investigation has in every In.
stance shown tanks and mains 10 DO
filed. The defective hydrants are the
things.
1t has been supposed that in the lower
part OF Virginia the most effective
streams could be thrown upon q fire on
account Of the greater pressure. This 10
not true. The Chief has ascsrtained
that on c street, where the ten-inch
main 10 laid, the most effective streams
are obtained. The dead pressure fur
ther down is greater than on Q street,
but when the stream il running from
the four.inch or even the six-inch
mains, the force is not 30 great 40 on q
street and along the larger mains.
The result Of Chief Pennison's ex-
psriments and investigations should DO
10 effect 0 change OF hydrants. Gold
Hill has a better kind. and n OF these
introduced to experiment with In Viz
ginia has given satisfactory results. A
free flow Of water is permitted and the
difference between the dead and running
pressure is not SO great. The result OF
Mr. Pennison's experiments is as fol-
lows:
At the new hydrant. put in OF the
corner OF @ and Union streets, the dead
pressure was found to be l43pounds per
square inch. With one stream. nifty
feet OF hose and 1H.inch nozzle, the
pressure was ll2 pounds. With two
streams, fifty feet OF hose. and lH-inch
MOBILES each. the pressure was ninety
eight pounds.
At an old hydrant at the corner OF
Sutton avenue and G street, the dead
pressure was found to be $50 pounds to
the square inch. With one stream,
same length OF hose and same nozzle as
was used above, the pressure WA ninety
Ave pounds. and with two streams. same
hose and n~ozzlss, the pressure fell to
forty. seven pounds to the square inch.
The consequences OF all these expert
ments and investigations should DO to
put new bydrants in all through Virginia,