The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-08-14

where all kinds of improvements in ap-
paratus, including water towers and
chemical engines, have been in
use for several years. The cost OF
extinguishing fire readily and effect
lively Is great, but it pays, as the history
Of great cities and insurance companies
testifes. About the only great CONNER
cial city in the United States that is at
present without the latest improvements
in fire apparatus is San Francisco, and
the want Of it Is 50 severely felt there
that an effort is now being made TO in
duce the Supervisors to avoid the dan
ger OF a ruinous confagration by pre-
pairing for its occurrence.
Many improvements are needed in our
Fire Department here to make it more
efficient. Larger mains are called for,
besides many other things necessary,
which will cost a large amount of money.
We need horses, we need a well organ
lied and well paid Fire Department; we
need a system of electric alarms reach
ing every block within the city limits;
we need in fact more than we could pay
for now, but which must be provided as
soon as possible In the mean time
something should be done to lessen the
danger of fires spreading, which is the
thing to be dreaded in the business Por-
ton of Honolulu.
What is needed for this purpose is,
first, dispatch in reaching a fire, and,
secondly, a practical and light means OF
putting it out or holding it under control
until the heavy engines arrive. The
greatest trouble here is that a fire gains
Roadway before water can be gotten
upon it. The fault does not lie with the
members OF the Fire Department, but in
the means at their disposal. To correct
the defects in our fire system will cost
large amount OF money, as we have said,
and cannot be practically brought about
for several years at best. In the mean
time it becomes the duty OF our business
men and the insurance companies,
aided by our citizens generally, to assist
the Fire Department with some moder-
ately expensive piece OF improved appa--
ratus in order to avoid the danger Of
another small fire becoming as disas-
tIous as that of last April
A chemical fire engine would be sufi-
cient for our necessities at present.
Chemical engines are now almost uni
versally used in the Eastern United
States, and have proved to be the
most desirable apparatus for fires in
the retail districts OF New York
and other cities These engines are
worked upon the same principle as
the Babcock extinguisher. Two
large tanks, filed with chemical fluid,
are adjusted to light wagon, which can
be easily handled by two or three men.
The hose for these engines is lighter
than garden hose, and stream OF eff
fectively extinguishing fluid can be car
ried to any height or through any por-
ton of building by one man. The
flow of the chemical fluid can be regu-
lated by touch. This engine is of the
greatest value in incipient fires or where
the fire is between walls. One of the
main uses of this apparatus is that it
can be effectively used to extinguish
fires when water would damage the
entire building or goods of store. Al
though one ofour volunteer companies did
good work at the fire in Michiels' store
quite recently, which was owing to
their exceptional dispatch in reaching
the scene, yet the entire stock would
have been ruined with water had any OF
it been saved A chemical fire engine
would have extinguished the fire with
little damage to the unburned goods.
Those who are directly interested in
escape from the danger of fire should
lend aid to our Fire Department, who are
doing all they can with the means at
their disposal The merchants of Homo
lulu should organize a movement to fur
nish them with a chemical fire engine,
and the Board of Underwriters repre-
scented in town should either organize
permanent fire patrol, such as they sup
port in San Francisco, or should mate
rally aid the department from time to
time in procuring desirable, effective
and improved apparatus.