Telegram-herald., 1889-12-25

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Il "a large cirss of ths Cnitea
States seri9ls con~zEra -ers 14fs
been uosE freq lens xIo eestf-e I-'s
visitors. Ih.s natu-ai = tol-o"s itoA
Ils fact t1at o4rs Is con F@l-t+f@F
Eeaiy sets e1 eo-Lrrg -lo t-~t ~ --S
Uartelc-s spes1 al- aslrt towns aA's
srrrng 1859 existence - Pc Lf 6-
zn1 lreu increased p extent and r4Pa-
.&t-ul. -a-lding s-eftsL "l--- -e5s
ls auleng te5 cheapest, most a. 4tla~-s
a. r.sr rzul1za' e-p4ue-Y Boo1
LAS of Eecesslty eatere1 very largely
t1re deFe--rra1
Iae stcries " Chicago. Feston, Cal
weston. seattle. lyln ana eta er Amer
can critics. Nell serve e. 4slze Tie
corfert ness o. tlese sta meats. hose
cnargel with the protection ~ lte q
proEeErY from re ia y ea 3 ora are fllIy
swsze . The sItu2 .ion which gAey face.
ana 81 Blile. ~ good rees.u. theg hope
that greet vigilance ALI p p-omp ptness
NJ coariEle % avert az neon .re-labie
conr ragr4uOn. they stu realize th4t
under an unfortunate cou H.nauon -
Circumstance such ca-aa = is oy 10
means possible
The olo adage tells as that AN
ounce Of prevention is better than
polnd OF cure ana certain y there can
be NJ stronger proof o. ne thorough
efficiency OF a ire department than
when IL furnishes daily evidence that
II Is capable OF reaching and eXugulsh-
ing hres IN their IuclplencY. for The
worst IRE. like al other things. must
have had small beginning and II
caught a. the opportune time q few
gallons Of water Wlll be followed BY a
result which perhaps some minutes
later whole sQuadrOns OF men and ap-
paratus viii Or unable 20 attain. The
most effective agency for the preyen-
tion or extinguishment OF serious con
+ fagrations IS thoroughly efficient
4 FIRE department with an ample supply
OF water reday at hand
IL would take considerable space and
perhaps be entering upon somewhat
tedious subject 10 enumerate the de-
tails OF organization and equipment es-
. sentlal 10 she proper makeup OF truly
efficient FIRE department
As 20 organization, while much is in
/ cluded under this term. nothing Is more
important than that the chief officer Of
| the uniformed force should be an ex
perienced, trustworthy. intelligent,
cool and fearless comma ander. chosen
solely on his merits, and one who ex-
emplifes in his own person the strictest
sesses the power OF enforcing perfect
obedience and respect from his subord-
mates.
AS 20 equipment, the apparatus, hose,
ladders and other implements, which
experience has shown 20 be tho best.
should be secured, even where the arti-
cles are patented and high priced, as 5
often the case because while fremen
may be ever so we'll disciplined, ever so
prompt in their response 70 alarms,
ever so intrepid in their work, II, on
exacting occasions, they have not at
| hand the very best instruments which
ingenuity has devised. together with
every necessary accompaniment for
using them effectively, they Will surely
fall short OF accomplishing the highest
results.
1t is needless 20 say that too much
stress cannot be placed upon the tele
graph service being maintained a a
point as near 70 perfection as posi- Bile.
Fire departments of good repute are
usually treated generously by local
authorities. but in almost every city
there are on record glaring instances OF
great loss resultant upon the false
economy which denies TO faithful pub
lie servants the very best means OF per
form .ng well their difficult and hazard
GUS duty
Up 10 date. water, whether salt Or
fresh, to be thrown upOn a cOnfagra-
tiOn in the largest possible streams, re
mains the best known means for its ex-
tinguishment II is true that there are
certain chemicals which, properly pre-
pared and applied, viii quench fire more
quickly than water: but the difficulties
in the way OF generating them speedily
enough and furnishing them IN sufi-
I cient quantities, together with other
/ palpable objections. have thus far, at
least. told strongly against their use.
/ The present water supply of New York,
considered in its relation 10 great con-
fagratio1s. occurring under unfav0r-
able conditions. is by no means what t
should be. and in all likelihood. under
existing plans, much time must elapse
before The situation can be rcmedled.
The richest portion Of the city stands
upon a long and narrow island which IS
completely surrounded by an inex-
haustible supply OF salt water. and
there is good reason TO believe that.
within tho boundaries Of the island Z
self. there are several plenteous.
natural sources of fresh water. we'll
suited for fire extinguishiug purposes.
nder these circumstances il would
, seem that - we're neither a
7
work 20 furnish Manhattan Island with
2 such an abundant hiEh-preSsure water
supply as would reuCer 10 compare
lively safe from the fate which las
overtaken other places. The same re-
mark might possibly apply with equal
force 70 cities like Boston. Philadelphia,
Chicago and others with extensive
) water fronts.
Some years ago, when the press was
srousing the public 10 tho danger from
FIRE which confronted New York city.
owing 70 the inadequscy Of the water
supply. an experiment was u ade bv
the IRE department which demoustra-
ted that. even under unfavorable con
ditions 10 was quite possible. with z
less than An hour. % so arrange as q
5 utilize the water of the rivers a a dis
, tance inland OF nearly one milo.
Should a Devastating confagratior
attack the city. ID q experiment might
prove fruitful o. god results
HESRY ID. PURRoT.
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