The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-12-16
OUR FIRE-SWEPT CITIES.
A FIRE CHEF TELLS WHY THEY
WERE DEVASTATED.

Wooden Buildings. Poorly Equipped
Fire Departments and Inadequate
Water Supply the Universal Causes.
New York's Danger-How a Fire De-
partment Should be Equipped-FaIse
ECONOMY Deprecated - Hints That
Other Cities May Profit Ey.
(Copyright.)
New YORK, Dec. 14-In the large cities
of the United States, serious confiagra-
lions have been most frequent and destruct-
i've visitors This naturally follows from
the fact that ours is a comparatively new
ly-settled country, and that in the marvel
GUS speed with which towns have sprung
into existence. as if by magic, and then in
creased in extent and population, a building
material, which here is among the cheapest,
most available and most infiammable-
namely, wood-has Of necessity entered
very largely into their development.
The stories of Chicago, Boston, Calves
ton, Seattle, Lynn and other American
cities, well serve to emphasize the correct
ness of these statements. Those charged
with the protection of life and property
from fire in New York are fully awake to
with good reason, they hope that great
vigilance and promptness will continue to
avert an uncomfortable confagration, they
still realize that under an unfortunate com
bination of circumstances, such a calamity
is by no means impossible.
The old adage tells us that "An ounce of
prevention is better than pound of cure"
and certainly there can be no stronger
proof of the thorough efficiency of fire
department than when it furnishes daily
evidence that it is capable of reaching and
extinguishing fires in their incIpiency; for
the worst fire, like all other things, must
have had small beginning, and if
caught at the opportune time few
gallons Of water will be followed by a
result which perhaps some minutes later
whole squadroDs of men and apparatus
will be unable to attain. The most effect
i've agency for the prevention or extinguish-
ment of serious confagrations is a thor
oughly efficient fire department with an
ample supply of water ready at hand.
1t would take considerable space and
perhaps be entering upon a somewhat
tedious subject TO ehumerate the details of
organization and equipment essential to the
proper makeup of truly efficient fire de-
partment
As to organization, while much is in
cluded under this term, nothing is more i'm
portant than that the chief officer of the
uniformed force should be an experienced,
trustworthy, intelligent, cool and fearless
commander, chosen solely on his merits, and
one who exemplifies in his own person the
strictest discipline, and at the same time
possesses the power of enforcing perfect
obedience and respect from his subordinates.
As to equipment, the apparatus, hose,
ladders, and other implements, which ex-
perience has shown to be the best, should be
secured, even where the articles are patented
and high-priced, as is often the case
because while firemen may be ever SO we'll
disciplined, ever so prompt in their response
to alarms, ever so intrepid in their work, if,
on exacting occasions, they have not at
hand the very best instruments which inge-
nuity has devised, together with every
necessary accompaniment for using them
effectively, they will surely fall short of
accomplishing the highest results.
1t Is needless to say that too much stress
cannot be placed upon the telegraph SER
vice being maintained at point as near to
perfection as possible. 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 public SER
| wants the very best means of performing
we'll their difficult and hazardous duty.
Up to date water whether salt or fresh
| to be thrown upon conflagration in the
| largest possible streams, remains the best
] known means for its extinguishment. 1t is
true that there are certain chemicals which
properly prepared and applied, will quench
fire more quickly than water, but the diff
| culties in the way Of generating them
| speedily enough and furnishing them in
| sufficient 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 to great confa-
! grations, occurring under unfavorable con-
| dltlons, is by no means what it should be,
and in all likelihood, under existing plans,
much time must elapse before the situation
| can be remedied. The richest portion of the
city stands upon long and narrow island
which is completely surrounded by an in
exhaustible supply of salt water, and there
is good reason to beliexe that, within
the boundaries of the island it
self, there are several plenteous
natural sources of fresh water, well
suited for fire extinguishing purposes.
Under these circumstances il would seem
that 1t were neither very dif1icult nor a
| very expensive work to furnish Manhattan
Island with such an abundant high pres
sure water supply as would render it com
paratively safe from the fate which has
overtaken other places The same remark
| ~ SUI posSi1iy Apply Win equal force &c
cities like Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago
and others with extensive water fronts
Some years. ago, when the press was
arousing the public to the danger from fire
which confronted New York city, owing tt
the inadequacy of the water supply, an ex-
pertinent was made by the fire department
which demonstrated that, even under I'M
favorable conditions, it was quite possible
within less than an hour, to SO arrange as t.
utilize the water of the rivers at distanc,
inland of nearly one mile.
Should devastating confederation ATTACK
the city, this experiment might prove fruit