Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-07
Full Figures on the Amount of
Damage Caused by Tuesday
Nights Big Contlagratlon.
BETTER FACILITIES DEMANDED.
Chief Brown Points to the Necessity for
Improved Equipments for
Fighting Fires.
CHRIST CHURCH nay NOT BIZ REBUILT.
Trustees 10 Meet To-day to Consider What Is The Best
Course to Pursus.

fire department of the city and it was gen.
orally held yesterday that it was high time
the department should be afforded facilities
ior coping with sucn confagrations as, lat
terly, seem TO be more the rule than the e1-
ception. The insurance men and others,
who, by virtue of their experience are quail
ited to speak knowingly of such matters, are
clear that Christ Church and the Female
College should not have been permitted to
catch fire. They argue that a strong fow
of water run up to the adjacent hOusetops
through a water tower and played onto the
buildings would have prevented their de-
struction. 1t is pointed out that both these
editices were fired by sparks, and 1T is held
that well-directed streams played upon
them from the high buildings near would
have saved them.
The extensive destruction Of property has
again brought forward the agitation of the
fire boat question, with strong chances OF
some active steps being taken in that direc-
Iiou. The emphatic claim of men, in posi-
tions TO know, that the flames could have
been kept within the walls of the storage
building with proper appliances is a strong
argument in favor of better 6re-fghting
facilities.
CIief Brown Will Demand a Fire Boat
For several years past Chief Brown, of
the Department of Public Safety, has been
endeavoring 10 impress upon Councilmen
and Others the great necessity of we'll
equipped fire boat in Pittsburg, but his
efforts have been in vain. The last confa-
grafton has bat strengthened the views Of
~ e - in
support OF his stand. He is more deter
mined than evert that fire boat is an absolute
necessity. Councils will have an oppor-
tunty to consider the matter before long.
The head of the Department of Public
Safety admits the inetficiency of the fire
companies to cope with such blaze as that
of Tuesday night. This is not from any
lack Of ability on the part of the men, but
from incomplete equipments. The subject
was pretty thoroughly discussed yesterday.
In speaking of it, Chief Brown said:
"Pit;sburg has had several very costly
lessons of late, the last of which was the
Seventh street fire. 1 am more firmly than
, ever convinced of the necessity OF having
fire boat The downtown section OF the
city has a large water front. There is
scarcely a river city of, any size IN The
country but what is supplied with fire
boat.
Uwould Have Saved Thousands.
"I am confident that we could have saved
enough property at the Seventh street fire
10 pay for boat if we had only had one.
Everybody coul1 see it was almost useless to
throw ordinary engine streams against those
high walls. The wind was blowing hard, reduc-
ing the streams to mere spray before they
reached the buildings. No engine in the world
could throw a stream TO much enect under
those circumstances.
With a IRE boat the result would have been
different. The heavy stream of water il would
have brought from the river would have saved
both the Female College and the church. The
advantage CT a fire boat is that it can
he equipped with much moB pow
eTfu wbess and hanied oTsr the spree
Such boat as would propose could be built
and thoroughly fitted up for S35,0Oo. 1t would
throw stream of water equal to eight OF our
Amoskeag engines. Take last nights fire as
an example. We could have run the boat to
the foot of Seventh street, and in q few mIn-
utes have had a ten-lnch line lald up the
street. equipped with 'siamese' and pouring
MALT a dozen powerful streams into the top
story OF the storage building.
Would BE Equal to Eight Engines.
sMy idea is to do away with No. / engine
company, sell the property and fixtures and
put the money In a fire boat. The members of
the company could be transferred for service
on the boat This boat would do eight times
the work of No. company, and in event of
large fires it would then not be necessary to
bring companies from all parts OF the city to
help fight the flames. Pittsburg is modern
city ard should have modern appliances"
One result of the fire may be the extinguish-
Ineat of two old landmarks. 1t is problemat-
zeal whether either Christ Church or the
Female College will be rebuilt. 1t was rumored
IN well-informed quarters yesterday that the
proposition to buy the church property for
building purposes-made some time ago-was
revived, and that if the negotiations we're sue
cessful substantial business block would
arise on the ruins of the church. Mr.. Lee s.
Smith, a member of the Board of Trustees,
said yesterday he could not yet outline what
course would be pursued. The board will meet
to-day and consider what steps had best be
taken The church may be rebuilt or a site
may be purchased elsewhere.
Female College May BE Removed.
No time has yet been set for the meeting of
the Board of Trustees of the Female College.
Mr Smith who is Secretary and Treasurer of
the board, thinks they will meet shortly. He
would not say if the college would be rebuilt.
Dr. Norcross was busy most of the day in get
ting things into trim In and around the COL
lege. The doctor expressed his preference for
new building farther out, where four times
the number of the boarders accommodated on
Eighth street could be provided for. He said
lie was in doubt as to whether the college
would be rebuilt. If il were, it would be on a
larger scale. He said that the residence por-
iiou on Eighth street would be rendered habit
able by Monday, when the young ladies' most
of whom had returned home. would come hack.
The south wing of the college is destroyed,
buJ the main section and north wing are unin-
jured except by water The amount of prop
crty damaged by the water and hre is not large
and is covered by insurance. Very desolate is
. the appearance of the heretofore coy
damicie OF the sweet girl graduates, many of
whose little nicknacks, strewn around, betoken
muuely appeal against the accident which dis
surbed the harmony of their existence. Sew
eral of them yesterday made surrepLitious
trips within the building 10 search for some
little trife they hoped to yet save, though DR..
Norcross forbade any such visits being taken
for the present
On Seventh street a mass of debris blocked
the Jhoroughfare. The corners of the storage
buildings reared their cbarred heights from
out the still-smoking ruins and looked as if
ready to fall at any moment Several streams
OF water played upon the ruins all Gay.
Bureau of Health Got OFF Lightly.
The Bureau Of Health did not lose so heavily
by the fire as at first supposed. Every
thing on the upper floors Of the building was
ruined with water. but all the records of any
value were on the ground floor and were saved
Early yesterday morning two wagon loads of
books were hauled up to City Hall. Temporary
quarters were taken up in the accountants
room of the Department of Public Safety.
Chief Brown is looking about for permanent
location for the bureau, but has not yet de-
cided on any. 1t is probable the old University
building. Grant and Ross streets, will be Sc
lected.
The number of small fires on neighboring
hrildinCs was matter of comment among