Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1892-09-21
TERRITORIAL REPUBLICAN TlCKET
THE LESSON or WEDNESDAYS
 FIRE

Or GRAHAM COUNTY.
 THE LESSON or WEDNESDAYS
 FIRE.
 Nothing has occurred in Prescott for long time which has elicited
 as general discussion, as the fire oI
 September If. It is subject well
 worth the discussion of property owners, too, as it revealed the alarm ing condition in which our town is
 at present. It need not be discuss ed under the heat of passion and excitement, but calmly and dispas- sionately, and with view of devis- ing means whereby greater safety and protection to property can be secured.
 The most startling condition of affairs, so far as our water works are concerned were found to exist yes terday on the outbreak of the fire. The community has been repeatedly
 assured, by those in charge of the water works, that a sufficient amount of water, for fire purposes,
 was always reserved in the city we'll, yet when needed yesterday there was
 no water in the mains, no steam in the city boiler. no fire in the fur mace to make steam, the city engi- neer absent from the engine house, and it is even alleged, that when everything was in readiness to start a fire there was no match to light it. It is fact known to all that fully half or three-quarters of an hour elapsed from the time of the fire alarm before the department could obtain any water, and in the mean time thousands oi dollars worth of property belonging to men and women who could lily afford to lose it, representing as it did in many cases the earnings of lifetime, were consumed by the flames,-by flames, too, which could easily have been subdued with a very little water at the start.
 Is it to be wondered at that such a condition of affairs should pro yoke discussion and should also. un- der the excitement of the occasion, elicit remarks towards those respon- sible fer it which might not be made
 calmer moments.
 The responsibility has been placed by our citizens on the city council. and there seems to be no escape by them from assuming it. Official acts are judged by results, and not from motives. Our present city govern ment has, without even saying to the taxpayers, "by your leave" or submitting in any way the proposi- tion to a vote of the people, spent thousands of dollars of the peoples money in changing the water works. 1 A considerable portion of the money was spent without any pretext of | advertising for bids for the work. | thus inviting competition, as is usual in such cases. At the critical l moment, when the new water works were put to the test, they were found wanting, and the old smoke stack, with the buildings surround ing it on Goose fiat, stand as the costly monuments, to the people, of the mismanagsment and poor judg- men: of the city council and their chief adviser. the city engineer. AL though they have never been marred by the painters brush, the word FAILURE stands in bold relief on their murky walls as visible as though it had been written there in blood.
 The general sentiment of our cit lzens is that a change should be made in the office of city engineer, and that at once. Prior to the time of his taking charge of the works. there never has been a time when the community has been call ed on to face such an emergency as occurred yesterday. Whether any one else could have done better than he, may be only matter of but as already stated official action is judged by results alone. That our water works have proven a failure no one can gain say or deny, hence change in this office is demanded by our people, and while the JoURNAL-MINER has of a personal nature against he present city engineer, it not ,niy gives voice to this sentiment, put endorses it. He may have done he best he could. It may be that lohe could do better but it will be yell to make a change and see if cannot be accomplished the repetition of the calam- ty of yesterday may be avoided. n view of the prevailing sentiment ,n the subject, the city engineer will, however, probably tender his 
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