Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-04-12
LETTERS FROM THe PEOPLE.


 Thoughts Suggested by the Late Fire. Editor of the DEMOCRAT:
 When fire would be raging in a cer- tain part of the city would it not be of great benefit for the increase of pressure to shut of for the time being the flow of water through the pipes leading to other parts of the city and thereby con- centrate the full flow towards the sec- tion that might be in danger |?
 It is said, but can it be true, that the main water pipe running through East Main street to the center is only ten inches in diameter at the point where Little brook while on either side of the bridge a twelve inch main is laid. There is, it Is said by good authority, a lot of defective water pipes (even clay pipe) throughout the city that cannot stand much pressure and it seems chiefly on this account that water cannot be supplied directly, even in case of emer- gency, from the Prospect reservoir, which is two hundred feet higher than East Mountain, where our present supply flows from.
 The fire on last Sunday ought to raise serious thoughts in the minds of all as to the best means of remedying the in- capability of competing with an ex- tensive fire, SO painfully visible on that occasion. What would have been the consequence to both sides of Bank street if there had been a strong wind blowing from the west at that time The loss might be million or millions.
 We have had two other disastrous fires, not counting many smaller fires, within the last thirteen years, that at
 Holmes, Booth 6 Haydens and that at
 the West Brass mill. How much loss
 resulted from the fires directly to the city can only be estimated by the
 amount of wages that ceased to be paid
 and put in circulation while those mills
 were being rebuilt. And how much
 loss must have resulted indirectly to the
 city at large and directly to the owners
 on account of orders that could not bt filled and many customers lost forever The reason why the fire at the Wes
 Brass mill was so destructive was be cause the water pipe leading thereto was too small and it burst because i
 was not strong enough to bear tn, pressure.
 If the amount of money lost by thes
 two fires to the city and to the citizen at large, among whom it would circu late, would be computed it might b found that it would compensate for thu fexpense of putting sufficiently larg and reliable water pipes throughout tn city.
 What has happened may happe 3 again at any moment, and in city lik 3 \ Waterbury, that owes it's prosperit chiefly to its manufacturing interest. g and where so large part of it's con 8 mercial interests is concentrated withi 2 less than half mile from the center, t would seem but plain common sens q that every precaution should be take r to secure the speedy extinction of fires
 Our volunteer firemen in general d.
 serve praise for their gratuitous servic
 Has the city not arrived at that stag s' where it could afford and might find
 profitable in the end to keep hor' d and one or two paid firemen on hand those stations not yet so supplies r Every one knows that the great seer i. of success in suppressing a fire is r have the firemen and fire apparat, a early at work. One or two streams D, ,I on in the beginning of fire may e more effectual than a dozen five minut ,, later.
 "a At the late fire it was apparent to u i. thousands of spectators that great l. water power was required. Why not 70 once put down good and sufficient pip S through the city, wherever it may V defective, and connect the Prospe f reservoir two hundred feet above o ia present source of supply with the mai ' SO that in case of need sufficient prt o sure could be obtained. But all this, "a may be said, will cost something. We 10 there is such a thing as being penl - wise and pound foolish.
 If CITIZEN.