The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-06-21
FOR FIGHTING FIRE.
The P. R. R. Puts in a Mon
ster Apparatus to Pro-
tect It's Property.

An Improvement Is being made by the
Pennsylvania Railway Company which
will benefit the property owners and
tenants along the river front. The com
pany is increasing its facilities for fight
ing fire and doing it on a scale that will
prevent probably any serious c%ontagra-
tioos in that vicinity. A monster pun p
has been put in and pipe lines will be laid
to cover the company's property from the
Bay street ferry to the Sussex street dock.
A serious drawback that the fremen have
encountered in subduing fires in that
portion of the city ha been the absence
of an adequate water supply. The mains
are old and small and the pressu re weak
The aid rendered by the well equipped
fire tugs has alone checked the flames on
several occasions from reducing to ashes
the warves, dwellings, stores and factories
along the shore. When the company has
completed its main the Fire Department
cannot excuse it's failure to eXtinguish
a blaze promptly by the lack of water.
The com pany has in position a duplex
Worthin gton pump that will send into
the mann moth mains 3100 gallons of water
q minute. This is its guaranteed capacity.
1t has a 29-inch steam cylinder, 1S-inch
water pl unge and an 18-inch stroke. Its
supply is ~inexhaustible, as it will be drawn
from the river. A pump house, asubstan-
tial brick structure, has been erected
north of the passenger depot and near tn
entrance to the Adams Express dock.
Under the p-assageway to the water Will
be laid a supply pipe eighteen inches in
diameter. To avoid clogging by a too
liberal draught of mud the company has
made arrangements to have the place
dredged to a depth which will secure
clear water. The pump will squeeze this
eighteen inch solid stream into the re-
cefving line, which will have a diameter
of sixteen inches. This main will be
gradually decreased in size, 1t will be
fourteen inches where it runs between the
main shed and the waiting 70 ON, it will
be reduced to twelve inches across EX-
change Place and will be laid through the
car shed adjoining Taylor's hotel, and
then along the street ends of the docks
1t will be a ten-inch main at Grand street
and taken to eight inches at the termin US
of the main at Sussex street.
EIGHT INCH STREAM.
The line running north will be similarly
constructed and at the Bay street ferry an
eight-inch stream will be drawn. Inc
company intends to build Immediately
the main to Sussex street, where the
danger to their own property is not so
great as that to the adjacent factories. as
their own tugs can reach all their DOCKS.
From the main pipes will be laid to cover
every point in the terry, train shed, wait
lDA lOOI1 AIN 1O1h1. - HtRO $3.50
on each side of the train shed u be
from six inches in diameter near the main
to tour inches at the mouth OF the shed.
On the three wharves south OF the ferry
the connecting line will be six inches in
diameter at the main to three inches at the
river end of the wharf. The pipe will be
of wrought iron. 1t has been made large
to prevent loss of pressure by friction.
Along the line will be twenty-one
hydrants or IRE plugs and ten hose valves;
At each will be 100 feet OF hose on a reel
and a play pipe or nozzle. AM adequate
idea of the enormous capacity of this
pump can be best obtained by the
guarantee of the Pump Company that the
pump can supply water for ten streams
with force enough to shoot over the top of
the train shed. This is better by
several than the entire fire department
of the city can jointly do.
AUTOMATIC FIRE SYSTEM.
No connections lave been made with
the tall office building as it is thought the
protection there is ample. At the top of
this building is a lank with a capacity OF
4,s00 gallons. This works automatically
and is always full. Two pipes from TINS
tank. one at the east and the other at the
west end. of the corridor and on each floor
connections are made with the pipe and a
roll of hose and a nozzle are ready for
service. Two chemicaliire extinguishers
are kept on every floor. The improve
ment was suggested by Fire Commission
err John Brennan. who is Chief Engineer
of the c%ompany's fire department. He will
daily inspect and test the pump n APP
paratus to see that all is in proper condl-
Jion should an emergency ARISE. Inc
plans for the work were prepared by NIL:
Gardner, assistant engineer, who Will
snperintend the construction. The COM
pany has received bids from the contract
ers. 1t is estimated that the improve
meut will cost over $4,000.