The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-01
WITH A WALL OF WATER.
NEW PLAN OF STOPPING FIRES AT
THE STEAMSHIP WARVES.

The Apparatus Successfully Tested
in the Presence of Prominent In
surnnce Men-The Experiment Re-
gnrded with Great Interest as IL
Means "A Great Deal in the Way of
subdfviding the Immense Risk on
the Wharves and Can BE Put Into
Use to Improve Similar Risks Else
where.
The practicability Of subdividing the
fire risk at the Ocean Steamship Com
pany's wharves by means OF water walls.
was thoroughly demonstrated yesterday
morning. The apparatus, mention OF the
erection of which was made in last Fri
days Morning News, worked very sue
cessfully, though means of improving the
apparatus were at once apparent AS
previously described, the present appara-
tus consists of 800 feet Of graduated pipe
telescope style. placed on poles twenty
five feet above the ground, with sprinklers
attached at intervals of eight feet. The
test was made yesterday morning, be-
ginning at IL o'clock, in the presence of a
number of local and visiting insurance
men and others interested.
The first trials were disappointing. by
perintendent Lotion, through an unfortu-
nate misunderstanding, not having been
reminded of the tests. But when Mr.
Lotion was found, and gave the necessary
orders to the pumping station, the regular
nre pressure was Immediately applied to
the mains, and the great utility of the APP
paratuS was at once patent to all the on
lockers. The general verdict of those pres
ent was that while the plant is suscepti-
bic OF improvements suggested by yester-
days experience, the practicability Of the
plan was established beyond question
The piping. as ii exists now, was de-
scribed in the Morning News of last Fri
day. The improvements proposed com
prehend the use of large pipe of uniform
size, fed at each end of each section, and
supplied with sprinkler heads six feet
apart instead of eight feet, as at present.
1t is believed that with these changes
which do not depart materially from the
original scheme, the vast area of the
Ocean Steamship Company's wharves can
with any one of which the Savannah fire
department can deal readily.
The credit of this substantial reform is
due primarily to Mr.. G. VI. Benjamin,
chief inspector for Mr. Clarence Knowles
OF Atlanta. Mr.. Knowles has, for sew
eral years, been interested in the fire in
surance of the Central railway system
and he intrusted TO Mr.. BENJAMIN the
| problem of subdividing the Ocean Steam
snip Companys WharVeS into sections
which would admit of easy handling in
the event of fire. Mr.. Benjamin. after a
careful survey of the field fixed upon the
idea which was tested yesterday In its
rough and initial stage, it was submitted
TO several of the most expert Warrants
engineers in the United States and IL met
with their cordial approval AS the work
progressed, notifications of obvious merit
We're made, until the. system which was
| tried so successfully yesterday morn
ing resulted. If the opinion of experience
cd Underwriters counts for anything, the
| test yesterday shows that Mr.. BENJAMIN.
plan can be safely relied upon TO convert
the huge docks of the Ocean Steamship
Company from one great hazard into many
oil -
lumber and naval stores yards open court
warehouses;, and other large risks which
| are now subject 10 one fire. In the es-
| adjustment of this plant Messrs. Knowles
| and Benjamin have been assisted by Mr.
| Charles F. Prendergast of Savannah who
| represents Mr.. Knowles Savannah ter
| minal interests in the Central railway in
| Surance.
The test excited great interest among
| fre underwriters throughout the SOUTH
and many of them visited Savannah ex-
| pressly TO witness the experiment. Among
| those present were: Thomas Egleston,
| general agent Of the Hartford and presi-
| dent OF the Southeastern Tariff Associa-
! ton; Clarence Knowles, manager Of the
| Pennsylvania and Delaware; j. s. Raine
special agent of the Phoenix of Hartford;
J. =. EzeH special agent of the Spring.
! field; John D. Young, special agent of the
Royal; W. l.. Reynolds, special agent of
| the German American; E. s. Wilson sec
| rotary of the Macon, and manager of the
| freman's fund.- Charles E. Dox. special
agent of the Norwich Union; Milton OAR
| San, manager OF the Lancashire, b. III.
! Abrams, special agent of the Liverpool
| and London and Globe; Daniel B. Harris
| special agent of the Insurance Company of
| North America; c. NJ. Benjamin, chief in
| spector for Mr.. Clarence Knowles of At
| lanta; President Conner and Agent Treze-
want of the Central OF Georgia Railway
| Company; Messrs. w. L. Wilson, Charles
| F. Prendergast, w. Z. Grady R. J. Da-
| want, Jr., J. F. Wheaton, Godin Guerard.
and Robert NJ Hull.
The value of this experiment can be I'M
| derstood when the immensely of the risk
| at the Ocean Steamship Company's
! Wharves is unders TODD. Instead of being
| subdivided, as most risks of this kind are
| the risk Is all included in one. the entire
/ wharf and adjoining yards being exposed
| to fire from any portion of ii. A general
| confagration there would lay millions of
| dollars worth of property in ashes. On ac-
| count of the immense value of the proper
ty involved fire underwriters approach
| the risk with caution and it has been found
| impossible to get all the insurance de-
4 sired. All the large companies on this
| side of the water are interested in the
| risk, as well as several on the other side
| If the result of yesterdays experiment pro-
| Vides a practical means of subdividing the
| WharveS and cutting off by means of
| walls of water the burning section in case
| of a fire, it will have solved vexed prob
| lem for the insurance men and make IL
| possible TO secure insurance for property
stored on the wharves in greater amount
and at q lass rofa