The Washington times., 1901-10-24
AFFAIRS OF THE DISTRICT.
A Special Water Service for the
Business Section.
A Plan 20 Increase the Efficiency of
the Fire Dcpartment-The Cost to
BE Included in This Years Esti-
mates-The Use of Il Cemetery.

An informal conversation took place a
few weeks ago betw zen the Chief En-
gineer of the Fire Department and the
Engineer Commissioner relative to the es-
tablishment of special water service to
be used In case Of fire in the business
section of the city. In this conversation
the general advantages of such a service
were gone over between the two officials
Chief Dutton expressed the opinion that
such an arrangement would add very
much to the efficiency of his department
He took the ground that the cost OF es-
tablishing the mains and the necessary
connections and hydrants would be in the
nature OF a permanent addition to the
Fire Department, and would take the
place of a very large amount expended in
en.Ines and truck wagons.
AS a result of this conference, an in
vestigation was made as to the possibili-
ty of establishing such service. and of
Its cost plan for the service has been
worked out by w. A. Mcfarland. Super
intenient of the Water Department BY
this plan 1t is proposed to connect a sep
arate set of mains in the business sec
tion, with the Reno reservoir, in Tenley
town. whereby much greater pressure will
be developed than in the pipes of the
present system. Mr. Mcfarland has sub
mitted a report on the subject as fol-
lows:
Il have the honor to submit for your
consideration the following project for
the installation of separate high-pres
sure fire service system for the city of
Washington:
''The project, In brief is to utilize the
water pressure from the Reno reservoir,
having a mean elevation of 415 feet above
tide level, by means of large trunk mains
extending to the principal business sec
tions of the city, and by special high pres
sure hydrants. properly spaced over such
territory as 1t might re desired to cover.
THE system is to be used for fire pro-
lection only. The general arrangement of
mains covers the principal business sec
ton of the Northwest. bounded by Sixth,
|, and Seventeenth Streets, and PennsyI-
vania Avenue. The system as planned,
however, is capable of subsequent extern
sion to any desired extent over territory
inside of the city limits. Such extension
would require only a further laying of
trunk and branch mains.
IF a 3S-inch trunk main be laid, an ef-
fective head of water of about 357 feet
will be obtained at hydrants on f Street,
for example, while 1000 gallons of water
per minute are flowing through the
mains. This amount of water is equiva-
lent to thirty strong fire streams through
1K-inch nozzles. The pressure on Penn
sylvania Avenue would be some twenty
feet greater.
"As examples OF what can be accom-
plished by these pressures reference is
made to the elaborate experiments Of John
r Freeman. For instance if two lines
of 21h-inch hose, each 400 feet long, We're
siamesed into one line near the play pipe
and a p4-inch smooth nozzle used at
street level, head of 357 feet al the
hydrant would project a stream of 456
gallons per minute to an extreme height
of $50 feet. or a good effective fire stream
to a height of 100 feet
IF a single line of 2l5-inch hose, 800
feet long, were carried to the top of a
20-foot building, the pressure would be
sufficient TO deliver at that height a
volume of 1s0 gallons per minute through
a Ih-inch smooth nozzle and throw it to
further height Of forty feet; or. If
needed, thirty such lines would deliver
each an equal amount.
Even if 1000 feet of hose were used,
there would be delivered a volume Of 23J
gallons of water per minute through a
lIs-inch smooth nozzle. With an increase
from thirty streams to forty, the effect
i've head would be reduced on f Street
to about S2S feet. still sufficient for an
excellent service.
THE estimated cost of this entire work,
covering main trunk lire, secondary trunk
lines and service mains sixteen inches In
diameter and 200 special three-nozzle high
pressure fre hydrants is $4sG,23j
"One effect Of putting such a service as
this in successful operation would almost
be a reduction in Insurance
rates, as there can be no question that IL
would largely reduce the fire risk.
I'm this connection attention is invited
TO the experience of Providence, r. l.,
where, In October, 1897, a hieh-pressure
fire service was put in operation over d
part of the city. Previous to the installa-
tion of this high-pressurs service there
were pressures of from 30 to 10 pounds
per square inch tmuch better than those
now available in that part of Washington
under discussion)
An important point in favor of the sep
arate high-pressure service Is that II will
encourage the extensive Introduction of
automatic sprinklers; there are at pres
ent but few of these in use in this city
and those few are served by local pumps
: I'D roof taulS Ii the hIqh.nrecs,ra cor.