The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-05-07
WATER SUPPLY INADEQUATE.
Letter of Inspector Griswold on This
important Subject.

important Subject.
The petition Of the property-owners and
merchants on the south side Of East Cary,
Twelfth and Fourteenth Streets and the
canal, urging the Council to make bet
ter provision for fire protection. is ac-
companied by letter from Mr.. F. Nj.
Griswold general inspector of the Home
Insurance Company, who has spent some
time looking into the matter Mr.. Girls
void writes:
In this connection with .-.ls petition
the letter of General Inspector Girls
void, of New York. dated April is, 1902,
in which he sets forth his conclusions
as to the needs of this territory. is Of
especial interest and value. The fol-
lowing is Mr.. Griswold's letter in full:
I desire to call your serious attention
to the lack Of sufficient water supply for
fire purposes within the district Of this
city included between Cary, Thirteenth.
and Virginia Streets and the canal. and
to advise YOU that unless some 1mme-
date provision is made Tor the better
this section TO the same limit as would
be approved in city. with no fire prot &c,
situation within the district named is
causing me much uneasness of mind
Having gone over the ground with much
company with the chief Of the. fire de-
partment l deem it an fmposstbllity to
prevent spreading confagraton should
the Kanawha warehouse once be we'll on
fire, during the summer season, or should
the Shockoe warehouse be on fire in the.
winter season, as the. records OF the
prevailing winds to be north or northwest
during the greater portion OF the Year
with change to the south or southwest
during the three months of summer
weather, and in case OF fire IN eltner
of these buildings or in those exposing
same, it would prove a very .h dlf ecu AZ II
partment to handle fire in such man
ner that it would not spread widely under
untoward conditions of wind and weather.
In this vicinity which can be depended
upon for an emergency.
I desire to place on record the TACT that
recently a personal test Of the MIGRANTS
at the corner of Shockoe Lane and at
Canal Street. on Thirteenth Street, was
made IN your presence and that +, neither timer
test was of such value as to serve fire
engine and also to recall to your mind
the reported condition that the fire de-
hydrants. never attempt to use them in
case of fire: it being a fact that when
wall warehouse burned. the water taken
by the department was secured from such
remote points as Fourteenth, Thirteenth.
and Virginia and Cary Streets. thus ne
cessitating long leads of hose and much
reduction in force and pressure of water
at the fire.
1t may also be we'll 10 Te1nl!lu you lli1lt
at the same test of hydrants. the one
single connection hydrant at the front of
behring's. on Virginia Street, would be
rom the ne at any point north Of it.
as would be the case in event of fire
in this locality. and in any event, would
serve to deliver but one ineffective stream
through the engine which might there
be located.
The conditions in this section impress
me as being very serious from a fire
cto md a
something over two millions of dollars OF
value under the precarious protection of
ter supply. and l. therefore. submit to
YOU a rough sketch Of the water mains
in the vicinity. as shown by the maps OF
the Water Department. and also have
deineated in red ink suggestions for the
| betterment Of the conditions having two
propositions II, mind. Of which the choice
| and the one which Will most surely serve
| the purpose is as follows:
| Extend the eignt-lncn main now laid be-
! tween Cary ana Canal Streets TO juno
| ton with the four-inch line at BYRD ana
| Twelfth Streets, thence to be carried east-
Nardly and south OF the canal TO Nlrg!nla
! Street, not less than six inches IN diane
| ter, and north on Virginia to Cary, there
| to be tapped into the large main on that
street, thus completing a circuit permit
ting free, supply OF water without
| Replace the supposed four-inch main
now in Thirteenth Street by one OF six
| inches. and carry same to connection with
! the suggested Six-inch south Of the canal;
carry a siX-inch, spur from same pipe
down Shockoe Slip to replace present
AS a compromise which presents some
betterment Of present conditions of poor
water supply In this district, it might
Of value pps e.
Street from the corner of Twelfth to
Thirteenth, and there tap into the sin
twelve-inch on Cary Street to the north
| line of the Wortendyke Manufa cturinS
Companys plant thence eastwardly uEc
der same and through the driveway :, Of Of
| the Kanawha warehouse to Junction with
| the suggested sx-inch on Virginia Street,
complying the circuit by T. tying 1g+ in at
| isfactory solution of the problem
In any case there should be constructed
a cistern or basin for fire engine suction
the western curb line of Thirteenth Street.
opposite Wortendyke',s factory, as shown
the sketch plan he1fw H as gh, tins IS
fire department can secure open wafer
| for service in case of fire in or near the
! Kanawha stOrehouse.
| suction connection should be provided at
the points indicated in red Ink. and the
sdton n
nection. Each hydrant should be directly
| connected with the largest pipe in the
| street and be so located as to make the
suction connection set at right angles
| to the street line.
1 consider this matter Of such prime
Importance that I am now almost con-
WINGED that the only safe course for me
| blowers, is to cancel off all lines in the
district named south of the direct front
on Cary Street. the possibility Of fire
suit of same is past conjecture.
Disclaiming any intention to, pose as
an alarnist. I can assure you that never
SO large an aggregation of value exposed
to loss by fire with SO little protection as
is the case in the section under considera-
/ ton. and T. therefore. desire to impress
! upon YOU the fact that something must
speedily be done in the hetterment of
the water supply in this vicinity If the
! holding liability therein.
l AL,J,,.+:a,