The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-02-08

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Superintendent II. f. Ferber. of the
bureau of fire. in statement made
last night to a Tribune man, charac-
terized as absurd and unworthy of SER
ious consideration the statements
which are understood to have come
from some of the local fire insurance
men, to the effect that the water sup
ply of this city is inadequate for the
purposes of fighting fire and that the
mains are of insufficient size.
A local newspaper published a story
to the effect that the alleged insuffi-
cient size of the water mains and the
alleged lowness of the water pressure
is what is really causing the insurance
companies to keep the pink slip on all
policies issued. Inquiry revealed the
fact that this story emanated from a
member Of the local board of under
writer's.
~ prominent member of the same
board, who refused to allow his nome
to be used. when asked yesterday If the
fire underwriters have real objection
to the size of the water mains and to
the water pressure. said:
"a committee from the middle de-
partmcnt board, which adjusts the
rates for this city. has been investi-
eating local conditions during the past
few weeks and among other things
looked into was the size of the water
mains and the average water pres
sure"
COULD NOT ANSWER.
WAS there any comment on this
matter or did the committee express
themselves as being dissatisfied with
conditions in this respect?" asked the
reporter.
I'm not at liberty to reply to that
question:, was the reply, but you
know yourself that you can't expect
to fight a big fire with several engines
sucking water from a six-inch main,
such as we have on many of our
streets. 1t don't take much horse.
sense to realize, that. This committee
will report back to the middle depart
ment board and a permanent adjust
ment of fire insurance rates for Scran-
ton will soon be made. The rate
adopted will be the lowest which will
insure any profit to the insurance
companies. Whether it will be high or
low cannot now be said.
"The people of this city should un-
derstand that the conditions arising
out Of the street car strike which have
prevailed in this city during the last
few months have given Scranton a
very bad name in the eyes of the fire
insurance men who control local rates.
The impression has gone forth that
Scranton is a sort of semi-Hades and
that all kinds of revolution and anar-
chy lurk in the air. This impression
has had no little effect on the fire in-
surance question, I'll be bound"
The fire Insurance man above quoted
desired to have the public understand
and thoroughly that the city has had
dealings only with the middle depart
ment board of underwriters and not
with the local board, and that if there
has been any wrong done, no local in
surance man can be blamed
WHAT FERBER SAID.
Superintendent Ferber, when seen
last night, smiled broadly when asked
if it was true that the water mains
are too small and the water pressure
too low.
why, the idea is laughable," said
he. Its positively absurd. There
isn't city in the United States that
has a higher water pressure or a
greater supply of water for fighting
fires I don't make this statement Off
hand, but speak from knowledge of
the facts.
There's no man in Scranton knows
more about the water pressure or the
size of the water mains than myself,
except the employees of the Scranton
Gas and Water company. The under
writer's claim that the central city
mains are of insufficient size. I'll tell
YOU what I'll do. There's a ten-inch
main on Lackawanna avenue. I'll at
tach every one OF the six steamers in
the department TO that main and I'll
guarantee to the board of underwriters
that I'll work them all to their fullest
capacity and throw a stream from each
of sufficient size for any fire,
ITS q matter of calculable fact that
IL all the water in the Lackawanna
avenue main We're allowed to flow
steadily into cistern, all the steamers
in this city couldn't pump it dry.
There's a twenty-four inch main on
Washington avenue and I'll agree TO
throw two streams from that main
over the Mear's building. I'll agree to
put as many steamers as they want on
Wyoming or Penn avenues and I'll
guarantee TO get all the water needed
to fight any fire.
PRESSURE is HIGH.
81 want to tell you that there are
very few cities in which 1t is possible
to fight a fire with hydrant pressure,
as we continually do III this city.
There's only been one fire since I've
been chief at which we've used steamer
pressure ard that was a breaker fire.
There isn't a fire in New York city
that's ever fought without steamer
pressure. 1t couldn't be done. that's
why. How large main DO you sup
pose they've got on the Bowery, in
the heart OF great cOngested district? +?
a four-inch main. What do you think
of that?
people that like to talk and who
think they know it all point to the big
Lackawanna avenue fire, which hap
pened year ago today. by the way,
and say that that proved that the water
supply in the central city is INSULT
cient, People who say that don't
know what they're taiking about
They're not in possession of the facts.
The real reasons for the lack of
water at the Lackawanna avenue fire
are that the steamers We're in deplor-
able condition, having been allowed
to 80 to ruin, and that too many lines
We're attached to each. The packing
in the Nay Aug steamer was worn
away, so that instead of a pressure