The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-08-08
BOILING n REPLIES
TO THE INSPECTOR
Clearly States and Defends city's
Water Supply System.
MR.. eRlsWolD's CHARGES
Richmond Has Done and is Doing Much
to Improve Its Fire-Fighting Fa>
cili:ies-Statement of Loss
es for Several Years.

In the Insurance Press paper pub
lishcd in New York, there recently ap-
pearcd an attack upon Richmond and Its
facilities for iire-tightinG, which was gwen
a most prominent position and the most
sensational and exaggerated headlines.
Superintendent c. +. Boiling, OF the City
Water Department, has written letter
TO the Insurance Press IL reply and re-
futatioa Of the charges made.
The following is Mr. Bolling's letter in
full: 90,
Richmond, Va, July 80. 1902.
Editor Insurance Press:
Shiny attention has been called to
highly sensational article In your paper
OF July 10th by correspondent VINO Signs
himself F. NJ. Grswold. general inspector
of the Home Insurance Company, IN
which he portrays Richmond, Va, as be-
ing in most deplorable condition as to
its fire risk and fire protection, due main
~ to a very insufficient and inadequate
water service. As this communication
IS followed both by local and editorial
comment in your columns. deem 1t my
duty as citizen and officer in charga
OF the water department TO make certain
corrections in his statement as to the
water supply for fire protection, which
is full of errors and shows on the part
of the writer either a desire to exagger-
ate and misrepreSent or the grossest ig-
norance and misunderstanding of our
works and system Of distribution; and
while the writer Of tho article proceeds
to criticise our syasIn sizes of mains.
etc. etc. from tie position of a hydraulic
expert I prefer to ascribe his mistakes
in this article to the fact that he in no
sense comes under this head, as he him
self announced to our Committee on Wa
ter whom he recently addressed in person
ABSURD AND INCORRECT.
] will state that in the main his &C
count of the sizes Of our mains Is gen,
orally correct which can be readily COPIED
from our annual reports, but that ms de-
scr;ntion of The supply and distribution
ia both absurd and incorrect 10 give
n clear understanding of the distribution
Aere would entail an article 100 loiis loi
,our columns and for 1t to De Pefiec.is
plain would have to have attached d i,iap'
showing the elevations in the Guy Miiicn
are widely varying, the 'ailoN 81
,,,nuIying the districts and class OF ouiio-
,nes. etc In order to give some uiiuel
standing of Tho situation ! will. as brlehs
as possible. describe IT.
we have two water power Puinl'ite
lions about two miles apart, 'ahiiie
ter from two separate race-"dss "
,,als The lower one has a capacl's u
.s,an and n half million gallons per Gay,
.ntI can be used for pumping INFO eitiiei
on both reservoirs. The upper station mas
= c,nac,ty of twelve million gallons, anc
car be used to supply either or po,li ieo
o,yoirs. IS an auxiliary, there ls a
arorthingtun steam pump, capacity OH
t1fllion gallons per day. inns PUMP -
r.r.ly used, but is kept in good order.
1,bcrc are two reservoirs. The lower one,
pi,- feet above mean low tide has a ca
racity Of ten million gallons. Inc upper
one. PA feet above mean low TIDE mas a
capacity OF forty-five million gallons. inc
latter so connected as to supply the lower
ono when necessary. Leading from the
lnwer reservoir are three mains. ~
f,Ich and two Pinch, merging into ~
inch about 150, feet from the reservoir
Also a separate 24-inch main. which can
be used when required. From the upper
reservoir there are two separate mains, a
24-inch and 3O-incf.. These mains are all
interchangeable by means of connections
and valves, though used for separate ser
vice.
THREE DISTRIBUTIONS.
Our distribution is divided into three
separate planes. a high, low and inter
mediate all interchangeable. THIS is done
on account Of widely different attitudes OF
the CITY. The lower reservoir supplies the
manufacturing and wholesale section of
the city, where the consumption averages
two and half million gallons per day,
easily augmented at any time by the open
ing Of one valve on the intermediate ser
vice The intermediate service is supplied
by a 24-inch main, capable OF delivering
at Its entrance on this service 1o,45s, 900
gallons per day. The consumption from
this main is about one snd a half million
gallons per day. The high service is sup
piled by q 30-inch main. delivering in the
western portion OF the city, reducing to
2Inch. from which there are various
cross feeders of 10, IL and 16-inch mains.
The capacity Of the S0-inch main is 1885,
coo gallons per day, the consumption from
It seven millions per day.
Summing up. II Will be seen our daily
pumping capacity is Is 1-2 million gallons,
storage capacity OF reservoirs IS millions.
and capacity of mains, for daily delivery.
N,9G4.000 gallons. The average daily con-
sumption Is eleven millions. The capacity
of the fire engines at fire will average
2s7eo gallons per minute. Along our bust
ness and principal residential streets.
where the mains are not sufficiently
large, We have FOR years pursued the
plan Of laying larger pipes parallel to
them. and connecting at each intersectng
street. This year will spend $4,000 for
this purpose. and are rapidly putting in
extensions that will in a few years have
every section Of our city safely guarded.
The total area of the city is S IL square
miles: of this 25-lO0 square miles Is in the
bed Of the river and 42-10l square miles
in newly added section where there are
only about nfty houses. Inc remaining
4SS square miles is we'll built up. We
have GOO fire hydrants or an equivalent of
12 hydrants per square mile in this sec
ton. Our squares or blocks average about
300 feet in length.
HYDRANT CONNECTIONS.
i. is not the practice in this city to lay
and 4-inch mains for fire service, and
connections for fire MIGRANTS are made to
the smaller mains only when the distance
is Very short from large main and the
pressure sufficient to yield the requisite
quantity of water.
The James river water is muddy and
mud will accumulate in the small mains
and pipes. unless frequently flushed out
through waste valves and hydrants
which has been done for many years. and
more frequently than suggested by your
correspondent
The losses by fire. taken from the re-
port OF the board of fire department from
1880 to 1900. amounted to 81 ,3S3243.25. The