The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-04-02
OUR WAFER SUPPLY.

est terms. & n XII 81. L II y. n
NJ 2 81 .s4=....--=-=-.=
OUR WATER SUPPLY.
11,e question. IL Ialchmond's water sap-
ply available for extinguishlng fres7 has
been tetpenel BY a letter from Mr.. r,
M, Grlswold, of the Home insurance
Company. wf,,rh has been published n
the Richmond News ana the Insurance
Press Of New York, ard Mr., q. n Boil
iins'g reply, IL Will DO recalled that MIR.
Griswuld has before held d lengthy and
somewhat heated controversy with the
Water Department In Richmond on tire
question OF Binadeduacy Of the water sup-
ply and the methods which were being
used ~ the superintendent for relieving
this itadeulacy wherever II was shown
10 exist. There ID no doubt In our opin-
LOT, that u or 10 months ago the mains IN
the oongested districts were Insufficient
to supply nll the engines that might have
been necessary 1t, the event Of general
oonnagration At that time the pipes
supplying the fire 41ydrnnts were three
and four inches In diameter. These pipes:
except In a few instances, were them
selves connected with or and 1a-1nch
mains. 1t might, therefore, have been
said that the water supplying the FIRE
MIGRANTS iii those districts ali came
through 8 and finch pipes, but this
would Inevitably have left the nearer
Under an erroneous II not false con.
cluson, for except In the few instances
above alluded to the s.inch pipes which
supplied tho MIGRANTS were fed from d
G or 12-inch main, and, therefore, the,
hydrnnt, 80 long as only one fire engine
was placed upon II, which We understand
was the usual practice was supplied
with all the water that the engine could
have Used. But even where the pipes sup
plying the hydrants were not themselves
connected opposite each hydrant with q
or 12-lnch main, parallel pipe, varying
from - to 1s inches was connected with
the B-inch pipe oppobHe each corner
where MIGRANTS were located. In order
to make this clearer, we Will give D
concrete Illustration: Thore. Is running
down Cary Street, for example, at present
a big main, which Is 1e:inches IN diameter
for part OF the distance, and for the rest
IL inches. Parallel to this IS a e-lnch
main for a part Of the way, and d 3-inch
main for the rest OF the way. This smaller
main is the one which supplies the fire
MIGRANTS In most Instances. but tho small
main Is connected with tho large main
opposite each hydrant, and therefore, in
order for IN engine not to got enough
water 1t must not,only exhaust the 5-inch
pipe, which connects 5itSWithfthe hydrant,
but exhaust I, entirely the Ii 10 or 10
inoh pipes. This parallel Tor duplicate, ays-
TEN Is In use on Broad and Main Streets
also, and IS giving general satisfaction.
nj It Is not the part Of The Times Dis
patch to be a ,t1ick and thin advocate
Of the city government. It There Is any
lack of intelligence or honesty In the nd
ministration, It VIII always be the duty
OF The limos Dispatch, when such mat
tiers are brought to is attention, to speak
OF tho.1 fairly and sfoarlessly, but for the
good name OF our Eforathe presorva-
tlon Of our property and for the obtaining
OF those insurance rates to which we are
Justly entitled as result OF our water
supply and methods OF lighting fire. we
must protest against any suoh article as
that which Mr.. Griswold has written. W
do not believe that It fairly treats with
the conditions as they actually exist. nor
does It furnish o fair basis to those who
are interested in the water supply tor
determining whether the same supply Ia
up to the standard or not In View OF the
recent improvements, Our own belief is
that the city Is being kept abreast Of
other cities In this most important mat nat
ter. and we say so more readily as We
hive not always been Of this opinion