The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-04-02
PROTECT
'F||:'.R|i0M"F:lRE
The System Employed Iii the
City Is Excellent. .55,i4
AN EXPLANATIONS GIVEN
The Article Of Mr.. Griswod Does Not
III # Co Far Enough 10 Put the ",
Matter II It's Proper w
Light. a \

4 Facts brought out in the controversy
between tho Richmond Water Department
and Mr.. T.. NJ Griswold. OF tho Homo
insurance Company, seem to show con-
oluslvey that this city. is not behind 9TH
5ers the matter OF fire protection.
B Mr.. Griswold has taken tho ground that
the winter supply OF Richmond Is entire.
~ Inadequate for the Fire Department
5tosuccessfully oopo with d contagration
In any thickly built-up section OF Rich
lmond. 5}SS s57 5$s "
The main allegation In the attack is
that many OF the fire plugs are connected
with pipes only three or four inches In
diameter. AZ u N SsiS X ~ tx
SSH NOT WuI OLE TRUTH.
B5 This statement was true, out Il did
not go far. enough to convey the whole
truth. Down Cary. Main and Broad
Streets run huge mains a portion OF
the way they are sixteen inches in d.
8ameter, and thereafter twelve inches.
From each hydrant runs short Pipe
three or four inches In diameter, connect
Ing directly with the large main. s ii a
%g It will thus DO soen that while nc Is q
fact that small pipes are connected with
the hydrants, yet for al practical pur-$
poses they have diroct access to tho large
mains, and lin case Of a fire tho supply
cannot fall until the big main Is exhaust
sed-something that co,'d not occur. n
Il Germane to this rtion5 OF tho subject
is the method employed here In case Of
fire. In some cities tlrr engines are not
needed. Tho source OF tho water sup
Eply8is so elevated that It Is only nee es-a
I sary to attach lines OF hose to the fire.
plugs, and gravity does the rest.
@ss PRESSURE ON MAINS.
$S In other. cities, Atlanta for Instance.
pressure Is put ION the mains BY huge
engines at the pump-h ouse. This isI re-
garded as dangerous, since there L. oil!
ways a chance that the mains may
burst. is55t # ( 81 t. b 5I 4 F ESss
e In this city the water IS sucked up
from the mains BY engines. as It runs
down a gentle declivity. II IA
BY reason OF the IVA rious levels az upon
which Richmond Is built. t u has several
sour ces of supply. Main and Cary Streets
Ennd Fulton receive their wa ter from the
+ Old Reservoir, while Broad Street and
Church Fill are supplied h by a the New
Reservoir Valves In the pipes in the.
city separate these supplies and regulate
them, In case OF a conf1agration in the
lower section OF the city It would be
only necessary to rem owe 4 q valve, and
the supply OF water from both reservoirs
would be at once avail BILE. ~ sss
The point has been ma DC that on the
occasion OF the Jefferson Hotel fire the
wat er Il u pply was not "a dequnte. Some
ton years ngo the Fire Department Sc
cured permission to use Tho wa ter wfen--s
ever necessary to flush out the e PIPES
known MS the dead ends Of the fire
plugs S This was not done In nll cases.
and In consequence some Of the plugs
became choked with mud and trash. This
was the case at$th Jefferson fire. y &
"a ~ STANDS VERY Hi H
Mr.. Charles d. Boil n g. IA 8 uperintend ent
of tho Richmond Water w rks.S stands
high as nm uthority on oil matters con-8
nected with HE profession, which is at
ties ted by the fact that he served q term
two years ago as president OF the Amer
lean Water W orks Associa Lion, q place
later filled BY Mr. H ill,3tof New York,
head Of the Aqueduct Commission.
Mr.. Boiling has Just replied to H the
structures Of Mr., Grlswold on RI ohmond's
system in vigorous letter. setting forth
his IA cts In comprehensive and clear
out manner. Flo docs not claim thnt
Richmond, 8 system is perfect, but each
year he Is judiciously expanding money
in bringing It nearer to that stnte, The
Finance Committee has been quite lbs
eraa OF late and the work is going yig-8
orously forward. by }