New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-02-18
NEW LAW REQUIRING sPRINKLERs
Rogers, Peet G Co. Send Letter to Mayor on
Means of Fire Protection

Rogers. Pee; & Co.. yesterday sent TO Mayor
Mcclellan the following letter. suggesting means
Of protecting the business houses OF the lower part
OF he city against ares.
To His Honor the Mayer. New-York city
Dcai Slr: The merchants * New York are de-
lighted al the Inauguration by yen OF "A scheme FOR
,lr, 10 ~ "a. Mas'i sGpIts 20 hTe purposes
niH-strauon 20 vital 20 It's interests.
be rsi[en nm vim tPa s.sa' S' stteI
Gratu.ate you on having taken the initiative with
out waiting i0r the slow moving commercial bodies
70 present this matter.
Permit Us TO oner The following suggestions:
me- M ,s,-!v %a.eL s1tp,y Is DsgH p!osiae1
interests IN our business district ia the iudiIer-
ence OF property owners ana tenants Of business
W. JUS 20 'He proper H!otccUon against nFo
WITHIN their own premises Modern ingenuity has
oetSed an altof-auc hre department which al
PlIo~lt merchants install as a measure Of self
protecuou-we refer 20 The automatic gpTuklyrs
more. been equipped with automatic sprinklers the
Are IN their premises woulc either have been
ment could have put II out. Why should moi our
b.lidIng laws require the owner OF every ware
with automatic sprlnklCrs a measure Of safety
to the OF The communily7
We would go further aud require that within
certain boundaries. such az the crowded business
side as well as inside sprinklers, that is a sys-
ten OF open CRY pipes projecting through tho
Ealls VIA sprinkler head over each window,
through which curtain OF water could be kept
fire Ths could be accompIiSheC fbTSusr 1 ne
Ia the premises. or through connection with the
water supply were under saiheient pressure. so
tEat the mere turning OF q valve would tho
outside spTinklers.
An Illustration Of this system was furnished in
the recent Baltimore IRE. The 8Tm OF C'Nei.i d Co
OF tlt city, had such sprinklers az one end
OF their building fronting a narrow alley. Their
building the flank OF the great ire and as ID
approached from that direction their syfiu klers
put in operation and .tyea NOT r-ly thafr
building but others which protected by their ware
house. were shielded nom the force OF the flames
Their sptinkers were connected directly with the
street mains, and the tact that the water pressure
sufficient keep them IN operation Indicates
that there was no lack CT water supply IN Balti-
more
This question OF outside sprinklers has been OF
great Interest to because OF 70 so pro-
tect the building occupy al Broadway and Thir-
teefth-st We have obtained estimates and would
aCd these sprnkers but Tor the fact that the Fire
from the FIRE mains for their supply but we would
have rely upon the storage Of sufficient water to
operate these pipes In case Of need and that you
can readily see. Is expensive nud dlfhcuIf
matter because Of the large storage capacity re-
CURED This embarrassment would. therefore. be
Immediately relieved hv the carrying out OF your
proposed plan especially we're the city to provide
pumping stations and keep high pressure on the
mains 80 that the outside suFsnkers could be util-
ized simply by opening valve.
II every warehouse below Twenty thtrd-st. were
equipped with both inside and outside sprinltlers
ana an ample water supply provided. the work Of
our Fire Department would he minimiZed. because
q IRE could scarcely get under Roadway In the
building who're II started, aud q would Sc almost
Impossible for 81 70 spread adjoining Buildings
the windows - which protested nv these o4t-
s-ee snrinkers with their large flow Of wate-
The passage OF such a law suggest would
be no hardship 70 either owner occupant OF
business premises. because the cost Of n would ba
refunded In a few years through the reduced Gre
insurance premium on building and contents, while
calcula BE. Respect fully POGERS. PEET & CO
New-York City. Feb. IT, 1904