The evening world., 1905-12-26
SCANT WATER
TO FIGHT FIRE,
SAYS CROKER
Chief Asserts Weak Pres
sure Responsible for
Half Million Blaze.
TROUBLE IS GENERAL
Department Handicapped, He
Declares, in Many Recent
Destructive Fires.
NOT SO, SAY OFFICIALS
Engineer Mckay Denies Charge, and
Says Trouble Lies with Croker'S
Men, Not His.
NOT SO, SAY OFFICIALS

The statement OF Chief Croker, OF the
Fire Department, that the blaze in
Wooster street last night, with a dam
age OF halt a million dollars was caused
by the want OF proper water pressure,
has stirred up considerable trouble
among the officials OF the Water De-
partment. These officials claim In effect
that the FIRE chief does not know what
he Is talking about, and that while he
may know all about fires he knows 1T
tie about the water system OF New
York.
Not only Is It the claim OF Chief
Croker that the blaze OF last night
would never have got away from them
but for the want OF water, but that
OF recent date there have been a num-
Der of fires which gathered Roadway
from the same cause. There was a
$4,000 loss in the plano factory, Nos,
ba to 53s West Fifty-eghth street. yes
terday morning. and oOe week ago as
much more on the Consolidated Gas
Companys plant at the foot Of West
Forty-uecond street. Only a short time
ago on the far east side, In Grand
strest, there was a five-alam nre,
Engines Sent Back.
For the want OF water, however many
AZ the engines that responded on tne
ntth alarm were sent back TO quarters
"Had the water pressure last night
EVAN bean normal" chief Croker SAID
~th. fire never would have got UP "
the sixth story. Under the favorable
conditions It should never have gone
bsyond the second hoor. We mad 10
ssnd in Ave alarms which brought
twsnty-six companies, when half
dozen ought to have been able to DO uAs
work.
"At the hydrants the pressure was 90
weak that Ire engines could not do
anything and In fact there were Ger
tain companies that came on the nftn
alarm ana could not get water at all.
One OF these days New York will wake
UP 10 a big connagration because OF
this"
When Chief Engineer John F.. Mckay,
Of the water Department, heard OF
Chief CroNer's statement he was lndig-
nant lie got down his maps showing
the water system OF the city and
pointed out the various mains in the
section whore the frs occurred last
night
Says Mains Are All Right.
''In Bleecker street, he said there 10 a
twelve-inch main, In Houston street a
similar one. In Wooster street a twen-
~ and a six-inch main. On South Fifth
avenue there are two thirty.inch mains
and one twelve-inch main. ON Greene
street there is a twenty and a twelve,
and this is In the immediate section OF
the fire.
There are double-nozEle hydrants all
over that section, one on the north side
and two on the south side OF South
Fifth avenue, several on Wooster and
Greene streets and all around there.
AS matter Of fact, the water was
never turned of, and It never is turned
of except In the case OF broken main,
There was no break yesterday and there
was plenty Of water 70 fght any fre.
"of course, II they put all their en-
Eines to work in one immediate locality
you cannot expect one or two mains to
give the desired pressure.
There was a complaint to this office
less than week ago about low pres.
sure opposite No % Wooster street
We sent there at Q o'clock In the after
noon and found h!rty-one pounds
pressure.
Always Plenty Of Water,
That does not look as II there was
not sufficient water there last evening.
As a matter OF fact there 10 always
plenty OF it-enough to fight any Are
that will ever start In this city. |
would like 10 know what time the en-.
gines got 70 work on chat blaze. Per-
hapt II might explain how It got such
headway,"
The fire last night Is nevertheless re-
ported to have been discovered prompt
ly as there Is an engine house almost
directly In front OF the building, and
the lieutenant Of the company frst gave
the alarm,
a Incidentally the Board OF Fire Under
WRITERS are going TO get busy, The loss
tflls upon the insurance companies, and