The San Francisco call., 1906-10-07
SALT WATER FIRE
SYSTEM URGED.
Merchants Association Is
Spurring Supervisors to
Have One Without Delay
CISTERNS NECESSARY

communication from the Mer
chants Association urging the install
lation OF an auxiliary high-pressurs
salt water system for fire protection in
the business district of San Francisco
and the construction of underground
cisterns throughout the business and
residential districts was received by
the Board of Supervisors yesterday, to-
gether with the recommendation that
steps be taken as provided in the city
charter to issue bonds for the purpose.
The communication TO the Supervisors
among other things says:
The disaster OF April 1s. when hun
dreds of millions OF dollars of property
in San Francisco was destroyed by fire
through lack of water, has shown the
necessity of adopting here the course
pursued in other large cities and in
Stalling as soon as possible an auKili-
AIRY water system for fire protection
that viii render us independent of the
citN's ordinary water supply.
The cost or such an auxiliary sys-
TEN is mere trifie when compared
with its value in the protection OF
property and in allaying the fears OF
capital, which now hesitates in the re-
building or San Francisco because the
best fire protection is not furnished and
because Of the rigil rates OF insurance
With an ineNhaUstible supply OF wa
ter on three sides OF the city it seems
the height OF folly not to avail our
selves of ii for the best FIRE protection
SYSTEM Used ELSEWHERE.
The experience OF such cities as have
utilized their water fronts for high
pressure auxiliary fire protection sys-
TEN has been uniformly successful, and
both New York and Boston now use
salt water for this purpose. New York
since the San Francisco fire has ap-
propFiated s5.000,000 to extend its aux
iliary system. After studying the eS
perience Of other cities. together with
the special conditions confronting us
here. we believe that the best system
for san Francisco in the downtown dis
trict is the high pressure pumping sys-
TEN Is recommended by the sub-com-
mittee on water supply and fire protec-
tion of the committee on the recon
struction of San Francisco, supplement-
ed by reasonable number of under
ground cisterns holding from $4,000 to
100, ,090 gallons each. as proposed by the
chief OF the Fire Department This
would give three independent sources
OF supply and would make it almost
impossible for the city again to be
without water in case OF q eonfiagra-
tion.
reasonable distance OF the water front
We recommend the high pressure pump
ing system IN preference to system
or auxiliary reservoirs. although for
some other more distant business sec
tions. such a Fillmore street and the
business streets 10 the Mission. auXili-
ary unit reservoir systems may be de-
s!rable ,andNit may be found advisable
to install such additional systems later.
INITIAL WORK OUTLINED.
The communication says that It is
I impracticsbIe to install at once a high
pressure system over all the business
district and recommends that an in
itisl system be constructed in the
downtown section. covering Market
street as far as Sixth street and the
areas north and south OF it where the
big office buildings. hotels, boarding
houses and wholesale and retail firms
were formerly established and where
the majority OF them win doubtless be,
located in the future This district
embraces q little over thousand acres.
The association in its Communication
outlines two other districts, described
4 as No 1 and No. 2. The former covers
( the more sputherly business section
and the latter the Van Ness avenue re-
! tail section and the adjacent apart
ment and boarding houses. Tt sug-
gests that the question OF issuing of
bonds for the systems for the three
districts be submitted to the voters
as separate proposals. Regarding the
underground cisterns, the report says:
We also recommend that plans and
estimates of cost be secured for in
staliins a system OF underground cis-
terms. as recommended by the chief of
the Fire Department, at locations TO be
designated by him, and that the propo-
sition OF Issuing bonds for the sum Of
$500, 600 for the construction of such a
system be submitted to the people as
a separate proposition at the same time
that the propositions for a. high pres
sure system are submitted.
The communication to the Supervis-
ors is signed by Frank ]. Symmes, pres
,ident of the association, and i. NJ
King, secretary.