The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-01-12
Tests of the New Engine May
 be Made Today
CAUSE AND PREVENTION
Fire Expert Discusses the Subject Re. oarding Fires-Water Towers and Automatic Sprinklers-Most
 Fires Occur at Night.

 tions here and elsewhere. He said:
 we did very little in the way of test ing the workings of the fire department today
 "The new fire engine reached the city this afternoon, and we are going to test it tomorrow. At just what time the test will be made l cannot say now. We are going to test number of the engines all at the same time, and expect to learn pretty much the working value of the ap- paratus.
 "rhe new engine has not yet been un- loaded from the train, but this will be done in the morning. If it does not rain and other conditions are favorable, we will make the tests. There is no need of endangering the safety of the horses and engines. however, by holding these tests when the weather is unfavorable and the streets slippery.
 Conditions in Europe.
 lover in Europe the departments do not have so many time saving machines as we have here. The London hremen hitch the horses much after the fashion of farmer, leading them from the stalls and doing the work somewhat leisurely. Time is not such an important factor in their fights against fires, because the people of the old countries build against fires. Wood and other infammable stuff has very small part in the big buildings over there.
 T remember fire I saw once in Glas- gow. Over there the people call a dry goods store 'drapers shop The fire was in one of these places, which appear ed to be packed and damned with the most infammable of goods When I reach ed the scene, the flames burst out half way across the street. We'll the engines arrived, and in short time the fire- men had several small streams playing on the fire, which soon seemed to have burned itself out. l had felt certain the entire building was gone. After the fire was out, I examined the place and found the building was built with cement floors and ceilings and although the contents of the store were destroyed, there was no way for the fire to spread
 Federal Buildings.
 "Very seldom do we hear that one of the federal buildings in this country has been destroyed by fire. This Is principally because of the manner of construction. and the slow-burning material used In Europe all buildings are built along those lines. The great conhagrations In Euro pean countries have occurred In the warehouses along the water front, when great quantities of valuable stuff was consumed without the fire having to spread from one warehouse to another. The fire could not spread from one build ing to another under any circumstances in those countries'
 Chief Hale was asked what opinion he had formed from the examination or tests he had made relative to the wa ter supply.
 Water Supply
 'T have not actually tested the water supply" he replied, flor the real test is to have several engines on the one main. However, I have been around the city and have studied the location of the fire plugs. I want to say now that there is a very poor distribution of fire plugs in Birmingham, and not nearly enough of them to give adequate protection against fire.
 'ln the tests of the department, to learn whether or not time has been lost in answering calls, the firemen have made very good time indeed, and which com pares favorably with the time made in other cities.
 There Is no such thing as record so far as time is concerned in answering an alarm" he continued The squad of Kansas City fremen that went to London with me made A record of 11h seconds from the first tap of the bell. and that Is classed as the worlds tourney record in the New York Clipper annual. The feat made the Londoners open their eyes, but it must be remembered those men trained two years before they made the record. They were in their hunks when the bell tapped, arose. dressed, slid down. stairs. hitched and made the run. and had water in good stream to fight fire by the end of the time given"
 The conversation then changed to discussion of fire apparatus.
 First Class Risks.
 "The National Board of Underwriters does not class any city as a first class fire risk unless that city has a water tower" said MT. Hale. This does not mean that the presence of water tower in active service will put a city in the first class. but it does signify that cities having this apparatus have better pro- tectlon against big res and get some what lower rates.
 "These towers pour thousands of gal Ions of water into the upper stories of tall buildings every minute. and this water floods out tho lower floors while the , fire is kept from extending upward. Some of these towers, now in use in the north, are as high as ninety feet. Atlanta. Memphis, Louisville. New Orleans, and other cities in this section have wa ter towers in service, and Birmingham, with her tall buildings, should have one.
 Automatic Sprinkler.
 "The one thing more than any other which has reduced the fire risk and low cred the insurance rates however, is the automatic water sprinkler. This sys- tenn was originally devised by H. B. Grin nell many years ago, and is not pro- tected by patent. There are several firms now installing these systems all over