Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-11-19
Object Lesson of saturdays Fire.
WATER PRESSURE INSUFFICIENT 10
SAVE A ONE. STORY HOUSE.
Editor Democrat

Editor Democrat.
II any of our citizens had any doubt
as to whether we need more protection
from fire than we now have, they would
have been convinced if they had been at
the fire in our village Saturday morning.
There was abundant proof that ought to
satisfy the most skeptical, that the pres
sent protection that we have, would be
of very little use to us, in case of a
serious fire.
| If we cannot save the smallest house
in the village from burning on perfect
ly still morning. without breath of
wind, what would we do if the largest
building got afire with gale of wind
blowing? If we cannot kill mouse,
what would we do if we should meet q
bear?
| Within very few minutes after the
alarm was given, looked at a gage that
gives the pressure on our water mains,
and the paessure stood at 63 pounds.
This was before the water was turned
on, evidently, for this soon went down to
fifty pounds.
At the time the water was first turned
on it was not possible to throw water
over the ridge-pole of one-story house,
and it was difficult to get near enough to
throw water on to the roof After few
moments the pressure was little better
and the fire was kept from the next
house, but the small building in which
| the fire caught was in ruins.
The last two fires that we have had in
our village have been so situated that
they have been confined TO one building
only, both being on the outer edge of the
village, in one case the wind blowing
from the village, and in this last case,
with no wind at all. When we have a
fire in the centre of the village with the
wind blowing in the direction of other
houses, we shall have conflagration that
will not soon be forgotten, for it will
sweep everything before it, and we shall
be nearly helpless as far as our hydrant
system is concerned.
1t is true that we had a long length of
hose to run through which took off the
pressure, but these are the conditions
that we have to meet, and we should
have some service that would be ade-
quate under all conditions. With
hydrant rentals at s42 so each, we can
not afford to have hydrant in every
dooryard and shall have to depend on
long lines of hose liz some cases, as was
the case this time.
This house that burned was as small,
il not the smallest house in the village,
and if the pressure that we have in our
mains was anything near what we should
have, there should have been no difficulty
in getting water on to the building so as
to put the fire out in a very few minutes,
if not to save the building with little
damage. II the building had been a
two-story building instead of one story,
it would have been Impossible to have
put water entirely over the roof.
While this fire and loss is to be greatly
regretted and we all have the greatest
sympathy for the people that have been
burned out of their homes, it may be
that the fire, with the practical object
lesson that it has given us, will be of
some use to this village. When the
corporation voted to buy and establish
reservoir for supply of their own they
did not start day too soon. We do not
know where the fire will strike next or
when it will strike, but it is not likely
that it will continue to strike at times
and places so favorable for being ex-
tinguished as the last two have been,
and if we do not have another fire before
we get our own water supply we shall be
extremely fortunate.
OUR OWN WATER SUPPLY.
The corporation are to be congratulat-
ed on the supply that we have started,
that we trust will soon materialize into
one of the best systems of water works
that can be imagined. We have found
that there is an abundance of water in a
spot most favorable for our needs. The
work is progressing well, and is nearly
done. 1t would be pleasing to the water
committee to have every voter in the
corporation go to see this reservoir and
be convinced of it's merits. When we
get water from this point, through the
system that has been planned, it will
make no difference whether the building
has one story or six the water will go
clear over the roof and we shall not
have to take stones to break the glass
with, so we can get the water inside the
building. GEO. r. MORTON.