Evening journal., 1907-02-09
WHY INSURANCE
RATES ARE HIGH
tconunued From First rase,
Water DEPARTMENT

filtration Of the entire water supply
and the installation of a system which.
with future extensions. will furnish a
daily supply up to 400O00OO gallons.
These plans include another $4,000, 900
gallon reservoir similar and adjacent
20 the one under construction, slow
sand filters. and a 100000 gtllon clear
water basin. elevation 262. Upon COM
pletion OF these filter works the clear
water basin viii furnish a gravity sup
ply to the high service and to the Cool
Spring reservoir under a pressure about
10 pounds lower than that to be OBJ
tanned from the Weldin farm reservoir,
shortly to be put in operation. Plans
are also under consideration for event-
uany supplying all Of the high ana
low services by gravity from the clear
water basin. abandoning the Cool
Spring pumping station and installing
an electric pump which will be supplied
by gravity from the clear water basin
ford standpipe.
IL Is also planned to utilize the Cool
Spring reservoir as a supply for manu-
featuring purposes only. This reser-
voir could then be supplied by raw
water pumped from the Brandywine
creek by the City MIL station, and a
separate system OF distributing mains
would be laid from the reservoir to
the manufacturing districts
The report says the Brandywine
creek furnishes sufficient supply
through raceway for present needs. but
only with fun control Of riparian
rights viii ample supply be guaranteed
for the future.
The Underwriters suggest that as
IA eadvantaees. from a fire protection
standpoint Of supplying the combined
low and high services dire ett'y from
the Weldin farm plant are so obvious
that no other plan will be considered
Ia the recommendations Of the report
Not only will the supply to weak parts
of the low service be much improved
but the distribution system Of the COM
bined services can be perfected al
much less expenTe than is possible Il
each service is considered by Itself
The proposed clear water basin wiz
furnish supply at from 65 to 95 pounc,
pressure in the congested value dis
trict. with q maximum Of about 10l
pounds in the lowest parts Of the city
These pressures will allow streams, di-
rect from hydrants. to be used In som,
parts OF the city. and are sufficient fol
the operation Of automatic sprinkler'
/ In any buildings I'm the mercantile oi
manufacturing sections. The expert.
ence OF considerable number Of cities
has shown that the change to thes,
higher nressures can be accomplished
with little inconvenience OF damage e
street mains or services; pressure
regulators can be installed at Sigh
expense on those services when trou.
BILE with lead plumbing is anticipated.
The plan of furnishing water 70
manufacturing purposes from Coo
Spring reservoir IS a good one, am
this scheme would result in a iarg
reduction OF the pumpage to the high
er reservoir. Reliance for fire protec
ton IN manufacturing sections should
however. he placed upon the supply a
higher pressures.
The Fire Department
The II engines in the department in
clude three new modern engines AM
seven others that have been rebuilt o
extensively repaired during the las
eight years. the remaining engine ha
been fourteen years in service. Onl.
two engines are Of inefficient type, on
> being a rotary and the other a singl
pump piston engine None Of the en-
gines have rubber tires and only tw
have compound suction cages.
Ten OF the engines I'm service .wer
tested i'm November. 1906 by engineer
OF the National Board. Engines ].
and II gave excellent results. averagin
ll02.7 per cent. Of their rated capacity
while the other z engines average
only 761 per cent. of their rated capac
ity An eccentric rod on engine
broke at the first test, due to an oil
flaw: after repairs the engine was re
tested with slightly better results
Engine 2 showed excessive slip in bot
engine and pump. Engine 5 Shove
excessive slip and heated bearing
Engine 10 gave poor results due priu
cipally to loose feed pump and han
relief valve and inexperience OF cre'
with this type OF engine. At a sec
ond test this engine failed again, du
to poor stoking
Department Discipline Lacking
The discipline Of the Fire Depart
ment is lacking its place being take
by an intense loyalty to the individu'
company and Jealousy Of all others
this is accentuated at election tim
when the combination Of 7 compani,
against S still further divides the a.
partment The chief has only nomin
authority and hesitates to assert hin
self for fear or offending some con
pany. No fines are assessed for mol
attendance at fires. There is litt
control over the paid members an
practically none over the volunteer
Companies are frequently absent fro
the city 10 attend parades, etc.
The running card IS poorly arrange
and in several instances for FIR
ALARMS companies at a distance n
spond instead Of others nearby.
A third alarm calls out the enti
department. The chief and the tv
assistant chiefs respond TO all alarm
Extra apparatus may be called
telephone. The comapny notified r.
sponds 10 verbal or telephone alarm
All companies hitch at all alarms an
II not responding stand hitched for
minutes or until the recall is sounde
At only one company are records Ike
Of attendance at each fire; this vari
from 2 TO "a. with an average OF 6; b
few OF the members are present at q
beginning OF the fire. Several cor
, panies hire extra horses when ira
cling IS bad I'm winter. Grades are nj
merous and steep throughout the cit
many companies having heavy grad
) TO ascend in approaching the congest
value district.
should BE Paid Department