New-York tribune., 1907-10-06
HIGH PRESSURE
WATER MYSTERY
NOT TO FLUSH STREETS
HITTER ALL.
Biz -Addition Planned Before Prac-
fical Test Can BE Made by
.Sheptical FTemen.

Manhattan,s new and costly high pressure
water system is nearing completion but There
promises to he a serious delay in bringing If
5nro effective use as a means of preventino NO
fir in the most dangerous fire area of tba
city
The trouble is friction between the Depart-
maut of Water supply Gas and Electricity
which is constructing the new system. and the
Fire Department. which VIII haze to use il when
il is completed The extent of this friction is
lnlCated lE the following conversation had by
a Tribune reporter with Fire Chief Croker last
week.
IN what way VIII the high pressure system
be operated" the chief was asked
u don't know any more about it officially than
you de- probably not half as much" was the
quick response.
r." months time. when il VIII be completed
verture5 the reporter.
Yes. Of course. But the fact is no one in
this department has been consulted. Why. we
don't even know officially upon what streets the
mains are laid We don't know the size OF
them. We haven't been advised of the loca-
ton of the Eyorants Our engineers haven't
seen the pumping machinery. don't know
whether il has been Installed YET. or when it
viii be"
But the public win expect
"oh, yes: know the public VIII expect a good
deal" broke in Chief Croker. but the fact IS
that this department knows nothing whatever
about the high pressure system it IS expected
10 take over and operate after the first of the
new year That's all I've got 10 say about the
And that was all that Chief Croker could be
induced say though il was evident that he
was a good deal worked up and could have said
great deal more II he had been SO disposed.
AT L0GGERHEADS.
Lat the refusal Of the chief to talk did not
close up all avenues for obtaining information.
Among the other officials il was learned that
the two departments have been at Ioggerheads
ever since The hign pressure scheme was first
uo0ted. The trouble began. il Is asserted, when
Chief Croker opposed The location of the pump
ing stations He pointed out that in order 70
get the hest results the main pumping plant
should Ue al the Battery, so that water could he
forced north through the mains as nearly as
possible in d straight line. This, he cOntended,
would have done away with much loss of press
ure through friction that will take place with
the pumping machinery situated it now is
upon either side OF the district served. Since
that time the Fire Department has been COM
pejey ignored, it is asserted, by those in po-
In answer to one request for information made
hy Chief Croker he received a copy of the an
uual report Of the Department Of Water Supply
Gas and Electricity, with the statement of CHIEF
Engineer DeNarona about the high pressure
system therein contained carefully marked.
After that there were no more official coHlmu-
nieations except on one occasion, when the en-.
gileer in charge OF construction wrote 10 Chief
Croker stating that q number Of bronze caps
had been stolen of the new MIGRANTS. ana ASK
1Hg If the Fire Department had any objection
10 their being replaced with iron ones. The
reply was that II didn't make any dlfterence
to the Fire Department what kind Of caps were
used.
All this would be amusing if il were not for
the serious aspect Of the case. The city has
already paid out the greater part of an apprO-
priation Of S3.950400 for installing the first sec
ton of high pressure system that the public
was led to believe would prevent any more big
fires taking place in the worst fire area in the
city Yet the department which is expected TO
put this system into operation openly expresses
doubt that IT viii accomplish what is expected
~ IT, The enormous loss Of pressure through
friction ii IS asserted. has not been taken into
account Even if the expected pressure Of 250
pounds 10 the square inch does result at the hy
drants the size and strength of the stream will
depend the length Of hose used. All this, the
fTe department asserts, has not been taken into
account. Besides. when the system is COM
pleted, the department viii be asked to put into
operation an intricate auxiliary to the city,s fire
protection service, the capabilities of which it
has never had an opportunity Of studying at
FIRST hand.
ITS PURPOSE IS GOOD.
The new high pressure system is designed TO
efford additional fire protection to the district
from Chambers street north to Twenty-third
street, between the North River on the one side.
and the Bowery and Third avenue, on the other.
Specially constructed mains capable OF with
standing heavy pressure Of water nave been
la6 under practically all the streets in this dis
trct New hydrants have been installed and
two large pumping stations being erected,
one close TO the waterfront on the West Side, be-
and the other close to the waterfront, on the
East Side, below Chambers street. in South
street. Huge pumps driven by electricity, Will
force water from the city water mains through
this system Of pipes, that when a big fire
IS threatened anywhere in the district a press
ure Of 250 pounds TO the square inch can be had
at any number Of hydrants in the vicinity of
the fire
OF course this part Of the city has now the
ordinary water service that can be used for fire
purposes, but the new system Is going 70 be
something different, and, it is asserted enor-
fhously more effective. When a fire starts now,
and the brigade turns out, the hose wagons are
usually the first 10 arrive on the scene. 1t only
arrivals 10 couple UP a line of hose to the near
est hydrant. That is the time good, strong
Sreafn Of water is most wanted, before the fire
Aas time 10 make any serious headway.
But what generally happens2 Instead of a
strong stream that will lift itself in some guam
story window. where the fire be seen lick
ing up everything before il with lightning
pdity, out Of the 1A-inch nozzle in the hands
o the frernen there comes miserably weak
SSqIlrt that does not reach in many cases
illgher than the first story. BY this time the
Ldeaers arrive and the firen1en carr their mis-
.ttapie squirt tube OF a hose up the ladders to
ne point where the fire is. Even then II isn't
-.4ueh use, for the stream has neither enough
Strength quantity. Then along comes the
lie engines. They coune up To hydrants and
supply force 10 the streams II is then. and
"hiy then. that the real fire fighting begins in
a building Of any size height. But by this
Che the fire has usually got pretty firm hold
suit
TO ABOLISH DELAY.
The purpose Of the new high pressure system
Is TO do away with all this delay at the begin
ming OF FIRE. By means of a special telephone