Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-06-22
The Water Question Again.

Bernice Simpson.
Mary Abbott and Clyde Martin were
not absent for the term.
The Water Question Again.
Probably everyone in the village of
South Paris understands that the new
law that went into effect last year, re-
garding acts passed at the last session of
delay in our taking action in the settle
ment of the water question. But the
time will soon be at hand when this
question will have to be settled, and as
it is now less than month that we will
have to wait it is time that the people of
the village should be alive to the neces-
sity of action in this very important
matter.
wish to call your attention to few
of the reasons why this matter seems to
me to be of the utmost Importance, and
that it should be settled only by the
establishing of a satisfactory and COM
plete system of fire protection in this
village.
WE SHOULD HAVE MORE MIGRANTS.
We have now twenty-seven hydrants
in our village, widely separated in some
intances, and while we may have hose
enough to reach a long distance, we
should provide some better way for
fighting fire than stringing long line of
hose when 1t can be avoided. An ex-
ample of how the pressure is reduced by
running long lines of hose was seen
when the Stiles house was burned a
little more than a year ago. A line Of
hose was run from the largest water
main that we have, and on account of
the length of the hose and the lack of
pressure, it was barely possible to put
water on to the roof of one of the small
est houses in the village.
l should recommend having not less
than forty hydrants in our village, and
have them near enough together so that
we can get all the pressure possible
direct from the hydrant and not have to
reduce our pressure by running long
lines of hose.
The way to put out fire is to get
right up close to it and flood it with wa
ter, and not stand off at a long distance
and sprinkle it, 1t is cheaper to put in
cast iron water mains once in lifetime
than it is to buy rubber lined hose every
two or three years. The first cost of the
mains is not much larger than the cost
of the hose, and in the end 1t is much
less costly, besides the greater efficiency
of service that they will give US.
| Of course we have not been able to
have as many hydrants when we have to
pay for them every year, but with our
own system the first cost will be prac-
tically the whole cost. A common two
way hydrant can be installed for some
thing like fifty dollars, and We pay
$3.50 every year for every hydrant we
have. 1t is easy figuring to see which
is the more economical.
Houses are being built to-day in our
village where there is practically no fire
protection, and if we expect this village
to grow we should plan on some method
of properly protecting, not only our
village square, but all the outlying
streets.
The news of the fire in Presque Isle a
few days ago reminds us what would
happen II, as in that case, fire should
carry the burning brands for quarter
of mile in our village. 1t would mean
that wherever the fire caught bydrants
would be opened and the pressure re-
duced to almost nothing, the way it was
when Norway village burned flat fifteen
years ago.
THE GROWTH OF THE VILLAGE.
Probably it will be hard to find any.
where in this state, any village that en-
joys the continued and steady growth
that this village has for the last few
years. When you find village where /,
is almost impossible to get rent to live
in, and where houses are continually
being built, and where more houses
have been built during the last two
years of dull times than ever before, you
must know that there is good prospect
of large increase In the size and pros
perity of the village.
This growth is largely due to the fact
that there are two large manufacturing
establishments here that run through
hard times, as we'll as prosperous times
and that people are constantly coming
here to live with the expectation Of
steady employment. This has been sc
for good many years and there seem!
to be no reason why 1t should not con
tinue. These establishments are OF al
extra hazardous nature on account o.
their large size and the extent of theil
lumber yards, and if fire ever get
started and gets beyond control We shall
have a need for all the hydrants we Cal
get and a good force to our water sys
tenn. These two factories are vel
equipped to fight fire with their owl
system and perhaps might make {
strong fight, but the protection that thu
village system can give them is sadl!
. deficient. The Mason Manufacturing
Company has one good hydrant that i
paid for by the village that is within
reaching distance of the north end o
their factory, and fairly good servic
could be made from this hydrant. Th
Paris Manufacturing Company has fiv
hydrants of its own connected with TIT
present water system. There is no by
drant paid for by the village that coult
possibly throw any efficient fire stream
on the buildings of the Paris Manu-
featuring Company in case of hot fire
The nearest hydr0nt Is on High Street
several hundred feet from the neares
point of the factory, and ifa good ho
fire should get started 1t Is doubtful
men could get near enough to put an
water whatever on to the buildings.
mention these things, not to say tina
these establishments are without fir
protection, but to show that the villag
: is doing very little ineeed to protect tn
establishments that are the life of tn
village, and without which your rea
estate would 60 begging at fifty cents o
q dollar of its present value.
"The goose that lays the golden egg
Ought to be protected, and the villsg
should have these places amply pre-
vided with hydrants so that in case of
confagration the village system coul
give several good streams and the pr
!. vate pumps of these factories could Civ
). as many more. This should be- done I
the interest of every one, for all a
affected either directly or indirectly b
/. these factories.