Daily Arizona silver belt., 1909-02-17
had with the pamping station at the

next nearest box.
 Of course, the high pressure water sys- tenn Is not used at every alarm, but should 1t be considered advisable to use this system the chief in charge of the fire goes to call box and tells the tel ephone operator at the pumping station what water pressure he desires. The operator informs the engineer in charge of the pumps through the medium of memorandum on which there has to be recorded the time the order was re- ceived and the time the pressure was changed.
 A test of this high pressure system was held recently on West street, New York. The firemen were able to throw powerful streams of water well above the thirteen story building of the Wes- tern Electric company Connections were then made with the standpipes within the building and streams of wator were shot high into the air from the roof. It was proposed to use these interior connections in fighting fires in '.skysscrapers" but unfortunately all buildings are not so we'll supplied as that of the Western Electric company in having stand.pipes with strength and dimensions sufficient to withstand the pressure of the water.
 \. A more serious test was held few days later when fire broke out in a seven-story structure on Franklin street in what is known as the danger zone. It was caused by explosions and in a few minutes it was well under way. An entire block of warehouses and busi- ness houses were threatened. As soon as the district chief arrived he sounded a second alarm. On either side of the inferno of flame were wholesale whisky concerns with barrels of spirits stored on each of seven floors. As soon as Fire Chief Crocker arrived he saw that the situation wac desperate. Already the flames licked their way up to the roof. Ordinarily 1.-two hines" would have been sounded. That means gen eral alarm. Fortunately it is seldom that New York has found that neces- sary. It calls for all the apparatus in the lower half of Manhattan and when 1t occurs it is spoken of with awe in the newspapers for days afterwards.
 But in this case fifteen lines of hose sent into the cataclysm of fire 7,20O gallons of water every minute. Later the pressure was raised to 5000 gallons minute or over 5oo.o0o gallons an hour. The engines that had rushed to the scene stood by throbbing as if in anger. They lost their jobs. After short time and while the fire was at its height they were sent home with the exception of two which performed the humble service of pumping water out of adjacent cellars. Meanwhile the high pressure system was making short work of the flames. It was not even necessary for the fire men to enter the burning building. When the walls leaned and seemed ready to fall outward powerful streams sent them into the interiorof the fire. The adjoining buildings were practically unscathed.
 Chief Croker of the New York Fire department says of the high pressure system: Tt is a success. It has been severely tested, and it has proved for itself what it can do. am certain we could handle six fve-aiarm fires within the district covered by the high pres sure system, while hitherto we would have had hard time with two.
 This high pressure fire service has been proposed for several American and CaOadiap c;tias