Norwich bulletin., 1910-08-26
Chief Stanton On Norwich Cisterns Honored by Being Asked Read Paper Before Inter-
 national Association of Fire Chiefs at Syracuse.

1 Before the International Association 1 of Fire en gineers in session at Syra- | cuse. Chief Howard l.. Stantion of this | city on Thursday was ,hOnOred by be- 1 ing one of the chiefs selected to read l a paper, and the topic which he was l given was The Value of Fire Cisterns As Norwich is one of a few cisties paper is of much local interest The paper was as follows:
 The topic assigned me under the title of the Value of Fire Cisterns to water under pressure, also should cities having a system of fire cisterns allow them to be abandoned? This subject will probably not inter est Chiefs and others present from larger cities, but to those from cities of 100 900 population and under and to those cities that date their corporate existence back to the days of bucket tubs, and the advent of fire hose and suction hand engines, this subject will be more apt to appeal and interest. In presenting this paper to the conven- tfon l can only give my experience in my own city where there has been q system of fire cisterns for upwards of 75 years. Neither is this paper intend ed to be historical for it is safe to pre- Sune that nearly all old cities and towns have had the same experience
 My city has had something for fire protection since 1769 when it's first bucket machine was built by local me chanics. and is still in existence stored away at headquarters as a relic.
 Soon after the introduction of suc- tion engines throughout the country, about 1922 to 1925. it was apparent that some other method than going to rivers and ponds must be provided to supply suction hand engines then com ing into general use, In 1S46 my city appropriated sufficient money to build
 
 terms were all built or intended to be 8 feet deep and 10 feet in diameter. bricked up and connected with supply pipes varying from 3-S inch to 2 inch and filled after each fire or when empty by the parties owning small water systems in different sections Of the city.
 The mouth of the cisterns at grade was about 30 inches in diameter, hay ing cast iron covers. As already sta ted these cisterns were dug feet deep and 10 feet inN diameter to where they began to taper toward the mouth av- eraging 30 inches at the top, and would hold about 4S00 gallons. Although some on account of change of grade in streets were rebuilt so that they are 12 feet deep and will hold about 7500 gallons. These cisterns are located at intersections of streets and in public squares and some are located on hills in residence sections.
 
 system in 1870, which. by the way, is a gravity system with a pressure in the business district of 80 to 95 lbs. the public were so elated with the hy- drant streams with small nozzles that the fire cisterns were generally for gotten and the Mayor recommended selling the engines.
 Grade of streets are often changed in hill towns and the establishing of sewers and the laying of condults is T-ac 1zii To .fl.4T nf many fire cisterns that are worth all they cost to maintain if they are not used once in ten years.
 The abandonment of cisterns in many cities has been brought about stiff argument by the Chiefs of de- partments to retain them. Some of the reasons why they are abandoned are, if the cistern has been built in a narrow street previous to the introduce ton of large water mains. and there is rock to be taken out to lay new pipe the inclination is to get through easily and go through the cistern, in many cases making it unfit for suc- tionS.
 The same applies to new sewers and the laying of condults for wires Also by trolley companies placing rails over them At the present time the space beneath narrow streets is so taken up with water pipes, sewers, gas main, conduits, and in my city with com pressed air pipes that 1t is very hard work to retain cisterns for fire pur- poses.
 No doubt there are many present who have had a like experience trying to hold the old cisterns for emergencies that are bound to come to every city.
 If new cisterns were to be built they would probably be built on different lines, of cement concrete with waste pipes into sewers, where the depth of sewer would allow them to be drained also with overflow pipes; but these old cisterns built years ago were without drain pipes and answered the purpose