The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1911-01-20

aftmenf Zoo Weak to Con
Tcl Even Moderate Fire
Say Underwriters,

4
siioiFine & reqq iil Enetnbei
formation COZ rning Ire con-
tiille the water plisg ma Other
rae fehtir acilliiet d u hliirg, n
Feport hq Just been pm, shed BY ,titii
pinrnttte on IRE prevention of the
ipn iardo f Fire, Underwriters
md Just been receiYeli
lere sI'lie report Is based Is HfoF4
nation gathered by Charles n. BaFl
On gineer, who recently visited
Tor the. purpose,
~ giving an outline Of the water
works improvements and the progress
made il them, the Committee in It's re-
peft 1T thei following con.
eilsions
i ne improvement have been car
Red out essentially along the lines
Recommended BY the National Board
"a is former report The storage in
the city Will be less than called for at
that time but when the additional
boilers, pump, force main and cons
INJECTIONS at and near the tanks, the
glpr,lg works wiz be able 10 meet the
piresFenta at domestic consunip-
nm and NE low provided the old
pumps gre put in good conditt ion, and
ses Jpless setter maintenance
ef il,tpFnent Is secured in the future
than has been the case in the past,
circumstances may easily arise which
will call for the installation GILMORE
pumps on account OF the unreliabilIty
~ the old ones. The inlprb3e ments
being made to the distribution system
win materially strengthen 1t, but pros
tection to the wholesale district will
! atill be Insufficient. Tie filter plant
will improve the quality OF the water.
a system of metering services should
ne adopted. whereby all will be met
cred In I'VE years; this win without
doubt greatly reduce the consumption
and result In q material reduction in
cost of operation. suficient funds
should he provided for the construc-
ton Of y dam or dams for increasing
the storage.
The work of Improvement is be-
ing carried on with due regard to its
urgency, but some scheme should
eeTtutnly be devised whereby another
complete interruption of supply will
be avoided when suction piping con-
nectionseare changed; during the In
terruption of last month, the city was
entirely without fire protection, and
It's safety Should not be thus endan-
Rered again. even II 1t is necessary to
postpone making these connections
until after the completion OF the
storage tank and the coagulating and
clear water basins.''
Concerning the fire department, the
report says:
THE fire department, under the
command of Chief 3. w. WEIGH, and
under the supervision OF committee
otEtha council consisting OF three
members, consists of four permanent
men, two on duty during the day and
two at night, and fifty volunteers, paid
when ordered by the. chief to work.
d most satisfactory feature, as It is
liable to encourage incendiarism; at
the meeting Of the council January C,
bill for services rendered by volun-
teers failed Of approval"
Then follows a description OF the
IRE lighting equipment and the man
ner OF giving fire alarms by telephone,
with the following conclusion:
s,F'or a city containing such values
and with buildings Of the height and
area existing in both the retail and
wholesale districts, the almost total
lack OF a fire-lghting force and its
accessories cannot be siustifled upon
any grounds ofspast experience or OF
economy; 1t IS the duty of any city to
minimize the probability Of a sweep
4 ing confagration destroying its high
est values. and this can be done only
through the organization of a fire de-
pertinent commensurate with the im-
portauce Of the city and by providing
It with an adequate and reliable fire
alarm telegraph system and modern
and effective fire department equip
ment."
On the subject of confagration
hazard the committee gives the Local
ton and construction OF the principal
mercantile buildings and arrives at
the following conclusion:
Although the water supply is being
improved to state where satlsfac-
tory fire flow can be obtained, there
~ no FIRE. alanm telegraph system and
the fire department is too weak in
both men and equipment to control
even moderate fire; in both the re-
tailfand wholesale district, the prOba-
bility of group fires is very high, and
in the former district the entire cVea
as subject to one FIRE, owing tosnarr6w
streets and lack of fire breaks"
The committee then recommends in
fetaii q REORGANIZATION OF the fire de-
partment with the installation of more
apparatus, the installation of mod
ern IRE alarm system and the adop-
ton Of new building code regulating
struotarar mat rfsls and providing for
their proper fnspeetfons Owing to a