The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-11-18
PLAN TO PROTECT
contested AREA
Engineer Banks Will Prepare
Estimate for High Pressure
Water System.
BUILT BALTIMoRE'S PLANT
Tells Public Utilities Subcoln-
mittee OF Systems Eff
cheney and Cost.
BUILT BALTlMoRE's PLANT

Daniel Il. Banks. consulting cngi-
noer of tho Board OF Fro Commits
sioners of Baltimore. was requested
last night by the Public Utilities sub
committee investigating tho city's
water distribution system, to prepare
n tentative plan for the installation OF
Il high pressure system in Richmond
Mr.. Banks agreed to undertake the
task, and will present a rough draft
OF tho plan to the committee at it's
meeting on Thursday night.
Tho committee devoted two hours
to all examination OF data on the Bal
timore high pressure system brought
TO the meeting by AIr. Banks. and h..
Calvin Whitcley, formerly chief onei-
necr OF the Virginia Railway ana
ROVER Company. Both engineers are
from Baltimore. Mr. Banks designed
the Baltimore high pressure system
and was retained as consulting cngi-
necr BY the Baltimore Board OF Fire
Commissioners
Works Well In baltimore
The system in Baltimore is wholly
under the direction OF tho fire depart
inent and, according 10 Mr.. Banks, has
proved highly efficient. During its
iirst year of operation Baltimore
dropped to next to the las; place in
point OF proportionate fire loss The
end OF the second year il is predicted.
will lind Baltimore with the lowest
proportionatc fire loss among tho
ihrSe cities OF the country.
Mr.. Banks described in detail the
equipment. from the special power
plant which operates The pumps, 10
the pavement openings which admit
the hose connections. In the Baltimore
system the power plant has In a spc-
cial test generated a pressure OF 900
pounds. but pressure or not more
than 400 pounds is found most useful.
Patent appliances at the portable
iiydrants make it possible to reduce
the pressure at the nozzle to any de-
sired degree.
Saitimore's high pressure system
cost III round numbers Sl,0oo,0eo. The
principal items IN this amount were
about $4,000 for the central power
plant, and 100000 for about eleven
miles OF pipe. The remainder of the
100000 was consumed in tho pur-
chase OF special equipment ana tho
cost of engineering.
VIII Furnish Estimate.
Mi Banks agreed TO have ready BY
the next meeting of the committee
Il rough estimate OF the cost of high
pressure system for Richmond. which
would protect the downtown district
on Main Street the Broad Street re-
tail district, and the manufacturing
district in the northwest Without con
siderable preliminary investigation, lie
said, even an approximate estimate OF
the cost would be impossible.
Chairman Mills, OF the inNcstiga ting
COMMITTEES. estimated the cost OF a sys-
tenn for Richmond based on the one In
use I'm Baltimore. at approximately
q rit hu
not require more than three or four
miles OF pipe for the present and tho
power plant could be built on a moro
modest scale than Baltimorc's. Local
engineers who were present at the
meeting thought that water for the
system could be obtained without diff
hculty and in amy quantity from the
river below the Virginia Railway and
Power Company's power station
CHIEF Joynes Approves.
Chief Joyncs, Of the Fircs Denart-
mcnt, followed the description of Bal
tiinorc,s system closely. and gave il
as his opinion that system modelled
on the same lines would be desirable
for Richmond. The main objections
10 high pressure systems-thc din
Guilty Of controlling them. and their
danger 10 life and limb-appeared lie
thought 10 be better met by the Bal
t!more plan than by any other with
which he was familiar.
Chairman Mills directed tho clerk OF
the committee TO telegraph George w
Booth and j. ii. Rowland. engineers
of the National Board Of Fire Under
writer's. requesting them, If possible,
to come TO Richmond for the meeting
on Thursday night. Thcy notified Mr.
Mills on Friday last that they could
come the end OF this week. The COM
mittec will take up at the meeting
both the report OF Mr.. Banks and the
recommends ions of the underwriters
engineers.