Norwich bulletin., 1915-11-25
CITY NEED BETTER
 BUILDING REGULATIONS
As One Means of Fire Protsetien-
 Also Larger Water Mains-opinion : of Engineer Rowland of National
 Board of Underwriters.


 Some action will have to be taken if Norwich is to be properly protected from fire hazards to meet the require ments of the National Board of Fire Underwriters, according to the report of J. H. Rowland, engineer of the committee on fire prevention of the National Board of Fire Underwriters of New York. MT. Rowland was in Norwich Tuesday and Wednesday to see what had been done regarding the recommendations made by the board in respect to the improvement of fire hazards here. In 1911 a corps of en- gineers representing the National
 Board of Fire Underwriters visited Norwich and as a result of their visit many recommendations were made. A year and a half ago MT. Rowland was in Norwich to see what had been done in regard to the matter and found
 that little had resulted from the rec
 concentrations made. His inspection this week has shown him that there is on Mayor Murphy, Caspar K. Bailey, chairman of the fire committee, and the heads of the various city depart
 ments, to discuss the situation and urge prompt action.
 Regarding the local situation MT.
 Rowland said that one of the prime essentials is tEe adoption of a proper code of building laws. The constrHc-
 ton conditions in the city are bad and regulations respecting fire haz- ards in the city in general are careless. As an instance of this carelessness MT. Rowland said: What was formerly a city building at the corner of Bath
 street and Broadway is now a four story building. I found walls only eight inches thick and joists so small that if a SarinlrG fira hrnl<n E-a- rious results would probably follow. At several garages and dry cleaning establishments found no proper reg
 ulations to keep conditions there safe.
 should only occupy f1reproof build ings. I understand that more than one half the fire loss for the calendar year was caused by gasolene and other fire hazards.
 Boxes in the Greeneville district are half a mile apart. which means a se- rious delay in sending in an alarm for fire and means also a delay in the locating of the fire by the department
 Fire hydrants also are far apart. rem
 dering conditions hazardous in case of ! a large fire by not permitting the lay ! ing of enough hose of the right length to fight the fire with.
 The Water street district, which in- cludes property of the highest value 1 in the city, is poorly protected, as it
  ago a 12 inch main was recommended and should be installed immediately, | if proper protection is to be given that district. I do not hesitate to say tremely serious results would follow. New factory buildings are being con- structed along Chestnut street and 1 there is only a four inch pipe there. Norwich has been extremely fortu- nate in many respects regarding fire Il Tha hA rff ha ! not suffered from that cause is not because of adequate fire fighting fa- | cilities. but because there have not ! been any fires of large size. Norwich
 ties to cope with large fire.
 MT. Rowland recommends a motor | driven car for Chief Stanton. It is l very necessary that the head of the | department be in a position to get | first at fire in order to map out his
 plan of action and to direct opera
 tions from the beginning. MT. Rowland | said we have a chief who is on his | toes all the time and who has been successful in keeping what fires we have had within reasonable bounds.
 but he is hampered by having at his | which in these times is archaic in Ha-
 ture, to say the least.
 l MT. Rowland has urged the heads | of the city to get together in an earn | est effort to better conditions. Chief Stanton said that since the
 recommendation of the board four years ago the department has ceased l to lay mains of the four inch type, nothing less than six inch mains being laid when new work is done. A new | motor driven combination wagon is l expected shortly, but these are really 1 the only Improvements that have been | made in the opinion of Engineer How
 land and he says great many more | are necessary.
 MT. Rowland left Norwich wednes- | day afternoon and expects to be in l Kansas City Monday. He will in- l spect conditions in Missouri and in the meantime will report to the national
 board on the Norwich situation.