Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-05-15
WATER PRESSURE
NOW INADEQUATE
Unless Prompt Steps Are Taken,
Richmond Must Face Higher
Insurance Rates.
BULLETIN OF UNDERWRITERS
Recommend Immediate Employ
ment Of Expert Water Works
Consulting Engineer.
BULLETIN OF UNDERWRITERS

Quate fire alarm service. Richmond will
he confronted with the disagrecablc
reality OF increased fire insura nee rates
This is made plain in a bulletin tbs.
issued by the committee on fire pravGn-
ton Of the National Board OF Fire
Underwriters
Among other things. the committee
advocates the immediate employment
of an expert water works consulting
engineer To solve the problem cf re-
arranging the high and low pressure
services and to provide for supply
mains Of adequate capacity.
The report follows:
SPECIAL nEPoRT on
RICHMOND. VIRGINIA
New York. May Ii 1917.
To Members of the National Board OF
Fire Underwriters:
In view Of the urgent necessity of
rcmcdying particularly weak fcatures
in the tire-fghtine facilities. TO which
attention has been repeatedly called
in our report of June. 1918. and the
subsequent bulletin that was issued.
this city was again visited by En-
gincer j. II. Rowland. February 90 to
2s. 1917. for the purpose of noting re-
cent or contemplated improvements
and OF advocating further tho carry
ing out OF such OF the more important
as had not been COM
piled with.
Except for the increased supply to
South Richmond. the principal features
contributing to tho inadequacy OF the
system Of water supply remain un-
The moro important improvements
n do
qucnt TO the bulletin OF July. 1914. in
clud": The laying of short section
of new thrtyinch middle service
supply main from tho New Reservoir
to the intersection Of Beverly and
Monument Streets; tho replacing OF
short section of tho low service supply
main, thereby making it twcnty-inch
throughout the entire length between
Marshall reservoir and Seventh Street;
a short twenty-four and sixtcen-inch
extension laid northerly from the high
service supply main at Stuart Avenue
and Boulevard; the extension of ten
and twelvc-inch secondary feeders TO
re-enforcc the minor distribution. prin-
cipally in scattered outlying districts:
and the installation during 1915 and
1916 of i6a additional hydrants. cxclu-.
sive Of seventeen renewals. The
Ee'oTuS lnulcdtc lnat inc obsolete anu
very unsatisfactory practice OF setting
hydrants on four-inch branch connec-
tions is being continued. thir,y-eight
out Of the above IN entioned total OF
lS6 being so connected up.
CONDITIONS
At RECENT FIRES
That the long delayed question Of
an expert water works con-
Il inc
OF resrranging the services and
the distribution system
is OF paramount Importance. is con
affirmed from a brief study
of the results obtained at recent large
fires.
Al the Crenshaw warehouse fire in
October. 1915. there were twelve en-
GneS at work. and the Fire Chief re-
ports that with but one stream to each
engine. five of the streams were very
weak, and the company reports indicate
that at least three Of the engines were
seriously handicapped because Of an
insufficient supply of water. The
charts from recording gage at Ninth
and Cary Streets show that within
forty-fivc minutes after the first alarm
came in for this fire. The pressure had
dropped from iifty-o TO eighteen
pounds.
From II 10 Il:45 p. ". the night OF
the Imperial Coffee Company fire on
December 2l. 1916, the pressure of this
same gage dropped from forty-nine to
twenty-six pounds. with but one stream
in use from each of seven engines
AT the fire in tho Chesapeake and
Ohio building in February. 1917. CON
ditions were not as bad. as hydrants
AZ.
were used with II reduction of pres
sure OF only ten and twelve pounds,
which occurred on Main street near
Mayo on tho morning Of February IS,
1917: each OF the eight engines at work
was supplying only one line of hose.
which in the aggregate were discharg-
ing less than 5000 gallons per minute,
or approximately so per cent of the
combined capacity Of the engines. En-
ginc No. :: was operating under Il
hydrant gage pressure of minus eight
pounds. and Engine No. Q. on opening
the steam throttle. :tartcd TO run away
from the water.
SHOWS SERIOUSLY
INADEQUATE PRESSURE
These results on the whole further
emphasize the immediate necessity Of |
rom edying the seriously inadequate
supply to the low service. which ser
vice furnishes the protection TO much |
the greater portion of The congcsted |
value district.
The fire force in the Fire Depart
ment has been further increased to a |
total of 2l0, though the time off each |
month has been increased from four
10 five days: three new engine com
panics and one hose company have |
been established in recently annexed |
territory. and a lot with $1,000 towards |
the building, has been provided for "A
pew fire station at Kensington Avenue |
and Cleveland Street. Automobile |
pump and wagons. two OF
which also have chemical tanks, have |
been provided for Engine Companies
s, II, 10 and II. automobile combina-
ton hose wagons for Engine Companies
Continued on Second page,)