Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-12-08
FIRE CONDITIONS
IN WILMINGTON
National Board of Fire Under
writers Submits Report in
Recent Survey Here.

e ne committee on IRE prevention ana
engineering standards of tho National
Board of Fire Underwriters, having made
recent survey in Wilmington, has sub
mitted a report to tho board under date of
December 2. The committee comprises
Sheldon Catlin, chairman; George d.
Edwards, J. II. Packard. J. H. Bre,lster,
Ludlume, O. IT,. Schaeffer, G.. r Street,
Q. +, Lane and s. Y. Tuffon The report
follows:
To members of tho National Board of
Fire Underwriters:
In view of conditions brought oIt in our
report Of May, 1919, and the heavy fire
losses recently experienced. this city waa
visited by Engineer ]. II. Howland, No
vember IL and IS, 1910 for the purpose OF
noting any important improvements made
and studying the conditions met with in
the kresge fire of November II, 1910
WATER SUPPLY.
From the chief engineer of the Water
Department it was learned that provi-
sIOns had been made bv special budget for
the early installation OF the recommended
l2-Inch mains on Second and Fourth
streets and part of franklin etrret, and
that the 20-inch valve for Eleventh street
west of Market was in stock and would
DOUBTLESS be installed within thrne weeks.
The installation Of 12-inch croxa CON
Meeting mains in the vicinity of The Rod
neV street reservoir and the starting of
permanent system Of gate valve iuFpec-
tions is contemplated in the Bpring Of
1920. The recommended change IN the
pumping operations IN connection with
the extreme high service WAS p,'t into
effect last May. The pressure recording
gauges AT Eighth and Market streets have
been ont Of commission for several wrecks;
in case Of fires breaks in water mains or
large connections. Interruptions in supply
etc. IN or near the principal mercantile
district. the charts from these gauges be
come very valuable records and they
should bc regularly posted and filed
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
No import ant improvements have tccn
made in the firr department Chief
HvDdman reports that the Friendship
tractor drawn steamer which IS having =
new boiler installed has been out Of
service since last August, and that the
Washington engine has hcen undergoing
motor rpuairy for over two weeks The
Friendship combination hose wagon, ~
Gently smashed up IN responding to flre.
has been replaced with an ordinary com
mcrcial truck loaded with hose The chief
uas - start this week, : personal in
ypection Of all buildings in the mercantile
district
FIRE ALARM SYSTEM
In connection with the firc alarm svs-
ten. there have f<en recently installed
ninr additional successive boxes eight
public and one private With about two
miles Of single overhead circuit WIRING
and half mile of ten wlrp underground
cable The replacement Of all existing
non-standard boxes haS bccn rccomncn +
ca bv the superintendent The destroying
az punch register and timc-starnp records
Of alarms at headquarters should be dis
continued
FIRE PREVENTION.
The Fircmcn's Association has recently
requested Council 10 create . Bureau OF
Fire Prevention. which matter has hem
referred to d committee oF the whole for
consideration A member of Council i
advocating the passage of an ordinance,
providing for tho apnoirtmpnt of 2 pcrTna-
nent citv electrician ~ action has heen
taken with reference III -hc much needed
amendments to the building laws and the
adoption Of regulations governing ex-
ploslves and infammables and electric
wiring
A Citizens Committee on Fire Pro
lection and Prevention. made ~ q prrsl-
dents of civic organizations and clubs.
together with representatives d large
private interests, was recently organized
with a view to fIrtherJnC q movement
towards the early adoption Of standard
ordinances and regulations governing
the more essential features having 10 DO
with FIRE prevention and protection.
kresge Company fire. ell Market
street. November II, 1919 Fire orlgInat-
ing midway Of south alf-basenent ot the
Krrsga Cornpany's fve-and-ten-cent store,
was discovered by q police officer who.
attracted BY the crash ~ falling glass, and
running back. pulled box II at 32O =. m
W lille reliable records are almost entirely
lacking, it IS believed that 4 suthclent
amount of apparatus with 3 good COIN
plement Of men responded quickly and
was placed 70 the best advantage with
reference to the nearest FIRE hVdrants
a collision between the aerial Ladder truck
and a combination hose wagon directly IN
front Of the fire, resulted IN the hose
wagon bcing demolished, two men IN
Vued and considerable confusion ard
DELAY. There was very serious delay IN
in on the first floor from the reaT from
which location the fire with the aid Of
large stream appliances could have been
fought to good advantage
The building of origin was practically
total loss: a large number Of small open
ings caused bv falling Jolsts which ex-
tended clear through Z and Pinch party
walls Of very inferior construction, ls
responsible for d very heavy smoke and
water damage III the adjoining sprlnllered
risk occupied hy tho Crosby d Hill de
partment store Some water damage was
also sustained IN other nearby easements.
The fire was not discovered by the watch
man, who IS reported to have been seen
coming out Of the rear cellar door nearly
five minutes after the alarm had been
sounded lie doubtless passed the place
of origin on his way to the rear
The basement and first floor was con-
ersted with highly iu1ammable constritc-
ton and materials, and the building with
its side walls was Of very inferior con-
struction With the fire gaining headway,
as il did the basement was practically
but il is believed that a full
paid and efficiently trained fire depart
ment would have been able to confne the