The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-07-25
IMPROVEMENTS GET
RATE REDUCTION
PRESENT EFFICIENCY OF MOSCOW
FORE DEPARTMENT BRINGS
ADVANTAGES

reduction in insurance rates on bust
ness property averaging ten per cent
When the city installed it's sirer
and a new fire engine committee
was appointed from the chamber OF
commerce to get in touch in con-
junction with the fire department
with the fire insurance underwriters
at Salt Lake City and get a reduc-
ton in insurance rates here if pos
.sible.
The committee began work and it
was not long before the city had been
placed on a new rating for fire in
surance in the business section
Messrs. R. S. Nuttall and Carmichael,
Representatives of the fire underwrit-
ers, surveyed the fire control means
OF the city and turned in reports which
were responsible for the cut in rates.
Although the survey and reports
were made in late June the rates are
retroactive and became in force on
June 1. Those persons who had al
ready paid up before the decision OF
the underwriters had been received
here were refunded
The improvements which made it
possible to get lower rating for the
business district of the city we're prin-
cipally the addition Of the new fire
engine, siren and the addition of the
new water tank in the northwest part
-Of the city, says Carl Smith, city fire
marshall.
These three things brought the eff
cheney of the fire department to such
"a level that when the survey asked for
by the committee from the chamber
of commerce was made the under
writers were very willing to make the
reduction of ten per cent.
The fact that the city mains can be
attached to the university reservoir, a
sixty thousand gallon tank erected
165 feet above ground level, was also
a potent factor in securing the re-
-ductions.
The report made to the underwrit-
.ers shows the water supply and fire
fighting equipment of the city to be:
Water Municipal owner
ship, direct and gravity pressure.
Water from wells 400 feet deep. One
Byron-Jackson centrifugal pump, z
inch suction and 5-inch discharge, ca,
pacity 600 gallons per minute, driven
by a 100-horsepower motor. One
Fairbanks-Morse centrifugal pump, A.
pacity 400 gallons per minute, driven
by 50-horse-power electric motor.
Both pumps take suction from the
above noted wells. On test over a
weir average discharge for two and
one half hours was $4,000 gallons per
minute.
The above pumps pump either into
a 307 ,000-gallon steel tank, elevated
88 feet above ground with 8-inch riser
well protected from freezing or di-
rectly into city mains. The above
tank is located on hill to the north
west Of the city, approximately 100
feet above the ground level in the
bushes ssection. Tank kept full at
all times by three pump men who are
on duty hours each. Pumps are
housed in cement block house and
set in pits 40 feet below the level Of
the ground. Pump house located
block 107, sheet 4, Sanborn
In addition to the above the state
university system, consisting OF Co.
000-gallon tank elevated 165 feet above
ground level filled by a 500 gallons
per minute centrifugal pump; lource
of water being a 3O0-foot well.
Static pressure in mercantile dis
trict 95 pounds per square inch.
Mains-In mercantile district 10
inch, 8-inch and 6-inch. In dwelling
section 6-inch and 4inch. There are
$3.50 feet of 10-inch, 275O feet Of 8
inch, 4725 feet of 6-inch and 1880
feet of 4-inch mains. (Note: These
figures scaled from maps and also
city clerk. Full, accurate maps not
city clerk Full, accruate maps not
savailable.)
Hydrants- There are 72 Corey,
Eclipse and Iowa hydrants, all double
deep valve type Distance apart in
business section $50 feet and $50 feet |
to 400 feet in dwelling section. Direct
pressure from pumps at hydrants 100
pounds. Gravity pressure approxi-
mately the same.
Fire Department-One American
La France type rs triple combination
car. Pumper capacity $50 gallons per
minute with 1900 foot standard 21a-
inch hose, ladders, spanners, wrench
-es, etc. One Cd Federal II ton truck
with 80 horsepower engine mounts
two 45-gallon chemical tanks, $50 feet
of 1-inch chemical hose and one
length of 21a Inch cotton rubber lined
nose Tor reT1lnng tank
Four two wheel hose carts with
an average OF 525 feet of 212 Inch cot
ton rubber lined hose on each are To-
Gated at various points about the city I,
Fire Department Volunteer drills
held tri-weekly and department fairly +
efficient, though rather unwieldly, due
to size, having membership of 100
men, all active and young.
Fire Alarm System Electric siren
Installed.
Fire Marshal-Ch of department
acts.
More Reductions Looked to
Although the reduction already at j
tanned in premium rates for fire in
surance have proved a great boon to
the city, the committee from the Mos
COW chamber Of commerce and Fire
Marshall Carl Smith and others inter-