The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-02-20
WATER PRESSURE
WAS TOO WEAK
Had the Pumps at the Water Works
Been Doing Full Duty Saturday
Morning, Fire Loss Would Probably
Have Been Cut in Half.

Morning, Fire Loss Would Probably
Have Been Cut in Half.
The water pressure was too weak.
Such is the opinion of hundreds of
Ocala's citizens, including most of the
city officials, who saw Saturday morn
ing's fire.
The people of Ocala have paid for
an uptodate water plant, one that
should at any time at minutes no
tice, throw a stream of water over
the highest building in town, and they
have slept secure in the belief that
they had such a plant. Consequently,
their chagrin can be imagined when
they saw or learned of Saturday
mornings performance.
The triple-room store of MacKay &
Company was long and wide, but not
high, but when the water was turned
on a few minutes after four o'clock
Saturday morning, the stream would
go but a little above the sills of the
second story windows. And it was
nearly an hour before they were ap
preciably stronger. Four streams
were on-two from the front of the
block and two from the rear. They
were played to the best advantage,
but had the wind been high not only
the whole block but probably that on
the other side of the street, would
have been past saving in that time.
On the other hand had the water
pressure been what the town had the
right to expect it to be, it is more than
likely that the fire would have been
confined to MacKay's main building,
and even some of that might have
been saved.
We are informed that the pumping
apparatus at the water plant did not
work properly-that it was nearly an
hour before it could be made to do
so-and if such be the case the tax
payers would like to know why. 1t
has been the supposition that the
pumps were kept in touch and go
order-that the signal of fire was all
needed to set them racing at the full
speed of efficiency.
A friend of ours-a gentleman not
only well acquainted with the techni-
calities of water plants and mains,
and those of Ocala in particular, but
also a veteran in fire fighting-says
that one great fault is in the mains;
that they put brakes, so to speak,
on the rush of the water from the
high tank at the plant to the hydrants
and the place where power is most
needed is at the hose nozzle, and that
is why Ocala needs pumping engine
added at once to its apparatus. Nc
doubt this is true, but that does not
excuse the apparatus we already have
from falling so far short of what ii
can do when it is most needed.
The fire chief says that had the
pressure been as strong at APO as il
was an hour later, he is confident
MacKay's chapel and warehouse
Gerig's building to the north, anC
Mrs. Chace's building to the south
as we'll as a great quantity of goods
could have been saved, for the peo
pie owning the other establishments
on the block would not have moved
their goods out had it not seemed al
one time imminent the buildings they
were in would GO.
1t is also practically certain thai
had our fire department possessed {
pumping engine of the efficiency o.
that of Leesburg, the fire would have
been smothered under a deluge Of
water in half an hour or so, and ovel
a hundred thousand dollars worth o1
property saved. The fire chief earnest
ly requested the council. last year
to buy such an apparatus, and hi
advice was disregarded.
1t is probable that a pumping en-
gine will be provided by the city a
the earliest possible date. The mayo,
and all members of the council W,
have consulted are in favor of it. /
will also be SalubrlouS to see to
that the pumps at the city plant arr
hereafter kept in condition to answe
a call at a minutes notice.
AFTERMATH OF THE FIRE
The Star didn't print very goot
story of the fire Saturday. Almost ev
cry member of the Star force was a
the fire, but they were all there t.
work, and no one of them saw NOR
than his own little space. They wer
like the soldier who. when asked t.
describe the battle of Waterloo. said
"All saw was smoke and the man il
front of me-" In d big city, news
paper man can stand around fir
and take notes; in a little town lik
noo1a ha ~, haIv1 hi