Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-11-11
AUXILIARY WATER
SYSTEM IS URGED
Chief Davis Wants Hydrants
Kept for Exclusive Use
Of Firemen ,.
WASTE IS GREAT MENACE

"There is pressing need for m
auxiliary system Of water plugs. so the
fire hydrants may be- used exclusively
for fire service" says Chief Davis.
He was questioned conccrnir| tho loss
Of city water through leaky hydrnnts.
Seven were found in one district which
observers say, have been running
full force for weeks
One plug on the southeast corner OF
Delaware avenue and Catharinc street
has been pouring water into drain to.
four weeks. The curbing is wearing
away under the pressure of the Wnter.
Other leaking: water plugs are Mt
Delaware avenue and KenilwOrth street,
Delaware avenue and Ranbridgc street.
Front and pemberton. Eighth and Fitz-
water, Delaware avenue and t>leen
street, and Swanson and Beck streets.
Faces Many Difficulties
Mr.. Davis indicated under what dit.
fculties the department worked.
ION the average of one tircplug day
Is damaged beyond repair by autOmO-
bilcs," he said. Heavy trucks back
into them and we have to replace them:
We replace from ninety to q hundred
every month.
Our total Of repaired plugs last year
was 012. Also we have public scnti-
ment against us in the summer use
Of plugs. Children in the cOngcsted
| districts like to play under Open hy.
drants. 1t Is hot and people sympa.
thize with them.
"If policeman attempts to arrest
y child for turning on a hydrnnt he IL
| laughed out Of court. Every Tom, Dick
and Harry thinks that he has the right
10 80, hn Gvn a, n
system which will eliminate this. e..
"There are other legitimate uses
| for citv water in the streets aside from
fire. There is the street cleaning de-
! partmpnt, contract jobs. repair work
and the watering places operated by
the Society for the Prevention Of
Cruelty to animals.
Want Plugs Protected
1--WE are in perfect accord with all
these utilities, but fire -hydrants wSre
made primarily for fire. fighting ana Arc
not fitted to do other work. Some
knowledge Of the construction Of n fire
! hydrant is necessary to operate 1t
properly.
"Fircmen are instructed at the fire
school IN use of the plugs. People use
all kinds Of instruments to turn on
tho wnter.'
! Chief Davis indicated heavy wrenclles
md bars which have been taken from
those caught turning on fire plugs. Those
! who tnmper with these faucets often
render them useless IN time Of fire.
81 would recommend the installation
OF what II known as wash paves,' said
Chief Davis. :" They are small auxiliary
which could he useSl for all street jobs
|
! gcncics. They would not be expensive
and would be- a great saving to the city.
They would be locked and only those
having authority would hav" the keys.
We have talked of this since about
! anything"
Pressure Getting Stronger
Qnestione,l about the low water
/ pressure. Chief David said "It is bad,
but getting better. We are striving to
: hnprove 1t all the time. We are up
against a. hard proposition with the
private water renters, too. All lines
except the main lines are kept in re-
pair by the owners of the property on
which they are located.
rake the question, Of tenant and
owner. a pipe breaks, the tenant
doesn't know and the landlord doesn't
care. We have no way to make them
fix it but to shut off the water until
they do so. Suppose there Is sickness
IN the family and there Is no water.
Common humanity demands that We
keep tho water running This goes on
indefinitely and II lot Of water is
wasted.
'"rhr public is inclined to blame us
without understanding how hard 1t is
for us. There are lS.O0O irc hytlrants
IN the city. We chase about from morn
to night keeping them in order. The
situation at Delaware avenue and
l,nthnrine street. to which our uttrn
tion has been called. is not nm unu us,Al
one unfortunately. Much Of this tro,, i.
bio will be eliminated if we can get
these wash paves."
=, Fire Chief Ross Davis indorse,l Chief
Davis plan.
''Such II system would be II great
h'ln I" u.s. he said. The existing
r"hnlti"n Il Il positive menace. 1t is
true. that we do not often run into n
fire hydranr that will not work, but ths
prrSS,lr" lS not always sufficient.
1--WE find only five or six pounds Of
pressure is district sometimes. If Won
nave to use five or six plugs you get d,
pressure of zero. | never critirizr tbn
work OF nn0ther department. We nil
hay" To live together rs it were. and
We try to work in accord. I presume
the, prnartment of Water is WORKING
nh,l'r the same handicap that we are