Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1924-11-12
Water Board To Act
On recommendations
OF Fire Underwriters
Many Suggestions Have Been
Carried Out in Past by
That Department
SUPT. MASON DECLARES
Report of Underwriters Being
Discussed in City-Dras-
tic Action Is Urged

The recommendations of the Ma
tional Board of Fire Underwriters
touching upon the water supply sit
uation in this city will be given con-
sideration by the local Board of
Water Commissioners and many of
the boards suggestions will be car
ried out during the next few years,
the amount of work done depending
upon the amount of money available
for these extensions and changes,
superintendent Samuel j. Mason, of
the water department, said this
morning.
There was published yesterday in
the Evening News an article contain
ing sections of a report made by the
Underwriters following a survey of
fire hazards in this city last spring.
This report stated that the present
system of a volunteer fire depart
ment is inefficient, the building laws
are inadequate and the water supply
in the distributing mains is not suffi-
ciently large.
-- The report contained many recon-
mendations for the improvement of
fire hazard conditions in the city, in
addition to the installation of a paid
fire department and more drastic
building regulations and many of
those suggestions having to do with
the water supply will be carried out.
In fact,fi superintendent Mason said,
some of these improvements are now
under way.
The last inspection of Perth Am
boy was made by the fire under
writer's ten years ago and at that
time many recommendation for the
improvement of the water supply
M rio ta,-l
boards in the past ten years have
had these recommendation constant
ly before them and most of them
nave been carried out, the boards
even doing more to better the sup
puly than was recommended in some
cases, such as concerning the huge
reservoir. Additional pumps were
installed, force mains lad and larger
mains laid in some parts of the city.
The latest report of the under
writers points out that although the
city's water supply is more than
sufficient at source the distributing
system is not sufficient to make
available the amount of water needed
to reduce the hazard of big fires in
all sections of the city There are
at the present time in the older sec
tion of the city mains which are not
amount of water. Many of these
are and inch mains while a few
inch mains are still in service. It
is the recommendation of the under
writer's that these mains be replaced
by pipes II or 16 inches in diameter,
the 16 inch feed linue to run down
Market street from Prospect street
to High street and out High street
to Buckingham avenue. This one
pipe line alone would cost in the
neighborhood of $65,O00, Superinteu-
dent Mason estimates.
AS a result of the grade crossing
elimination work lere the mains
crossing the tracks must be replaced
and when this is done. according TO
Mason, the existing
SIX and eight inch mains will be re-
placed by twelve inch mains, thus
Increasing considerably the supply.
If the water boara were to make
all of the pipe line extensions and
changes in existing mains that the
underwriters board recommends"
Mason said. 'i.
would cost $150,000. We are put
ting in more hydrants all the time. 7,
the average cost of the hydrants and
installation being about 500 apiece |
An appropriation is carried in the
budget for the installation of a speci- |
fed number of new hydrants each !
year"
The method of Keeping records
has been improved. Superintendent
Mason said, so that they will come
within the requirements of the ma
tional board of underwriters. The
installation of automatic sprinklers
at the Runyon pumping station is
recommended in the report. This
same recommendation was made by
superintendent Mason in his annual |
report last year and bids were re-
ceived but the amount of the lowest !
bid. about $4,000, was considered too
high by the board and the work was
not authorized.