Evening star., 1925-05-29
DISTRICT SURVEY
|. Of HIGH PRESSURE
SYSTEM NEARER
Commissioners Expected to
Ask Necessary Funds in
New Budget.
FIRST PRACTICAL STEP
FOR FIRE PROTECTION
Committee of Three Proposed.
Expense Estimated at
About $4,000.

The District Commissioners virtual
ly have decided to ask for a mod
crate sum in the new District budget
to defray the cost of a careful study
Of the need for high pressure fire pro-
lection in Washington.
While this move will not make II
possible to begin the project in the
fiscal year 1926-27, ii will represent
the most definite step yet taken in
connection with this long advocated
municipal improvement.
1t is understood to be the plan of
Engineer Commissioner Bell to create
a committee composed of several rep
resentatives of the District govern
ment, one official of the bureau of
the budget and one man to be desig-
mated by Secretary of Commerce
Hoover TO undertake a thorough in
qulry into the question of high
pressure fire hydrants and how ex-
tensive the system should be in Wash
ington.
Will Visit Other Cities.
Fire Chief George 5. Watson and
Daniel f. Garges, secretary to the
Board of Commissioners. proba bly, will
qulry. The exact amount of money to
be requested for carrying out the sur
Vey has not been decided upon, but it
is likely to be 81 900 or $4,000.
1ne committee will visit other cities
that have high pressure, gather data
as TO cost and the area of each city
covered by the system, and then com
pare the information obtained with
the conditions in ashington.
Several wears 7
perlntendent of the Water Depart
ment, made rough estimate of 81.
100000 as the cost of erecting a cen
tral pumping station on the river front
at the foot Of Thirteenth street and
constructing a gridiron of high-pres-
sure mains through the area bounded
by First, Eighteenth, Is and I streets.
1t apparently is the desire of the
commissioners, however, to have the
subject studied in greater detail before
applying to Congress for the money TO
begin installation.
Other Needs Paramount.
Fire Chief George Watson, in con-
ferrinE with the Citizens Advisory
Council few days ago, stated in an
swer to questions of the councilmen
that he is an advocate of the high
pressure system, but added that the
hire department is more urgently lin
need this year of two new engine
houses and half a dozen additional
pieces of apparatus for the protection
of rapidly developing outlying resi-
Dental areas.
Chief Watson emphasized the point
in his talk with the council that high
pressure mains constitute the only
effective weapon against a confla-
grafton, should one ever start in the
hiSh-val district of any city. Ev-
cry fire chief, Watson said, looks for
ward TO having a high pressure sys-
tenn placed at his disposal as Il pro-
lection against big fires spreading
One of the points which the Com
missioners want 10 determine in the
proposed inquiry il whether the high
pressure mains are necessary III ~
large an area as that covered BY he
previous report of Supt. Garland.
System Is Efficient.
A high pressure system is one in
which special large mains are laid
from central pumping station and
water made available for re-ishtinG
purposes at pressure running as
high as 800 pounds. should that
amount become necessary.
Through a method of signal appa-
ratus, the pumps at the station are put
into action as soon Is an alarm of fire
is sounded, and by the time the fire
men reach the scene the desired pres
sure is available in the mains. Any de-
sired increase or decrease in the force
at which the water is being delivered
TO the firemen can be obtaind by tele-
phonic communication with the pump
ing station.
The Washington Board of Trade and
other civic bodies long have advocated
high pressure as a necessary added
fire protection for the National Capt.
tai.