Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-07
iggh.Pressure Report Soon
to Go to the Commissioners

OF the committee to conduct this in
vestigation. the other members being
Daniel E. Garges, secretary; David M.
Lea or the Board Of Trade, Charles
A. Peters. Jr.. an assistant engineer
OF the ONCE OF public buildings and
pubic parks, and George n. Thomp.
son, secretary of the building codSA
committee of the Department of Com.
merce.
This committee has conducted An
extensive inquiry relating to high
water pressure and other systems Of
safeguarding cities against the posi-
bility of widespread CONGREGATIONS. 1t
has considered the cost of installa.
ton and maintenance. the efficiency
of the system in other cities and has
inspected its operation in New York
and Baltimore. The committee has
estimated the cost of the system in
Washington at about $1,500.000. Its
result to the taxpayer would be two
fold. There would be the knowledge
that every known precaution had
been taken in Washington to insure
the downtown section against a
catastrophe fire, with the resulting
financial losses involved. and it
would mean a tangible saving of
per cent in insurance rates on
buildings lying within the high-pres-
sure area. But 1t was found by the
committee, on the other hand, that
IL certain other recommendation. ex-
elusive Of high-pressure installation,
were followed, there were benefits TO
be expected which might be consid
cred as exceeding those anticipated
from a high-pressure system alone.
Whereas the 5 per cent reduction
til
apply only to the buildings within
the high.pressure area, a Q per cent
reduction coufd be brought about in
insurance rates applying to the en-.
tire city IL other recommendations
were put into effect. These recon-
mendations were made by the COM
mittee on fire prevention and en-.
cheering standards of the National
Board of Fire Underwriters after an
investigation In June OF 1926. They
involved charging the watermains. q
better and more uniform method or
distributing water in the "grtdiron
1.-THE system of smaller mains running
parallel between the large mains); the
installation of more fire plugs and
more fire alarm boxes in the suburban
and residential districts. These rec
concentrations would result in q saw
ing Of . per cent in insurance rates
on all specifically rated risks" In
the District, such risks being vir-
tually every building in washington
except residences. In other words,
the alternatives between which the
committee may choose for emphasis
In their report are, on the one hand,
the high-pressure system for down
town Washington, and on the other
hand a general program OF increas-
ing the water distribution system
throughout Washington and adding
needed fire equipment.
\ y X \
Either one would lessen the IRE
risks In Washington, but a decision to
20 ahead with both programs Is evil
IDENTIFY considered impracticable, par.
that enlargement of water mains
TALLY on account Of the fact, perhaps,
would In a measure bring about some
of the results to be expected from Q
high-pressure system. Regardless or
what the committee decides to recon-
mend after assembling the great
masses Of data secured in its investi-
cation, there seems to be no doubt
about the fact that immediate steps
should be taken toward bringing the
Fire Department and the water distri-
button system to the standards re-
quired by the rapid CROWN OF INC
city, not in the congested downtown
section alone. but in the outlying sec
tons within the District. No effort 10
made by any one familiar with condi-
tons to minimize this fact. The Fire
Department and the water system
have fallen behind the growth Of the
city. The Fire Department itself IL
rated as highly efficient, but like other
agencies in Washington the lean war
years kept it behind an unprecedented
and rather unexpected expansion in
the city. The committees recon-
mendations and the Commissioners
decision, together with their insistence
in bringing the matter before Con-
gress, will be awaited with interest. IF
Congress sees fit to put into effect
the recommendations Of Chief Wat
sons committee, whatever they may
be, the 80 years. tight by the Board OF
Trade will not have been in vain,