Deficiency Of The Supply ...
The Times, 1824-11-29T00:00:00

On Friday a special meeting of the Bridge-house Committee of' the Corporation was held for the purpose of inquiring and receiving evidence as to the cause of the deficiency of ehe supply of water ex- periencedat therecent fires. No str3i^,gers were admitted during the investigation, and we are therefore unable to give a full account: of the proceedings; but from vhat has ttanspired, we learn that the unostcomplete eviden.ce was received. Aore th2n 40 remen who. attended all the late 6trea were examined, together with the parish officers, turncocks, and ethers. Mr. Aldermnan Withthan,. who front his residence wat well acquainted with thelocalltieeand circurnstancem attending t befire iR Fleet-street and that in Little Bridge.street,.tookr very active part in the investigation. With respect to the latter picesm, it appeared thatin oneinstanceanimmediatesupply was obtained; but that from the circumstance of there being sevetal large gratings or gulley holes at the ends of the streets, the water ran to wastc a eon- siderable time, and could not be made use of until they were eadh stopped up. In one or two instances the plugs, it appeared, were at considerable diseenees from the spots where the fires took nines, ane werm not readily found out Considerable inconvenience was sus- tained, and many expedients, all taLking up great time, were meees. sarily resorted to in order to get the supplies from them. In the Olcl Bailey, wvhere one main runs, and some loes of time was sustasned in getting the supply for the fire at liessrsm Wilkinson's, it wafoanrz that in MUacadarnizing therond the paviours had ignorantly covered np thepluvaltogether. With respect to the fires in Leadenhall. streetaund7Dowgate, it appealred thatt the water discbargdi fop the use of theengines in the one place diminished the supply at,tiir other, for they took place nearly at the same tic, and both Epot& wrere supplied froni whe saute mains. We understand that the Committee, after a very minute and laborious examination of.zla the circumstances, came to an u aunmous conclusion, that the syF. plies of water were in every instance sufficient, and that avfsarastfie Water Companies were concerned no blame was imputable tothem.. The deficiency of the supplies arose from tkse imperfect -n&tae:of the parochial arrangements with respect to plugs and atationse as a general cause, and in some snutancea the d encjrarose*3fkcauses- urely accidental. The Water Companies have nothing to do with directing asto the spotionwhichitwas xpeffent tat pdt psbZll be fixed, but will fix-them wberever they are required. itis, ce believe, recomlended thatthe Commson Council,orwardeolmcq . shold see to nevr regulations in this respect, nd ;suse s4i. tionsl plugs to be placed where they have been fuzsd requhlte. rt i aL in evidence, as one point of great im*rtace, thai ad, ditional fire.cocks should be put down and the stations made Imow.' Asi~t Is, the firemen are comapelled to run about, search for, and ps;U up tihe p lugs,to hunt for raterialv to atop up the gatin toa.k for us'ocks nu shit anil to havi their Limo ocupte it stnt.. ber')f details., whltthe fire gains; upon them msd stpread tciroro ans0tsd. The.report drawn. up from the evidernce taken before the cottlinittee wilt perhaps be giien to the pubtlc in the causse or A fevr da~in n oficalaape4: t'tbepriVate .rnediie of tbeC;orarnon ~seni1 o the yVer of Farringdon, held on Wedtmeday, aho theevienc taen cRrhrthe-Bridrp House Coemt=Itee w6szies&i-;z os3nte~ctttto similar concliisions, as t* the~ supply wa *tft ?~4 the neccialt Of new ressits. DEFICIENCY OF TIHe SUPPLY OF WAITER Ar THFI RECENT FIRES.