Year: 1859

Most Of our readers will remember the die.


astrous ere which occurred on Main street
above Second, few years since. when IN.


water In the eisterns within reach Of the burn


ing buildings gave out about the time tn,


flames were stayed. At the time, the matter


was brought fearfully plain 10 our property


owners and business men, that we were nearly
at the mercy Of the two elements, wind and
hrej aud that the facilities for aAordinR water
In cases Of conAagrations were wholly inads
equate. We well remember prominent men
determined that Dayton should be furnished
with unfailiug supplies Of water BY the con.
Htrucling Of Water Works, and declared their
purpose Of devoiing time, money and all the
influence they might have 10 accomplishing
such purpose. Indeed, so thoroughly had the
Main street FIRE aroused the people 70 the
necessity Of having a constant and abundant
supply Of water in cases Of fre, that The pubs
lic mind was prvared for the questions and had
It been put at the time, the matter would have
been adjusted long ago. But. the excitement
consequent upon that narrow escape from an
extensive aud general conAagration died outJ
the good determinations Of our energetic men
grew lukewSrm, and the warmth Of the public
mind toward the project was permitted 70 wax
cold. The time for accomplishing SO great .
good for Dayton passed. aud, 10 mercy, we
were permitted to escape the consequences
Of our folly until yesterday morning, when the
residence Of Col Smith was destroyed.


We do not ptopossto to waste time by suppo.
sing cases; but il must strike every mind, not
utterly demented, that had the FIRE Of yesters
day morning occurred in block Of buildings
instead Of in an isolated residence the conse-
quencss would have been inealculably disas.
trousl The subject is fearful to contemplate,
yet weshould look at II as one Of the most in
tensely important which concerns US. II is
mean and eowardly to reason that as we have
heretofore escaped, we will hardly be imper-
rilled by such alarming contingency hereafter.
Ir is the part Of wisdom to put our fire depart.
ment in possession Of facilities which will
place US above the reach of extraordinary con
hagrationi no pleas of economy should be Al>
lowed to delay the construction Of Water Works,
upon the most feasible plan, one moment Ion.
ger than Is necessary for their completion;
no question Of "debt or credit" should be per.
mitted to come between the project and it's &C.
eomplishment. IFCe e


The City Of Dayton, II is claimed, is in debt.
This is matter to be regretted; but Is il good
reason why the property Of the city should not
be protected against the chances Of destructionH
How much better will Dayton be able to pay her
debts il block or two Of her best buildings
should be burned for the want Of water to
quench the hsmes2 And in the present pov
erty stricken condition Of our water facilities
su,h catastrophe is impending over US every
day and night.


Another matter very nearly allied to this is
the bad condition of pumps at private resi>
dences, in cold weather. When the season is
Intensely cold a majority Of the pumps in our
City are "froEen up" SO that 10 case Of fire
in the vicinity they are of no use. A lesson In
this regard was taught every body yesterday
morning. Every pump should have vent be.
low the platform, so that all the water in the
pump stalk above the frost line could leak out,
aud thus prevent the freezing which renders
pumps useless In extreme cold weather. The
matter is easily accomplished, and attention
paid to this hint may be the means Of saving
much valuable property; and We seriously ad-
wise every one to have the matter attended to
without delay.


While the subject of Water Works is again
brought prominently before US, and the necessi>
ty Of such project is made plain to every intel
ligent citizen, we hope the necessary steps will
be taken at once to accomplish the work at the
first practicable moment. We have not con-
sidered plan; there are men, however, who
have made the subject enc Of study, and we
hope they will Immediately 90 to work and
present the Council with feasible and economs
icSl plan by which water may be conducted in
abundance throughout the city subject at all
times to any demand which may be made in
cases Of FIRE. While the iron is hot. atrikel