Year: 1872

be measured by the certainty OF the vastness or the
damage Il is proposed to avert


Hoping that these suggestions may be carefully
considered while the subject is before the public


NEW York, Nov IL, 1872 ENGINEER


Reliable Means 20 Prevent Connagra-
To THE EDITOR or THE HEPALD:-


1t Is, perhaps, not generally known that at times
the state OF the atmosphere is not only far more
than usually favorable to combustion, but that it
s 80 to an extent which renders the means now
relied upon for extinguishing fires totally inade-
quate. The writer has had opportunities to con-
vince himself OF this fact in forest fres particu-
larry among mountain cedar timber, In which, at
usual dry times, furious dead brush wood fires fail
to communicate to the closely surrounding timber;
while at rare times, under no apparent change Of
circumstances, even moderate grass fire win
communicate freely and simultaneously at various
places to the growing timber. Such seems to have
been the state OF the atmosphere during last years
connagrations in the Northwest and again now at
Boston. At such times our expensive and inade-
quate fire engines, which spend most OF their
energy In churnlng up the water and overcoming
friction In small hose, &C., become useless. Every
one aware OF the slender means this and
other cities have to depend upon In case
OF . cOnnagrstion must feel that such In
security should not be suffered to exist
Three fearful warnings have been given In little
more than AZ many years. Who is willing to walt
for still another' The first question is viii any
safe plan involve inexpedient cost The answer is
emphatcaily, No. The plan here urged u not new
In its general principles, and has In its main fea
lures already received such endorsements as war
rant safety In its adoption. Why is the present
system unreliable Al inadequate quantity OF
water upon an intense nre is instantly decomposed
INTO its original elements, which In their combus-
tho water. That Is not all. The gases which would
otherwise pass on In smoke unoOnsumed are thus
and thereby the intensity Of the fre Is increased
ofwster only transformed into steam viii act en-
main conditions are. e. therefore, essential The
water must be convenient at the instant Of neces-


Sc n on 81 most
examples of the vagaries OF the human mind that,
in New York for instance, where water il collected
household Ou,.a d and msnafactgring purposes, i y
sSowng oos9 20 se
dres at risk fearful to reflect upon. On the other
nand mar IL hood. Of superior water for such purposes
the authorities decided some time ago that
water from the rivers must be used for putting
future convenient time IL fortunately, that con-
venent time is not just little too late to prevent
the destruction Of some hundred millions The


The river water being carried through the streets
In large pipes let four-inch pipe connected to the
second, third or fourth house, and up to and
beyond the roof with suitable supply and waste
gses and hose every story


about one-sixteentn Of that through two.
inch pipe and infntessmal as compared


ioarncS is pipe sf OF " HSs ncs 5 IRON. S
100 eet long will cost about seventy-fve dollars.
The details cannot be given without too much
nm.
nections and due pressure and supply an over
whelming mood Of water could be poured upon


fire almost at the instant of its inception, and with
few short pieces Of hose every man could be
fireman at the time Of emergency. The next point
S How = the supply e be and main


used inside Of ten millions OF gallons see report OF
the Nassau Water Department.. Pumping ma
four hours could be had for less than five hundred
thousand dollars One OF the pumps could be con-
stantly applied in furnishing water for ordinary
street and fire purposes; the Others could be made
profitable in this wise Let there be workshops
erected for lease on low ground near the river,
This could be made part s'o Of the dock i IMPROVE prove
ment plan. The water would be furnished by these
large pumps and utilized through water pressure
engines. The consumption OF coal would not be
greater, II as great, as when applied to produce the
same amount of manufacturing power In the usual
manner by hundreds OF scattered comparatively
small boilers and engines. Upon these rare emer-
gencies the workshop supply ls cut or and the
nets wosKSc Of the IN
points OF danger. The details Of the arrangements
are very simple. whatever the original cost OF
laying large pipe through the streets, the mante-
nance OF the Fire Department would be fraction
OF what IL now is. The lives OF our brave nremen
would be far less endangered. Fire engines would
be done away with. Streets and sewers would be
cleaDsed with salt water; the health OF the city
improved, and millions saved annually. The three
and indirectly, over three hundred millions Of dol
lsrk Add to that the yearly, not unusual losses,
md An array OF stubborn figures will appear which
must convince the most conservative OF the neces-
sity Mimprovd means. Who pays these hundreds
OF millionss The insurance companies are only the
whom they form proportlonaily the heaviest losing
PARTON. These Oempsnies, who combined, with
beneficial measures, are the parties to take this
matter into hand. They win hardly walt for
another monitor to urge them 70 Q closer investi


R.C.