Year: 1875

from the Commissioners OF Accounts which an
swercd and | never heard anything more ABOUT y -
cept what have read In the papers


General Shaler testified that ne was President ol he
department from 1867 70 1870 and Commissioner lot
three years thereafter when he went out OF once thc
hydrants deficient IN number and were not large
enough and far he could see now thelr size hia
not been increased since hand engines were used oy
the department; not even while ne was IN once were
sufficient hydrants put In IL was impossible, however
70 get q sufficient supply OF water for q large IRE
through nero increase Of the number OF hydrantsi
what required


THE LAYING OF LARGER MAINS


which should supply numerous hydrants; in his opn
ion, hydrants should not be separated by more than
200 feet others were Of the opinion that would be
better 20 concentrate the hydrants but he took df
ferent view lev years ago he conceived the plan Of
drawing the water from the river by stationng power
fu engines at the Battery and the river fronts and
ne correspondence between him and Mr. Craven,
the Engineer OF the Croton Department.
was published, but the great cost OF The
enterprise had prevented its realization.
~ was assumed, then that the supply for domestic
purposes was sufficient and the new enterprise
specifically intended TO the OF large fires.
General Shaler said no had no high opinion OF the
aerial ladder in fact he did not think much OF any OF
the extension ladders thus far submitted This aerial
ladder carried up 10 the height OF eighty and hun
dred feet rested only base of eight or ten feet
and, very naturally the slightest gust OF wind could
bring II down unless 1t was very heavily guyed and
then II took more time to bring out the guys than il
would take for the building to burn down (Laugher)
The best OF these ladders the Skinner ladder in
Chicago and at exhibition of that he bad great
difficulty IN saving mans life AS TO the pay or the
ne LnouBnt IL mBnL ne reduced without dllN
Guilty It's original increase had not been advocated by
the Commissioners nor had IL been asked for by the
men, but after tho pay OF the policemen had been
raised u was thought best that both departments
should have the same pay The pay in both might be
reduced. He thought that a system of grading both
forces, with various grades OF pay, would work WELL
although II would NOT be popular with politicians
tLaughter.l When he was Commissioner the men were
ngidy examined IN regard TO their physical qualica
lions and their knowledge of reading and writing


Mr. DAyENPoRT-I know Of my own knowledge that
there are men in the department who can't read or
write


Mr. PERLHY-I don't know how they got there.
They all are examined.


General SnALER-When was Commissioner found
men IN II who could not read write English any
other language aughter land we made them learn
to read aud write-so that we did some good there.
(Ianghter) At first they would get the exercises
which they were required to write out written by
gifted comrade in the department. but when that
was found out il was soon stopped. Uaughter.)


Ell BATES, Chief Engineer OF the department, said in
his opinion there should be no sixnch pipes whatever;
there should be no pipes smaller than twelve inches.
Al present six out OF pipes only six inches
Chief Bates illustrated the rapidity with which an
ginc exhausted the water from sx-inch pipe by
numerous instances OF fires The portion OF the east
side below Wall street without any pipes larger than
SIX nches he adduced numerous localities In the city
where hydrants lacking showing that the number
woiuy insufficient in Of great fire. In Fifth
avenue, from Fifteenth 10 Seventeenth street; in
Sixth street, between avenues and b, where there
were thlckiy populated five story tenements,
and in other places whore they were greatly required
there were none whatever. Between Grand and
Blccckcr streets and the Bowery and Broadway the
supply OF water was almost entirely from six inch
pipes. Concerning the aerial ladder Mr.. Bates of
the opinion that II might sometimes be used with
advantage. He explained the recent accident by say
ing that the ladder probably overstraned in the
tests made early on the morning OF the accident.


The committee adjourned until Monday next at half
past ten o'clock