THE NEW STATION FOR THE FIRE BRIGADE.

Evening Post, Volume LVIII, Issue 140, 11 December 1899, Page 2

THE NE W STATIO N FO R THE FIRE BRIGADE.

iA' DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANS. The City Engineer's staff has completed tho plans for the new station which is to be erected for the Fire Brigade on the corner of Mercer and Cuba streets. The building, which will have a frontage of 102 feet to 'Mercer-street and 86 feet to Cuba-street, will be two stories high, of neat design, without omatenoss. Although the ratepayers have allotted £8000 for tho station, the money will bo spent upon an. effective interior ratheT than a showy exterior. The practical experience and observations of Captain Hugo as a fireman have been, combined with the skill and constructive technique of, Mr. Rounthwaite, together with im-.pro-vements which have occurred to both experts, resulting in tho planning of a fire station which may be said to bo thoroughly up to date. In furnishing and fitting the station, the latest electrical appliances will be obtained, the one object aimed at being to reduce to a minimum the time spent in getting to the scene of a fire. Once in possession of his new station, Captain Hugo estimates that he will have engine and men on the way to a fire within from 15 to 20 seconds, of the giving of an alarm at the station. The engine-room, measuring 51 feet x 42 feet 6 inched, has three large doublefolding doors, eaoh 10 feet 8 inches wide by 13 ,feet 6 inches high, opening on to Mercer-street. Opposite the centre door will be located the ladder escape, and opposite each of the others will be the first and second reels, suspended over each vehicle being the harness for the horses, which are kept always ready for action in six loose-boxes directly in a lipe with the reels and ladder. On the breaking of one of the thirty-one alarm glasses to be distributed through the city, tho dropping of a shutter on the alarm cabinet in the watchroom in the station immediately sets the electrical contrivances into play. By this means simultaneously a large gong is sounded in the station house, numerous small bells are set ringing, the time is marked on a stop-clock, and the stable doors are thrown open — all this being done automatically. Immediately off the en-gine-room, on the northern and southern aides, are five rooms providing sleeping quarters for some fifteen single men, so that they have but to step out of tneir rooms and they are on duty. This arrangement, according to Mr. Rouuthwaite's knowledge, Jt» ahead of any of the plans of English 1 ' stations', , and Captain Hugo says that very few stations in Australia have adopted the' idea. Upstairs, again, where the married men's quarters are located, the^jnen have just to step into the recreation, room, and in an instant they can elide down into tho engine-house, poles for this means being set up through three of the comers of the room. Off the bedrooms of the single men's quarters, on the northern side of the building, ar& the kitchen, storerooms, etc., for the exclusive use of these men. On the northern side are the captain's office and his family's private quarters, consisting of a suite of four rooms, with private entrance from> Jervois-quay. Back to the cngine-houso again, and a 9ft passage way through the back portion from the hor§e stalls gives admission to a commodious parade ground, which will be used for exorcises and drill, a hydrant being one of the fixtures in the yard, and conspicuous is a hose-drying and bell tower, rising 65 feet. Along the southern boundary of the yard are workshops for caxpent&rs and blacksmiths, an it is intended to make tho station selfmaintained as far as possible in regard to appliance, sending out only the heaviest and most difficult repairs. Alongside the workshops will be the baths and lavatories for the singlo men. The furthest corner of the parade will be occupied by the married' folks*' washhouse and drying ground. Entrance to the upstairs portion of the station will be obtained from Cubastreet. Here quarters are provided for four families, one suite consisting of four rooms, and the others of three each. They are separately supplied with baths, etc.*, and shut off from each other, but each has direct access to the recreation room, for the purpose of enabling the firemen to get on duty rapidly, as already explained. 'Che recreation, or reading-room, has a ■space of 38 feet x 35 feet, Avith recesses for a piano and a billiard-table, which Cnptain Hugo hopes to see the room provided with eventually. The building, which is to be built of brick, with a stone base, is expected to bo ready for occupation by the end of v July next, when Wellington will have a fire station worthy of the Empire City, and which will serve as a model for other cities than those of our own colony.