THE FIRE BRIGADE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 121, 22 May 1908, Page 3

THE FIRE BRIGADE.

DISCUSSION AT THE CITY COUNCIL. REPORT BY MR. HUGO AND MR. W. H. MORTON. USE OF -SALT WATER FOR FIRE. At the meeting of the City Council last night the Fire Brigade Committee reported that it had received a report from the superintendent of the brigade, and the city engineer, dealing with the question of the water supply for fire extinction pui'poscb. In the course of their report, Messrs. Morton and Hugo stated that they had carefully considered the question of providing a system for conveying from the harbour to permanent positions about the city salt water for use in cases of emergency for fire prevention purposes. Such a system would be of service in supplying that portion of the' city abutting on the foreshore of the harbour — - say, between the harbour front and Lambton-quay, Willis-street, Mannersstreet, and Courtenay-place. The pipes would require to be capable of discharging 1000 gallons per minute (which is the capacity of the larger of the two fire engines at the central station). The seaward ends of these pipes would be below low-water level and laid with a fall of 1 in 1000 to their terminating points. Intermediate positions for drawing off water at convenient places should be provided. Penstocks should bo placed near the inlets to the pipes at the harbour front in order to keep same permanently charged with fresh water. The obstruction caused by the growth of mussels would in a short time render same of little use- otherwise. A ' RELIABLE WATER SUPPLY. The advantages of snch a system aro that a reliable supply of water would be always available for fire extinction in case of the town supply being cut off. The' pipes conveying the water to the tanks, through not being subjected to great pressure, would not be likely to collapse and be rendered entirely useless, even when subjected tb severe earthquake shock. The positions for the termination of the pipes would probably be as follows :: — ■ In Bunny-street near Lambton-quay. In Waring Taylor-street near Lamb-ton-quay. In Biandon-street near Lambton-quay. Near the intersection of Customhoußequay and Lambton-quay. At the intersection of Mercer and Victoria-streets. In Cuba-Street Extension, as near to Manners-street as possible. In Taranaki-street near Courtenayplace. In Tory-street near Courtenay-place. The average length of piping would be 15 chains. Owing to the great depth of excavation (a maximum of probably 14 feet) the expense of laying such pipes, which would be below low-water mark, would ba considerable. The estimated cost of the work as proposed Would be £7000. In this estimate is included the cost of wells for the suction pipes of the fire engines. The pipes proposed should be 18in in diameter and of past iron. As against the above proposal, they considered whether such would be needed after the duplication of <the main from Wainui-o-mata has been completed. Such a main, if of steel, would i give greater security against earthquake shocks than cast-iron piping, and would be of service throughout practically the, whole of the city and Miramar. The time had arrived when the duplication of this main should bo seriously, considered, with a view to placing a loan for its construction before the ratepayers. WEAKNESS OF THE EXISTING MAIN. The undoubted weakness of the existing main, its faulty location ,and the difficulty of access .thereto, in narrow tunnels and other places, also the undesirable manner in which the pipes are jointed, constituted a grave danger at all times. Quite recently the water was off for four days, consequent upon a burst in a tunnel near the Wainui Post Office, in which it was impossible either to _ knock out the damaged pipe or to bring a new one into position. Repairs of a rather unsatisfactory nature had to be made. Should a serious burst occur in the tunnel through the Waiwctu Hills, a considerable time would elapse before any such could be righted again. A new tunnel would be required through the Waiwetu Hills for the new main. This would take some time to complete, probably six to nine months. The new bridge over the Hutt River would probably be completed in about fifteen months, and if the above-men-tioned tunnel could be proceeded with contemporaneously with the bridge the main should be laid as soon after the completion of these works as possible. In the event of the existing main being duplicated, it is recommended that same be carried through Mount Victoria in a tunnel for future extension to Kilbirnie and Miramar and connected up to the present system at suitable places. It was also recommended that a service reservoir at a level of about 300 feet above high-water mark should be constructed in a suitable position — the reservoir to be capable of holding one day's supply for the whole of the city. This latter provision would serve to equalise the pressures during the 24 hours, and- with a reflux valve fitted on the main at the northern end of the city a further guarantee of a sufficient supply of water for fire extinction at all times would be provided. It was also to be remembered that in a few months a very much greater reserve would be available from the Karori waterworks, and after the provision of a duplicate main with the service reservoir and the Karori supply there need be no danger anticipated through the failure of any part of the whole system. MULTIPLICATION OF PIPES. The multiplication of the pipes now to be found throughout the streets of the city was becoming a very serious matter, and was frequently occasioning great difficulty in dealing with matters of drainage and other works. It was not advisable to have an unnecessary addition to the present net-work of pipes in the streets of the city. Taking the whole of the preceding matter into consideration, the engineer and superintendent were strongly of opinion that before expending a large sum of money on a supply which could be used only within a prescribed area, it would be wiser to proceed as early as possible with the duplication of the Waincu-o-mata main, which would be of benefit to the entire community. The committee recommended that the Wainui service should be duplicated as soon as possible, and that the finance committee should be instructed to take the necessary steps. The report was adopted after the Mayor had answered a suggestion that a loan for a Bum aggregating £290,000 should be floated on the London market. He said it was one thing to raise £100,000, but a very different thing to raise £290,000. It was to him an entirely new idea in finance to rush a number of loans on to the London markot at one time, especially at the present juncture when the Home market \va» very eenei-