FIRE PROTECTION AT THE WHARVES

Evening Star, Issue 15138, 20 March 1913, Page 8

FIRE PROTECTION AT THE WHARVES

AND ON THE WATER FRONT.

The necessity of providing something bettor than a Jin main in the streets running along the wharves and the water front has long been commented upon by rhe Dunedin Eire Board, who, indeed, wrote to the last meeting of the Harbor Board complaining of the inadequacy of the supply. The. Harbor Board’s reply was received at yesterday’s meeting, and announced that it was a matter for the City Corporation, who controlled those mains.

Tho Chairman (Mr r l'. Clialmcr) said that at present only a 4in main ran past part of the wharves, and the water running through it would be entirely inadequate to deal with a fire which might break out in the large quantity of goods sometimes stacked in the sheds and on the wharves. lie said that for ordinary fire purposes a Gin main would be sufficient, but in special cases—for instance, where a fire broke out on a steamer—a 9in main would be necessary. Another point which had to bo considered was that a fresh dangerous goods area had been opened near tho Victoria wharf. The area at Anderson Bay was now pretty well availed of, and permission had recently been granted to a Dunedin firm to establish oil stores near this wharf. There again special protection would be needed. As they knew, the Harbor Board had approached the City Council several times to get an improved water supply, but tho council had replied that they could not make any change in the meantime. However, seeing that ’the whole of the harbor lay alongside, all that was required was a pump to make the sea water available, and he thought it hardly seemed fair to ask the council to go to the expense of putting in a 9in main, under the circumstances, against the cost of a pump,, which ho thought should bo provided by the Harbor Board. The ships lying at the wharves were outside the Fire Board’s district, but during tho time he (the chairman) had been on tho board thenbrigade had dealt with three outbreaks on steamers. It was resolved that the chairman and superintendent put the position before the chairman of the Harbor Board.