HAWERA’S WATER TOWER.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 17 June 1924, Page 7

HAWERA’S WATER TOWER.

ITS USE IN FIRE FIGHTING. A STATEMENT CHALLENGED'. At last night’s meeting of the Borough Council Cr. Morrissey drew attention to the report of the superintendent of the fi re brigade appearing in Saturday night’s Star. Or. Morrissey referred to the statement regarding the water pressure, which was quoted at from 251 bs to 75 lbs from the hours of the morning until the hours of the night. “We all realise that that is a normal pressure,” said Cr. Morrissey. Continuing, he mentioned that part of the superintendent’s report which said, “The fire risks of Hawera warrant more modern ideas than the water tower.” Cr. Morrissey contended that the superintendent- should not have made .such a, reference to the water tower without first seeing what the water tower would do. The water tower had been built for .a special purpose—fire fighting—and Inspector Hugo had said that four leads of hose would give 601bs pressure for eight hours, and corre,spondingly, six leads would last six hours. The readings of the pressure which the superintendent had taken were only the normal readings of the water mains. It would be very nice to duplicate the main, but it would not be very nice to overload the town with taxation. If they did it would sink. Some people thought the water tower was a “white elephant,” but he did not think so. With the water tower we were in the position that-, if the water main broke, there would be available the pressure from the tower as stated by inspector Hugo. Cr. Morrissey was fully convinced that the water tower was as good to-day as on the day it was erected. We had never had a big fire in Hawera to try it out. Cr. Osborne, who is also chairman of the Hawera Fire Board, said that the superintendent was not condemning the water tower; he was simply doing his duty in giving the ordinary readings of the water pressure at- the" fire station, and no doubt he would be trying the water tower out. The superintendent realised that GOlbs was no pressure to cope with a serious fire.

C'r. Morrissey said he considered the superintendent’s statement to be very close to condemning the tower. Hawera had no buildings higher than two storeys, and if the brigade could get six leads of OOlbs each on to any outbreak it would bo sufficient to cope with any fire wo would have in Hawera for years to come.

The Mayor said the superintendent bad had in bis mind the purchase of a fire engine tender, and the cc operation of the County Council in establishing an up-to-date fire fighting system. The Fire Board had absolute confidence in the water tower, and the council bad nothing to fear from the superintendent's renort.

C'r. Champion said that ns an old experienced fireman lie know it was not only necessary to have a- spread of water, but it was also necessary to have a force of water.