FIRE PLUGS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 119, 12 July 1911, Page 2

FIRE PLUGS.

WHY ARE THEY HARD TO h.sd? CAPTAIN OF THE BRIGADE TO REPORT. Ci 1 Paget moved at Monday nights mot tii';.-, o! the Borough Council that i/'o captain of the Fire .Brigade ho request <<d to wait on the Council with legar I to the repeated failure to 10e.i,: e.i,: ; ! i!•-plugs at recent liras. Pie ;.i e*( .'it ni sil ’on was very deplorable in view of the line brigade tno town ivsncssed It was a good brig.t'l-r.

and lie did not desire to cast aspersions m tile members, or on anybody else. All lie desired "O km.w w.m why the failure to locate was so frequent. In regard to Sunday’s five, ho believed that the man sent to had a ping took a citizen’s word that it could not he found, and wont away to look for another without making an effort to locate it. Ho (the speaker) believed that plugs did occasionally get covered over, and probably they would continue to do so for ever, hut what lie wished to do was to obviate the difficulty as much as possible. The difficulty in finding plugs was a very serious matter. What was the use of our firemen practising sprints to cut off a few seconds from a run with he hose if they had to spend up to twenty minutes looking for a plug. Two or three times recently there had been difficulty in finding pings, and there surely was some method of getting over it. If the post showing tiro distance to the plug was in tiro proper position, and the distance was measured properly, there should he no difficulty in finding the plug. At present the brigade relied on stepping to find plugs. He thought they should carry a knotted rope, one end of which could bo attached to the post, the knots indicating the number of feet. A man using the rope would very soon become expert and Ire aide to locate the plug accurately. He knew of posts, however, which were not in their proper positions. r J he thing had become more than a nu;san.ee—it was becoming a scandal. Perhaps it would be advisable to appoint some paid man to enquire into the matter. It was highly important that something ire done, both as regards saving property and life. Cr. Ward seconded the motion. That evening he had spent half an hour looking for two plugs opposite his house, and he defied anybody to find them in less time. The Borough workmen had been filling in on «fic street, and had, no doubt, covered the plugs. In Pembroke Head the water pipes ran along the mud side of tire road, and mud naturally drifted over tire plugs. Cr. King could not see how tho brigade had failed to find the plugs on Sunday—he could have found them in two minutes. The plugs wore not covered with two inches of gravel, but might have had an inch or an inch and a half of mud over them. Cr. Boon contended that tho plugs actually were hard to find. Such occurrences were very discouraging to the firemen. He thought concrete should be put round every plug, and tho plug raised to the level of tho crown of the road. Cr. Paget said concreting did very ,ic!l when the ping was suirouncPd by metal, but with rii'ud surrounding it there was difficulty. Instead of the ping being bunecl by the mud i! would be left wit#®>bout six inches showing above tho road level, and the Council would be responsible for any accident arising therefrom. No doubt wKbiT'tliey consulted 1 the cap tain of the brigade soiiic solution would bo suggested. Tho motion was carried. It was also decided, on the motion of Cr. Lawson, that a man be sent round to uncover such plugs as have been buried, and to report on the condition of each plug.