FIRE PREVENTION.

Timaru Herald, Volume CI, Issue 15393, 9 July 1914, Page 9

FIRE PREVENTION.

PROVISION MADE AT" TEMT7KA. REPORT BY INSPECTOR HUGO. At last night's meeting of the To-' nuika lioroutrli Council, Inspector Hugo's report 011 the Terrruka High X'i iisiare yuccr fsnppiy and the Jj'ire Brigade was presented as follows: '"l'ho Borough has a population (official estimate 1913) of 1523, an area of 945 acres, of which some 150 acres are park lands, reserves, etc., about 1A nuJes in Ifejigth East and West with a'n average breadth of 50 "chains divided into two irregular parts by the railway line. It is level tOiroughout, and, with the exception of the business section covering about 10 acres in the south-west corner of the town, of a residential character* with <thb dwelling-houses mostly' of wooden <jorfstriictiou. /well detaciied.

Neany-all the business premises are nominally built*of brick but contain a largo amount of wood. Water is obtained from tho Waihi, river by means of a perforated iron cylinder sunk at she side of the river bed, and conveyed to the Borough boundary at Cass S-'reet; fii'sfc tlu'ough 7:2 chains of 9-inch pipe, then reducing to 8-inch for a, further 234 chains. From Cass street a 6-inch main runs along Main South road as far as High street; a second 6-inch main runs from Cass street across line railway lino for a short distance into the eastern portion of the town. From the two 6-inch mains, the reticulation ii, by means of 5-incli. 4-inch, and flinch piping, there being some 600 chains of the last-mentioned size laid down.

As taken from tho plans of the water system, the feet head on the pipe level in Cass street is 71.59 feet (equal to 31 lbs) and ab .the' Post Office 87 rc&z (equal to 37.721b5) ; but tlio reading on both my guages, taken on a standpipe 2 l'eet above pip© level', at Cass street gave t '34lbs (78.43 feet head), giving an output of 350 gallons per minute, and at tho Post .Office corner 42Ibs (96.58 feet head).- (Upon my return to "Wellington both instruments were carefully tested,. and tho above; readings ma;\' be taken as correct.). Tho street hyclvants are. of the ordinary. ball pattern, with 2J-mch waterway adequately spaced, and- they with their indicators appear to be 'maintained in good order.. . .The . main, station is situated in tho south-west corner, of .the. town, close •to the hus : ness section, and consists of a,, shed for housing the plant,'with ■a meeting room attached. The equipment consists, of one manual engine, one- hand-drawn hose reel, 650 feet 2-i-inch unfiled canvas hose, two standpipes. four branches and sundry nozzles. Both station and plant are in a neglected and ditty condition. The •north end equipment consists of one har.d-drawn lioso reel, at nrosent housed on private property, with 500 feet oMiose,-one atandpipo, and two branches w: J :h rozzlcs.. . There is a sniail recl-shcd in Denmark street with simiJar equipment. The plant at these two last mentioned stations is in bet- | tor order than thai at the main station.

The strength cf ihe Brigade is Captain, Lieutenant, and 17 iireuieri, at present one short o| : the authorised number, viz., '2O all told. At the inspection muster. there were present, the Captain. I/icutenant and 10 firemen, or 7 .short of the number at present on the roll; therefore I ennnot speak of the Brigade as a whole. Those iu attendance appeared to lie nr. active and witting lot of men. A short wet. drill was parried out, but thero was a considerable amount of excitement, and it ;s apparent that tho men require more instruction and drill. Tests made of the available working pressure■■resulted as follows: On tho 6-inch main in King street — standing pressure 42'.1j. flowing pressure 311bSj discharge 70 gallons per minute. On a. 3-inch branch off the fi-ineh main—standing 421bs, flowing rJOlbs, discharge 6S gal'lons. One hundred feet of hose and flinch nozzle was used in each case. The tests were curtailed and were not altogether of a satisfactory nature, owing to the branches not fitting my instruments. IIECO}iMENJ)AT I 0 X S. The pipes arc of smaller diameter, right throughout the whole of the reticular .on. than should have been laid d.cwn. This- particularly r applies to the 3-inch mains. of which there is such a largo proportion, viv.., some. (500 chains. (The laying down of 3-inch pipes for lire prevention purposes has Jong been looked upon by expert water engineers, as well as Fire. Brigade authorities. as both an reonom:e and utilitarian mistake). But tiiie most, serious aspect, of your water -supply is the low available pre-snire, that is not at all adequate for lire nreventiVui piiryosos, and a?; the most economic' raue'dj

t I would recommend'-that a pumping j plant be installed forthwith. A 4-inch i pipe should bo laid from tlio 4-inch j main in Wihnhurst road along Vine street and connected up with the 3-mch dead end; tikis for the better protection of tlio business premises in King j street.

A site sliould bo acquired somewhere iti tlio vicinitv of the corner of Wood Street and lying Street ; a new central station erected thereon, providing •sleeping accommodation for not less than four men, and equipped with a motor lire appliance. This would then afford all the protection required in the western portion of the town; the motor would also render assistance at any fires occuring in the eastern portion. For tlio eastern part, the reel shed and its equipment, at present in Denmark Street, should- be removed to a site 011 the corner of R.nyner and Alexandra Streets, and a similar reel and equipment provided, say about tho corner of Maude and Alexandra Streets. The report was not discussed by the Council. .