FIRE AND WATER

FIRE AND WATER

HITHERTO it has been considered impossible to extinguish a bad fire in agrain or other elevator —especially when it breaks out high up in the structure. From the perusal of an article on the subject, relating to such a fire at Milwaukee, Win., and its successful extinguishment by the fire department of that city, it will be seen that the word "impossible” must, for the future be stricken out of the fireman’s lexicon (so far, at least, as elevator fires are concerned), and for it be substituted the phrase, quite practicable for handling provided the building is well supplied with the right kind of automatic nozzle.” This was the case at Milwaukee, and the wonderful way in whieh the Judge automatic nozzle aided the firemen in their work, and the amount of loss which was thereby prevented (as is shown by the illustrations accompanying the article) is an object lesson by which all firemen and insurance agents should profit.

REVERE outbreak of typhoid fever among the students of the State Normal and Industrial * * college at Raleigh, N. C., is clearly traceable to the use of bad well water. The college authorities have lodged some of the students in a rented dormitory, whose wells and the central well the report of the bacteriologists of the State board of health has jronounced unwholesome. But, before renting the louse used for a dormitory, it would surely have lieen more in accordance with the dictates of everyday, practical commonsense and prudence to have had tiie water of these wells subjected to both chemical and bacteriological analyses, and thus to have avoided the occurrence of the tyohoid epidemic. Strangely enough, however, that, os a rule, is the last thing thought of; and thus, no withstanding the countless warnings given the trustees of colleges, schools, and other public, or quasi-public institutions which are devoted to educational, charitable, penal, sometimes even to hospital—purposes, a location is chosen for the budding, after it has been discussed from every standpoint-except that of the abundance and the wholeeomencss of the water supply.