FIRE PROTECTION OF LONDON.

FIRE PROTECTION OF LONDON.

There is, undoubtedly, a popular belief that the greater the size of a city so also is the danger from fire. Of course, as there is reason in all things, there is reason why this impression should prevail. Prominent in the history of every large city appears an account of one or more conflagrations which its inhabitants have passed through. It is held to be an indication of energy and business activity to have surmounted the perils of a great fire and weathered its reverses. It is no discredit to Chicago or its people to say that it rather prides itself on account of its "great fire.” It flatters itself that no other city in the country would have recovered its equilibrium so quickly, and although it has a habit of dating every occurrence from that event it affects to treat the matter in the light of an advertisement only. It is a true that every village and every hamlet has had its conflagration, but of these the world never hears.

伦敦是迄今为止世界上最大的城市it is natural that the methods of fire extinction in vogue there should excite general attention. Numerically considered it will stand no comparison, and its area is probably much larger than that of any city on this side of the ocean, certainly than the settled part of any American city. Americans dwelling temporarily in the great metropolis are wont to institute comparisons between English Firemen, and English Fire Apparatus, and the home article. And to the credit of their patriotism, if not their powers of discrimination, the comparison is’always favorable to American Firemen and American Fire Apparatus. The tardiness of the men in arriving at the scene of a fire and the old fashioned Hand Engines arouse their risibilities, and they unite in declaring that if it was not for the non-combustible style of buildings erected in London the inhabitants would be afraid to go to bed nights—at least on windy ones. There is a good deal of truth in these criticisms, and it is pleasant to know that the officers of the London Fire Brigade receive them graciously. Readers of this paper are aware that an experimental fire alarm telegraph line was put up. in London some months ago, and that although its operation was for a time more or less interfered with by evil disposed persons it is now acknowledged to be an innovation of decided value. Last week we noted the fact that Chief Shaw had written to the heads of the Departments of our principal cities for information on the subject of quick hitching and kindred matters. He • freely admits that his companies are deficient in this important particular, and is now anxious to remedy the failing. There is a wide difference between the degrees of perfection required of Firemen in this country and of Firemen in Europe, and for this reason we should not criticise our transatlantic brethren too harshly. As a matter of fact, nobody who considers the question will dispute the statement when it . is said that it is infinitely more creditable to a people to build stable, fire-resisting houses than it is to build cheaply and try to guard against danger afterwards.