HOW TO CONTROL LARGE FIRES.

HOW TO CONTROL LARGE FIRES.

The problem that the Firemen of to-day are called upon to solve, is how to control large fires. For all ordinary purposes, the apparatus now in use is adequate. Modern fire extinguishing machinery, with the Fire Alarm Telegraph as an adjunct, and the extraordinary celerity with which Firemen reach the scene of conflagration, make it possible for Fire Departments to cope successfully with the great majority of fires, and, indeed, to extinguish them in their incipiency. But it is the fires that get under good headway before they are discovered, occurring in tall buildings in the midst of solidly built blocks, that are beyond the control of the present fire apparatus, that entail the heavy losses upon the country, and make patent the fact that new and improved fire extinguishing machinery is necessary. Abundant illustration of this has occurred this year already. The season of conflagrations opened with two large fires in New York, involving a loss of upwards of $3,000,000; Chicago, St. Louis, Philadelphia and Brooklyn, followed with conflagrations, very nearly equaling those of New York in destructiveness. In every instance these fires occurred in large, tall buildings, constructed on the modern plan of Crowding as much highly combustible material as possible into the space afforded by the four walls, and furnished with all recent improvements for spreading the flames from one story and from one building to another with the greatest celerity. The utter impossibility of our present fire extinguishing machinery controlling fires occurring under such circumstances was shown in every one of these instances. The Steam Fire Engines were not of sufficient capacity to project a solid stream to the tops of the buildings, and the streams they could throw were of no value till the fire had burned down two or three stories and then it was under such headway that it could not be controlled. Under such circumstances, all the Firemen can hope to do is to save adjoining property, but, when that property is constructed similarly to that which is burning, the task is almost as difficult as to put out the fire.

Any apparatus calculated to aid in the extinguishment of large fires is deserving of every attention at the hands of fire authorities, and inventors and scientific men should be encouraged to exert their ingenuity in devising aids to the Fire Service. Such a machine was exhibited in this city last Saturday, in presence of Fire Commissioners King, Gorman and Van Cott; Chief Bates ; Assistant Chief Shay; Chiefs of Battalion Orr, Gicquel, Bonner and Wilhelm ; Captains Ward, McLaughlin, Bresnan and Erb ; Colonel Jussen, Secretary of the Department, and a large number of Firemen, insurance men and civilians. The machine is known as a Portable Water Tower, an illustration and full description of which appeared in No. 80 of THE JOURNAL. It is the invention of Mr. Logan, a practical machinist of Baltimore, and is owned by Mr. Abner Greenleaf, of that city. It having been brought to the attention of the New York Commissioners, they invited an exhibition in this city, and Chief Bates was instructed to furnish every convenience for a thorough test of the apparatus, which he did in a manner to win the lasting gratitude of the owner. The test was in every way satisfactory, and all who witnessed the operation of the machine expressed the opinion that it was a practical and desirable adjunct to Fire Departments.