The New York Herald Newspaper, November 15, 1872, Page 4

SIENCE VS FIRE, Something About New Theories of Extinguishment of Conflagration. “+ THE “BLOWING-UP” BOARD, What Is Thought of the Proposition. OPINIONS FOR AND AGAINST IT. Is the Theory a Sound One P What the Practice Amounted to in Chicago and Boston. THE SALT WATER PROJECT. General Shaler’s Views of a New Sys- tem and Its Feasibility. Fearful Inadequacy of Our Present Water Supply. THE DANGERS THAT MENACE US Condition of the Fire De- partment. Opinions of Commissioners Shaler and Hitch- man, A. A. Low and Others. A few ctays since resolutions were adopted by the Chamber of Commerce of this city looking to the organization of a board ot engineers, as auxiliary to the Fire Department, to be invested with suthority in times of imminent danger from con- flagration to take possession of and blow up with powder or other explosives such buildings as they may deem necessary to prevent the spread of the Gre. A suggestion was also made by a member for asystem of supplying salt water in great and abundant quantity for the exclusive use of the Fire Department in extinguishing fires, In order to learn the views of gentlemen whose exverience in the science and practice of fighting the fire-fiend should give their opinions on this matter weight with the public, a Henaup reporter called on Wednesday afternoon at the headquar- ters of the Metropolitan Fire Department to con- verse with the Fire Commissioners on the subject. The Board was in secret session at the time, and it was upward of two hours before the reporter could obtain an audience of any of the members, At the end of that time two members of the Com- mission, General Alexander Shaler, who has re- vently returned from Boston, and Commissioner Hitchman, being at leisure for a short time, cx- preased their views quite freely on the state of the department, the means of prevention of con- fagration and THE ENTIRE DOMAIN OF FIRE. Geuera! Shaler, in reply to a question as to what he thought of the proposal for a “Bilowing-up” Board of Engineers, said:—‘I do not feel justified at present in expressing my views in very decided form on the subject, but from the information I tave obtained on the subject I am prepossessed in tavor of tite system of blowing-up, or rather blow- ing down butidings, to prevent the spread of fire. To state the subject more fully—my attention was Specially called to the blowing-up of buildings dur- (mg the Chicago fire, and learning that a similar expedient was either resorted to or about being applied the other day at Boston, I thought I would go on to examine into the eperations. I consulted with Chief Engineer Damrell, of Boston, om the matter and he explained tome fally what had been done. He told me that as soon as it was Guggested that buildings should be biown up to oheok the progress of the fire he catled the Board of Engineers about him, and the result of theit consultation was that eight out of the tweive members expressed themselves as very decidedly Opposed to the proposition, He found, however, that the public desire and clamor for the applica tion of some such extraordinary remedy was s0 very strong that he finally decided to try it. A number of buildings were accordingly deatroyed; but Mr. Damrell assured me that there was not a particle of good done by the operation, f@r the fire burned over the débris very rapidly after the explosion. Indeed, he gave itas his ‘opimion that the blowing up of buildings under gvek ciroumstances is quite a mistake, for the rea- son Ghat falling sparks from the fire are much more Mkely-to ignite the crushed and fallen mass of tamper and woodwork after the explosion than would be the case if the building were leit intact, Then again, leaving out the danger of falling Sparks, if the fire burns up to the ruins of the destroyed buildings, it willrun over the mass ef fen débris much quicker than it could Ge tf the building were standing with its walls in- tact and its timbers toa certain extent covered. 48 s00n as it was suggested to blow up these butid- Inga in Boston the autnorities communicated with General Sheridan on the subject as to the method to be resorted to, as it was understood that he had blown up a number of buildings at Chicago during the great fre last Fall. The General replied that he had nothing to do with the blowing up of these butidings, that it was dene by,persons not in eu- thority and on their own account and that so iar as he knew it had not contributed in any degree towarc staying or Iimiting the progress or extent of the fire.” “Then, General, you do not think that ‘blowing up’ is the best method of checking a fire,” interpo- lated the reporter. “Well, to tejl the truth, I shoulda be slow to express mysef! in that form, though I will say that tn the light of my present information on the sub- ject I do not think it always best or safest. The fact ia, that the matter ts jast now being examined into critically and carefully, and as it is one of these things that occasionally force themscives upon the public attention it will bear a good deal of careful investigation before any definite conciu- sion can be reached.” “But, General, was this work done by the Fire Department in Boston or by troops? “ft was done by the Fire ment. Of course feeny actually make # great deal of diference if the BUILDINGS WERE BLOWN UP in @ scientific manner. There are msny considera- tions invoived in that question, in knowing how and where and in what quantity to the charge of powder. Jt would, of cour: require judgment of an expert order to tell wh @ cer- tain kind of burl could be best destroyed with & certain quantity of powder placed in a given po- sition, and to regulate the charge so that as little damage as possible would be done outside of the barm sought 40 be effected. “Do you think it *wouid be advisable to establish & bureau or board of engineers in connection with the Fire Department, whose duty it should be to blow op buildings when it might be found advi- sable 7" “{ cannot say that I do. Ido not see sity of establishing such a board. Its main! would be em te! ten ex, board would no’ called upon for the exercise of function Indeed, it woud never be galled upoa excess to avert great neces- nance and the NEW YORK HERALD, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 187: calamity by fire. Fortunately such occurrences are rare—at least, in New York—and I do know that should such an event occur I could find within an hour, at any time, a competent en- ineer to direct #1 an undertaking as the biow- ing up of a row or a block of houses, Indeed I have thought of it, and have got a dozen of them at my. fingers’ ends, so to speak. However, as this mal ter is being 80 extensi taiked of, 1 intend ina few days to take measures to mform myself thoroughly by the opinions and advice of en- gincers both as to the advisability of such a method and the plan of operations,” “Whatdo you think, General, of Commodore Levy's suggestion beiore the Chamber oi Com- merce, to have the city supplied with a complete SYSTEM ALT WATER fag, use in case of tires ‘Well, that,’ replied tne General, ‘1s an idea that | put forward some three or jour years age. I sent several communications on the subject to the various departments concerned, and 1 think Mr, Craven, Engineer of the Croton Board, looked very favorably upon the proposition, My plan was to have the water forced er power, say from the Battery throughout the city, or there mignt be auxiliary engines on the North and East Rivers if the Battery engine was found insufiloient. I suggested the laying of two great mains the length of the city, with supply pipes diverging trom them and @ great head pressure of water. ‘The salt water would be very effective when thrown ona fire, and the supply of Croton water for all domestic purposes wouid not be interfered with, The mains and pipes for the conveyance of this water supply would be much larger than those now used, s0 as to drown out a fire at the start and leave no | Figgas of @ great con- fagration, I think the system might readily be #0 periected as to do with the use of fire engines altogether, by having a suilicient ‘‘head”’ of water to throw @ stream direct trom the hy- drant. This would require the use only of hose carriages and trucks, and there would be none of the risk of accident, a8 there now is, by having steam engines with bright, glaring fires and amoke whirled h our crowded thoroughfares, with imminent risk of frightening horses and crushing ‘6. es re yon estimated the cost of such asystem, General “Mr. Craven and myself estimated it at about $10,000,000, the samme vies ae a9 feat mate, The expense oi the present Fire ig about $1,000,000 per sanum, and | think the salt water system could be sustained and the ‘interest nee On the $10, 000 for the same annual expen- ture as our Fire tment now requires.’’ “Then you would require nothing more than hose cal and hook and ladder trucks for service under such a system ?”" “Well,” replied the General, “I should think it necessary only to retain a few, say three, engines to meet unlooked-for emergencies, or in case of accident vo the pipes or engines.’” “Did not your plan, General, also inciude a pro- vision for cleansing the streeta? 1 think | remem- ber that it did.’’ “Yes; it was to provide for a amall outfow ot salt water from the hydrants into the gutters so as to keep them clear, and in this way to aid the dis- coe of the sewers. All the pipes and hydrants, nozzles, copnections and so forth would have to be much larger than the Croton water pipes. Then 1 have no doubt, also, that we might utilize the salt water to clear Bi way of snow in the Winter timé, Of course the system has never been wrought out.in any detail—nothing more than in a gem@ral way—but | think SOMETHING WILL BE DONE THIS WINTER to perfect it, and probably to put it into operation. One Other littie consideration regarding it is this: I belteve that quite a revenue might be derived from the use of salt water in private houses for bathing purposes. It is recognized that salt water has very valuable sanitary and medical properties, and 1 think there sre thousands of families who would be willing to pay a small yearly fee ior the intréduction of pure salt water to their bath- roous.’” “Ig the supply of Croton water ample to guaran- tee the city reasonable safety in case of fire?" “The Croton supply is not as abundant as could be desired, but THE GREATEST RISK Wottld be in some sections of the city where the supply pipes are very smallin diameter. There are several such localities, which, 01 course, are known to the department, and we sometimes are very considerably embarrassed when a fire occurs there. We find it impossibie to supply the steam engines trom contiguous hydrants, and they are, as a consequence, compelled to lay greater lengths of hose and go to hydrants more remote from the scene of fire. Then, again, we have an imperiect system of hydrants. ‘I'he pipe which runs up through most of our hydrants is from two and a half to three imeches in terior diameter, while the suctiqn pipes of the steamers have an inside diameter of about five inches, You can readily imagine with what a velocity the water must be drawn through the small hyarant pipe to fill that suction connection. MOST OF THE ENGINES are capable of throwing two or three streams of water, but the hydrants cannot in most instances supply them.” ee the pipes for your proposed system be of nf “Yes. So far as the matter has been considered it was designed to have iron pipes. ‘fhe question of oxydization of iron by the salt water was con- sidered, but engineers and other scientific men give it as their opinion that the oxydization would be trifling in the extreme and oi no detriment to the pipes.”’ in conclusion, the General expressed the opinion that the efficiency of the New York Fire Depart- ment cannot be improved or increased with the Present system of water supply and of appliances, and that department is capable of making a tremendous resistance to the progress of any con- flagration. ‘ Indeed,’? he said, “it has become a Tule almost of our present fire service that the fire shall be confined to the building in which it origi- Bates," OUR PRESENT SYSTEM. President Hitchman gave the reporter a number Of statistics in reierence to the force, irom which it appeared that the department bas now a total of y-seven steam engines in active service and four in reserve and thirteen trucks. Each engine is supplied with about fifteen huudred feet of hose, and there is besides a reserve of 6,000 feet of new hose of the best description. The force embraces 5 have recovered from the effects of the recent equine . Mr. A. A. Low, who suggested the scheme belore the Chamber of Commerce oi a board of engineers tor the effective demolition of buildings in case of @ great conflagration in this city, was visited by a HERALD reponter at his office, ik 3 Pua. aly. ata ine very readily proceeded to: inal idea, “It vas merely a suggestion,” said he, ‘brought about by THE NEW NECESSITY that seems to have developed itecif. As the mat- ter stands at present the expediency of ‘blowing y its to reat with the Mayor, whois likely ing. It looks like a on o be reluctant and unwil! wanton the announcement of it that the fire is beyond for them to pro- Up” process. ever been made a ow—We have not had SUCH DEVASTATING FIRES a Sy introduction of our mod- Where the buildings are so compact and high, and tre narrow the nest thfown ous iy 8. Cor: h that firemen cannot get near 4 thus, white itis almost im- to ~ ry -« Nea flames in the lower part of UTTERLY IMPOSSIBLE TO REACH THB UPPER PART. ‘The result ts readily anticipated. The heat keeps the firemen at adistance and the flames extend their area just aa long as they have fuel to feed ‘And the blowing uj a3 is the ‘ gaae means of depriving them of that Mr. Low—Yes, and it is all the better if the meanscan be brought to bear as soon as it is known to be necessary, Here wasa large portion cose could be determined ‘upon, most’ probaly be- cess mined upon, mos there was a multitude of ‘counett'and no well means 0! the fla PrPend, Finady, they had’to, send to Governor's Yaiand for it. "TNé duty of this proposed Boara 4 TO HAVE ON HAND THE NECRSSARY MEANS to “blow up per ‘and to ye the engineer- IM Soe "9 %oe Wow wes the mater wi it ower, Doage, L Delleve, is engaged now aon the’ appointment of the commeittes, and tkink the merchants and insurance men are siready interesting themselves in ee . ‘The London papers, I gee, already ort process pursued in Boston. I hope it wit! be tnrther discussed and become & law. It is well to be prepared, although I hope such disasters as befell and Boston are many years away from us, THE INSURANCE MEN ON THE SUBJECT. ‘The secretary of the Gebhard Insurance Company expressed himselfas of the opinion that the “‘blow- ing up" process was an excellent thing provided it was in the hands of capable engineers, who knew just when, where and how to biow up the buildings most effectively. As to Commodore Levy's propo- sition for the INTRODUCTION OF SALT WATER for the use of fire engines, the Secretary sald it was calculated to ruin is, eat Out the engines and render the walls less duraple, and if the engines can possibly obtain a sufficient supply of iresh water it is iar preferable. The Seoretary of the German-American Company, which loses $109,000 by the Boston dre, was of the opinion that @ great deal of good would be done and confidence reatered by the appointment of ef- ficient mento carry out the explosion process. Where it is inettectually done, succeeding proba- bly in blowing out a front or side wall, as may be the case under incompetent management, it only makes an aGditional flue for the flames. As to the introduction of salt water the Secretary was ‘free to maintain” that while it added to the damage on goous generally, and injured the engines, when tt came to the question of burning the foe up or Br ad them down,” he preferred the latter alter- native. MANSARD ROUPS. Mr. A. A, Low, in response to @ question of the reporter, said that if the Mansard roofs could all be taken down it would be well. When he butt his present warehouse, ow Burling ye order to get his insurance cheaper he had to bi @ wall six or seven icet above the f to protect the building from fire in adjoining ¢ Mangard roof is not a wall of protectiom, but of exposure. Here on Wall street 1s @ hi building going up with every accepted firep! appliance about it—iron shatters and casements—and yet it is surmounted by @ wooden roof of the Mansard pattern, almost as combustable as @ fri ‘shanty, and entirely out of reach of a stream of water. y The Secretary of the Home Insurance Company, which: loses 000, was glad of any suggestion that would lead to an improvement, | Unquestion- ably, if our modern science could discover nothin; better than blowing up, it were well to hat ve me V bene. Prosident of the Manufacturers and Builders’ Insurance Company, also expressed Dimecif in favor of the provosed Board, provided its operations be acientifically red. OUR FIRE SERVICE. the Rain on Broadway. A series of experiments with the new self-propel- ling steam fire engine No. 20 was made yesterday afternoon at the Equitable Life Assurance Building, Broadway and Cedar streets, with a view of taor- oughly teating the capacity of modern engines to deal with the Mangard roof in case of fire. The ex- periments were made under the immediate super- vision of Fire Commissioners Shaler and Hitchman and Chief Engineer Perley. The steamer was loca- ted in Nassau street, at the Cedar street angle of the Post OMice, and a line of hose was laid through Cedar street to the Equitable Building and carried by ropes to the roof,a height of 110 feet. ‘The hose was then takem to the front cupola, or tower, of the building and an inch nozzle attached to the branch, There were then 600 feet of hose” laid, and the engine forced the water through this to the top of the tower with a pres- sure of about ninety pounds of steam. Tne gilt eagle which forms the top of the flagstaff is 200 feet above the Broadway pavement, and the water was thrown from the roof @ perpendicular height of seventy fect, so as to thoroughly saturate the “bird.” The elevation where the firemen stood who handled the spout is 130 feet above the street. Throwing the stream lateratly the water tell on the roofs of the houses on the epposite side of Broadway and as far up Broadway as the fire walls of the Mutual Lije Insurance Building. The en- gine was worked up to a pressure of 130 pounds of steam, but this was found to be unnecessary, as it worked too fast for the water supply, and was 4 Waste of power. This is the greatest danger in the lower part of the city—namely, the small car- rying capacity of the supply pipes in the cross streets, some of them being of but six inches di- ameter. One good steam engine will suck them dry, and with half a dozen engines working at contiguous hydrants on the same line of supply pipe they would each be able to throw little more than a heavy dew from the nozzles. A stream was afterwards throws from an inch anda quarter Rozzle with very gratifying results, Engineer Perley gave it as lus opinion that with the present supply of water down town & pressure of ninety- five pounds of steam is all that can be turned to account, as, witt a greater pressure, the engine, to use the fireman's expression, “runs away from the water.” The experiments closed with the throw- ing of a stream from the Broadway level against the tront of the Mutual Life Insurance building. This showed pretty conclusively (hat our engines cannot effectively reach higher than the fourth story when throwing water irom the ground level. The experiments were witnessed by large crowds of people in the street, and at times, as the stream was thrown from the top of the Equitable Bulld- tog, the artificial, as well a the prevailing natural ral ae made some lively stampedts among the people. THE GREAT FIRE IN BOSTON. New York's Great Danger. To THe Eprrog oF THE HERaLD:— Your suggestions of this morning on this last great calamity by fire are timely, and ought to be acted on in respect to future buildings, But what can be done to avert from this great “tinder- box” of a city as it now exists the fate of Chicago and Boston? A great fire once fairly underway in almost any locality below Canal street, under circumstances similar to those which spread devastation through the richest portions of Chicago and Boston, would fat exceed those enor- Mous disasters in extent and in the value of the property that would be desttoyed. Take, for in- stance, the site of the memorabie fire of 1836 and the district west and south of it, inclading Broad and Wall streets smd the lower part of Broadway—say from the Heratp Building to Beaver street or the Battery. Let @ fire get well under way in this quartet, te be carried by a high wind through and over the district in question, the destruction of property Would far exceed that in Chicago and Boston put together. Just fancy all the costly structures, with their contents, occu- Pted by the chief banks aud insurance compantes— by Bouse and Sub-Treasury, Stock Ex. ohuroh @nd everything else—swept of in twenty-tear hoers by a whirlwind of fre! Who can estimate the that such s calamity would inflict on the whéle country—the whole com. meréial world ; for iu e¥oh an event nothing could stay a terrible monty paRic? That such o catas- trophe is within tae beunds of protebulity, if not imminent, cannot be doubted after the two memor- sable examples so fresh in Bistory of the past. That the fo gd alarming character Goud The tiacy’ in "the. sappy ear Na lo" ‘rom raws nis sa] Croton pi The fur- uher down pod gO the less the supply. Sust let us su 8 case, where No more than twen houses ar baron How much reliance could cf placed on ext much less curtailing the spread ot, the de’ element, on the supply trom the D i? 1 answer none—none whatever. It vation ofthe calamity. The pew Croton pipes not, nor weuld the whole Croton supply, meet the demand for water in the event ofsuch a fire ag that hardiyyet extinguished in our suburban of Boston. If this were the only source of su of water our case might seem hopeless indeed. But now absurd to reat ge- cure on the resources of a brooklet, when we have got the ocean to draw from! A little reflection will show that our position and condition sre mot quite like those of the “ancient Mariner,” with water, water overy- where, and not a drop to drink. ‘The simple, prac- tical engineering question to be solved is, howto Talse from the two rivers, between which, at a short distance from the central line of Broadway, Hes the incalculable wealth of the city of New York—of the nation, in fact; for ina national point of view the business of New York is national prop- erty—sufficient water to squelch the most exten- sive fire. The idea is not my own. It was sug- ated by @ young gentleman at a dinner table oa londay evening, and your correspondent, being & practical man, has thonght it worthy of public consideration. The plan proposed is to have placed at suitable points on the two rivers— Say near Fulton ferry, on the Kast River, and Chambers street, on the Hudson side, powerful steam engines, not less than five hundred horse power cach, with towers of adequate height and ips to correspond. These ines and be set in ope- ration in the shortest practicable time, and from the initial points lay pipes—to be galvanized or tinned in: to prevent the corrosion of the salt water—through all the leading streets of the dis- trict most eapored, to great aud calamitous confla- With such a supply of ocean water aa WO such engines would provide a deluge could be: juced in an hour's time and be intained till he last disappeared. Addressing my- self to I wish it to be um ecrs, that my engine power is not to be measured b; the dewres named. I would not send a boy to do 3 man’s errand, bat would make the power equal to Teasonable emergency. Su} such @ scant ‘were to cost two, three or millions, what would that amount to in with the losses of either Cnicago or Bos OB hd York goes tition with these cities in the matter of ‘on it ahe a beat them both let the cout of prevention be measured by the certainty of the vastness of the damage it is cow to avers, that these Ho) tions may be carefully considered while the subject is before the public. New York, Nov. 12, 187: ENGINEER. Reliable Means to Prevent Conflagra- tions, To Tus Eprror oF THs HeraLp:— It is, perhaps, not generally known that at times the state of the atmosphere is not only far more than asually favorable to combustion, but that it {sso toan extent which renders the means now relied upon for extinguishing fires totally inade- quate. The writer has had opportunities to com- vince himself of this. fact in forest fires, partien- larly among mountain cedar timber, in which, at usual dry times, furious dead brush wood fires fail to commuhicate to the closely surrounding timber ; while at rare times, under no apparent change of ciroumstances, even @ moderate grass fire will communicate freely and simultaneously at various places to the growing timber. Such seems to have been the state of the atmosphere during last year’s conflagrations in the Northwest and again now at Boston. At such times our expensive and inade- quate fire engines, which spend most of their energy in churning up the water and overcoming friction in small hose, &c., become useless. Every one aware of the slender means thie and other cities have to depend upon in case of = conflagration must feel that such in- security should not be suffered to exist. Three fearful warnings have been given in little more than as many years. Who is willing to wait for still another? The first question is, Wil any safe plan involve inexpedient cost? The answer is emphatically, No. The pian here urged is not new io-its general principles, and has in its main fea- tures already received such endorsements as war- rant safe! ion. is Into its original element in their tion give gut all the heat i¢ to the water. Thatia not all. The gases which would otherwise tm smoke unconsumed are thas tral examples of the of the human mind that, e, where water is collected e: for fo! les and ai and ge’ future convenient e, if, fortunately, that con- venient time is not just a little too late to prevent the destraction of some hundred millions, The plan is this:— The river water being carried through the streets in large pipes let a four-inch pipe connected to the street eon carried into every house, or ev=: second, ‘d or fourth house, and up to ant beyond the roof, with suitable supply and waste re and hose connections in every story. ie friction through a four-inch pipe is about one-sixteenth of that through a two- inch pipe, and _ infinitessimal as compared to squirting water up through the air, A four-inch ipe of three-elghth inch iron, 100 ieet long will cost about seventy-five dollara. The details cannot be given without too much lengthening this communication, With such con- nections and @ due pressure and supply en over- whetming flood of water could be poured upon a fire almost at the instant of its inception, and with a few short pieces of hose every man could be a fireman at the time of emergency. The next point is, How is the supply to be produced and main- tained ’ During 1871 the Brooklyn Fire Department used inside of ten millions of gallons (see report of the Nassau Water Department). Pumping ma- chinery to deliver 100,000,000 of gallons in twenty- four hours could be kad for less than five hundred thousand dollars. One of the pumps could be con- stantly applied in furnishing water for ordinary street and fire purposes; the others could be made profitable in this wise:—Let there be workshops erected for lease on low ground near the river, rovided with power by water instead of steam. ‘This could be made a part of the dock improve- ment plan. The water would be furnished by these large pumps and utilized through water pressure engines. The consumption of coal would not be greater, if as great, as when applied to produce the same amount of manufacturing power in the usual manner by hundreds of scattered comparatively small boilers and engines, Upon tRege rare emer- gencies the workshop supply is cut off and the whole neray of the pu thus kept in com- plete wi ing order, could direc! upon the Points of danger. The of the arrangements are very simple. Whatever the original cost of laying |: through the streets, the mainte- nance of ire Department would be a fraction of what it now is. ie lives of our brave firemen ‘would be fur less endangered. Fire engines would be done away with. Streets and sewers would be cleansed with salt water; the health of the city improved, and muibene saved annually. The three fires dL. Portland, Oh! and } Which neces- are only the the peol le, of hea eat loainy wi they form pr a, nese who combined, wit! tance of the pi just and oan carry any j ficial measures, are the lea to take this matter into hand. The; hardly wait for another monitor to urge m to a closer investi- gation of suitable means once pointed ont eaeems am) ns? ‘Wet Blankets. To Tae Eprror or THE HeRaLp:— In a multitude of counsel there ought to be some wisdom. Perhaps the following suggestion may contain a grain :—That our Fire Department should be provided with rolls of thick woollen or cotton blanketing, su@icient to surround any block in the city. or stretch goog h across it, to be unrolled from the roofs of the houses surrounding the fre and reaching to the sidewalks; and a constant stream of water to be Kept upon them from and sidewise if possible. By this means it is pos- sible Pe ‘8 barrier to fire catching across a street from Ry alone, and Fn to protect D hough does notactualiy catch. i suppose an ordinance might bgt og compelling every householder to wide himself witht sumisiont material to cover front or rear of his house, if on experiment this tion should prove of any real value. I once read an account of the taking of Killala, Ireland, by the French, when the retreating Brit garrison set fite to thelr powder ma in the mudst of the town. The French coolly entered the and removed the powder to the centre of the ni dipped their coats in water and spread them over it, and though covered with Gt and brands no explosion . ATRICK WBLCH. A Frenchman on Mensard Roofs. To rae BpiToR OF 7HE HERALD:— In your discussions on Mansard roofs please take notice that American Mansard roofs are not French Mansard roofs. The Mansard roof, 80 called in not be built in fre may @xpect a cessation of the just pan ton has received during the it few Utilising the River Frontage. To Tam Eptton or THR HeRaLD:— VaLHaLLa, November, 1872. In connection with your expressed views en Tuesday allow me to note some ideas which I have for years entertained. Let reservoirs be constructed, say 25 by 100 feet, or 50 by 100 feet, or two city lots, as be deemed Haak plete ‘be built substantially ¥uirty forty fifty feet high, on elevated points of the isiand, ani the water'to be driven into each by an engine laced at the river. Take, for instance, a plot near head Chatham square; lay pipes under Catharine street to the East River; use the water tor fountains, cleansing of the sewers, &c., during Summer, always re! @ full ‘Of water for the exti hing of fires; and water would enable the Fire Department, the use of hose alone, without engines, to be of much service. On other safoed eat erect simtlar structures, with other en, and supply Pipes. c. The German System of Saving Valuables at Fires. To Tas EpiTor OF THe ABRALD:— Now that the city of New York is taking neces- sary precautions against fire, would it not be well to adopt the system used in every large city in Ger- many—namely, a large box of strong sheet iron, Tap dour jeet wide, Six feet hi and en feet long, with # door, with lock, behind, well secured on two axles and drawn by four horses? On alerm of fire the carriages, each under the superintendence of a sergean’ of police, are drawn near the fire, all valu- such a8 books, Jewelry, &c., are roeats the box and ‘taken to the police station, where they remain until the fire is over. No per- son is allowed to touch anything until all the sons having property in it are present. This m would provent many ~ losses from fire and thieves, the carriages aro dre and parglar proof, and —TRIPLE SHEET. the City Council! would do well to have. such Na es built. G. 7 Fout Apams, B. I., Nov. 13, 1872. The Salt Water System. To ram Eprrog oF THe H#RALD:— In your editoriat remarks this morning you very wisely recommend the laying of another large Groton main to supply the west side of down town 1M case of fire, in preference to the great expense of introducing the salt water system, which has been advocated by some during the past three or four years, Mains should be laid with sufficient capacity to supply freely the exigency ofa great conflagration. This does not affect the question of the sufficiency or otherwise of the Croton River, = out drafts ‘upon it are Len potrids ter me whole Ofovod water works coats BY The eae ot4 Fac yuck cedy 3 vol me lata Ba toltave a powerful steamy are® aap would be a Wise arrangement, and ceuld be extended without the Water in the stand dranéa, pn pelt lor fire engines ed *] limi wera poihs of our modern batld- i, eset te erin cn nae coula not throw water to the new Mansard roofs, they were so The system hee a, peel fe Bo) ion ie would be a mistake fo fore. Trou acs, Soretore, high aa to remove the necessity for | portable Far gts ty ae el supplibd from 9 aource, . pies EER. lovember 14, 1872, THE INSURANCE INTERESTS. The Excitement Abs of Security Only Temporarily Embarrassed—Ab- surd Rumor Regarding the Hope—The Danger of Centralizing Risks. There was a better feeling yesterday in in- surance circles, owing to the favorable reports made by the agents of some of the companies who have just returned from Boston. A few companies have discovered that the salvage will be larger on certain risks than was at first supposed. As an instance of this, one company who had a policy of $10,000 on dry goods in a commission house have the gratifying intelligence that owing to most of the stock having been sent to the jobbing houses their loss will be less than two thou- sand dollars, It is believed that other com- panies will have similar experience, and that their admitted losses will be materially de- creased on the final adjostment of the claims against them. Another cause for the abatement of the excitement is found in the fact that earnest efforts are being made by the directors of most of the companies more seriously affected to make up by assessments upon their stockholders the sums lost, so as to leave their capital and surplus unim- paired. In this effort most, if not all, ¢he compa- nies will likely be successful. Mr. Church, the Acting Insurance Commissioner of the State, is now In the city investigating the condition of the companies, and he promises to construe the law as liberally a8 he can in favor of all companies whose officers are honestly disposed to meet thelr just obligations and continue business on a sound financial basis. The lessons of Boston and Chicago it is belleved will be benedcial in that it will induce the fire underwriters to exercise more caution in accepting risks. Heretofore many companies have accepted as high as $10,000 risks on @ single city block, while more venturesome companies have taken all the way from $1,000 to $10,000 on almost. every other building ina block. ‘These late fires have demonstrated that these companies have suffered very severely, and that it is not safe to assume greater risks than $10,000 in eight or ten city blocks. The policy of concentrating risks in one or two cities, or ina few blocks at best, is a dangerous one, and those companies who have Scattered their business over a wide space of ter- ritory, and in various cities, have been but little affected by the Boston and Chicago fires. Carefnl insurance men express the belief that the distribu- tion of risks, as above indicated, is. the only way underwriters can protect themselves against disaster and eventual bankruptcy, and it is likely that in future this subject will re- ceive careful attention, not only by the National rd of Fire Underwriters that meets in this city on the 2ist instant, but at the hands of individual members of it. The condition of the Market, which temporarily nded on Wednesday, is not so bad as was anticipated. The President, Mr. Asher lor, sent @ careful agent to Boston to ascertain the loss, and they find that it will be less than at first supposed. He reports that the old company, from which the present Market is an offshoot, paid erchyaouse of the loss in Troy ten years lle the Chit litigation. gays that is a new Gpopany. Tesources to pay all in the Boston fire, and to meet all its resources, dollar for dollar. The directors are e! ed inan effort to secure the su of the si holders in restoring the capital of the company toits original standing, when business will be resumed, and the necessity of appointing a receiver be obviated. No further suspension occurred yesterday, although an reg rumor was ge in circulation early in the Gay that the Hope been forced to suspend. was of course & canard, as their loss was but eg their risks in the burnt district but $60,000, ere they to lose their entire ‘would still have their capital of $150,000, and $10,000 of their surplus left. Their agent, who has just re- turned from Boston, believes that their loss will be covered by $40,000. Taking the situation as it appeared yesterday there are strong grounds for believing that no more suspensions will occur among New York com- panies, unless the stockholders of tl or four are ‘unsuccessful in making good the loss. BOSTON ACCEPTS BROOKLYN'S OFFER OF ASSISTANCE. The Brooklyn Common Council, on Monday last, telegraphed their resolutions of sympathy to Boston, and expressed their desire to aid the suf- ferers in way that the Mayor would suggest. Yesterday ‘hod Powell received the following reply to the telegram :— Bosror, Nov. 12, 1872, Hon. 8. S. Powx.t, Mayor, Brooklyn:— . Thanks for your generous offer of assistance. Buttew dwelling houses have been . Our merchants have suffered great losses, which will react on the poor people. foe a Ree peed er agcept any pecuniary aid ape WILLIAM GASTON, Mayor. Subscriptions will be received at the office of the Mayor, Brooklyn City Hall, and on Monday next a special donation in aid of the suffererswill be made by the Board of Aldermen. NEW PUBLIOATIONS REOBIVED. From D. Appleton & Co. :—‘‘The Forms of Water in Clouds and Rivers, Ice and Glaciers,” by John Tyn- dall, LL. D., F.R. 3. Volume IL. of the “Interna- tional Scientific Series.” ‘The Amecient Stone Implements, Weapons and Ormaments of Great Britain,” by John Evans, F. R, §., F. S.A. “Contributions to Molecular Physics im the Do- main of Radiant Heat,” by John LL. D., F. RB. 8., “Major Jones’ Courtship: Detailed with Other Scenes, Incidents and Adventures, in a Series oi Letters by Himself." From James R. Osgood & Co., Boston:—“The Story of Sybille,” by Octave Feuillet; “A Camedy of Terrors,” by James De Mille. From J. B. Lippincott & Co., Philadelphia :—“My Last Cruise; or, Where We Went and What We Saw,” by Lieutenant A. W. Habersham, United States Navy. “The Boys’ Book About Indians; Being What I Saw and Heard for Three Years on the Plains,” by Rev. Edmund B. Tuttle. From Harper & Brothers:—“The Persongl His- tory of David Copperfield,” by Charles Dickens, lousehold edition. Vv From Dick & Fitagerald :—Encyclopedia of Prac. tical Receipts and Processes,” by William B, Dick. From G. P, Putnam & Sons:—‘The Greeks of To- Day,” by Charles K. Tuckman. ‘Hints on Dress; or, What to Wear, When to Wear It, an@ How to Buy It,” by Ethel C. Gale. y From D. & J. Sadlier & Co.:—¥'A Biographical Dictionary, for the use of colleges, schools and families; being @ Comprehensive Account of the Principal Personages of History,’ by Rev. Reuben Parsons, D. D. . From Qlaxton, Remsen & Haffelfinger, Philadel phia:—‘Dolly’s Resolutions; or, Letters From Abroad,”’ by Hannah Maria. From the Catholic Publication Society:—“All Hollow Eve; or the Test of Futurity,” and other stories, From T. Nelson & Sons, Edinburgh :—“The Moun- tain; from the French of Jules Michelet; with fifty-four ilustrations from designs by Percival Skelton. “Nature; or, the Poetry of Earth and Sea; from the French of Mme. Michelet; with 200 designs by Giacemell. THE SICK HORSES. a The New Phase of the Horse Disenso= The Stage and Car Lines Suffering, but tme Private Stables All Right— What Brought the Disease About—Mr. Bergh’s Views. The various car compantes and stage lines were seriously inconvenienced yesterday by the new phase which the,horge disease has assumed. The wet weather of course made matters worse in every respect, and horses: that could have been used wita a certain degree of safety had the weather been fine were in consequence laid upém the stables. Still several of the stage and car lines persisted during the entire day in driving their sick horses, and it is reasonable to suppose, therefore, that by to-day the list of fatal cases will be very considerably lengthened. Mr. Bergh and his om- cers were about and doing ag usual, and in several instances turned stages back.gn their way dowa town on account of the weak condition of THE POOR HORSES, A Huracp reporter, after making the rounds of the various car and horse stables, dropped into Mr. Bergh’s office and had a horse talk with him, the burden of which, as # matter of course,.re- Tated exctusively to the new disease now preve- tent, : ‘The fact of the matter is,” said the great Philonippic, “men owning good horses have no& taken the right kind of care of them. When they not ti were inflicted with that: jorses) should (the horses, he men) fhvenaa some time ago they (the ve been allowed a 5 is @ rebuke that cruel Ought to take to heart for the future. what bad treatment will do and what could an avoided by care and kindness," though, 48 been said, the number of horaes under the wi rr proved 8 serious in- convenience to many of the car and stage nies, there was NO PERCEPTIBLE INTERRUPTION TO A few si were hauled off and a few cara on some of the lines, but this was made up in peril abe cars and stages used making extra — . The car lines were especially able te lo this, as whenever they had to lay a team up and haul one car off they put double teams to one car. In all the stables sick horses were found, and seven fatal cases occurred—twoin the Third: ave- nue stables, one on the Kighth avenue, one on the Seventh avenue and one ta the Dry Dock stables. seems tO ® goneral re- luctance on the part of the men at the car sad stage stables to give correct information as to the condition of the horses. ‘They probably feel that the “‘relapse”’ of the poor horses was caused by the companies’ own cruelty in driving them when they were sick, and the less said about the matterin the papers the better for themselves, it should be stated, however, in conclusion, that the new disease does not seem to be general era! all the stables, and that there is little danger of its becoming epi- demic. The first class livery and private stables, where the horses when sick with the epizooty were Droperly cared for, are not afflicted with the s0- called “‘dropsy."’ With the return of dry weather the horses now sick and which are being well attended to will undoubtedly quickly recover. CONDEMNED TO DEATH. Henry Rogers, the Murderer of Poltce- man Donahue, in Brooklyn—His Friends Working to Save Him trom the Gallows. Henry Rogers, a member of the notorious “Bat- tle Row’ gang, 1s now in the Brooklyn Jail undes sentence of death for the murder of Policemaa Donahue in the Eastern District in July last. Rogers was sentenced by Judge Gilbert, of the Court of Oyer and Terminer, to be hanged on the 6th prox. Before his trial the condemned mam was without money and without friends to render him any assistance. He was defended by counsel assigned by the Court, and all through the trial he conducted himself with apparent indifference; but after his conviction, when remanded to the Raymond Street Jail, he was overcome, or, to usa an expression of one of the jail officials, “he wiltea.”” Since the conviction a number of Rogers’ friends in the Eastern District have been exerting them- selves in his behalf, and have raised a fund amount- ing, it is said, to about five hundred with: which to defray the expenses of counsel in an eibrt be pevente. another trial. They have retained Mr. 8. cer, of New York, who recently visit the jail, and had an interview cage. . Spencer obtained a copy of the testimony in the will shortly apply to the Su; e Court: of error and stay of proce go that the case may be before the ral Term.. It is understood that among the questions to be raised will be one aa to the legality of the empan- elment of the jury who convicted Rogers. ~The prisoner is somewhat encouraged by the activity of his triends in his behals, but does aot express an; aa to the result. He is fre- quently by friends, with whom he con- verses freely; but towards others in the jail he maintains a sérict reticence. The fund which has been raised to carry on his case is said to be in. charge of a man named Shev! m Fifteenth who is one of the visltore at fe jail, and the st is that it has been contributed to by several well-known men in the Eastern Dis- trict would take a more active part in this case they not fear the publication of names in the acho in ad There is a somewhat singular coincidence inthe case of rs and that of tne murderer Owen Hand. Hand was sentenced to be hung in De- cember, 1869, a few weeks prior to the expiration of Sheriff Campbell’s term. In. case great ef- forts were made to have the tence commuted to imprisonment for life, and, it may be remem- bered, they were ultimately successful. Sherif bell did not reliah the job of the execution, and influence was presse to bear upon the Gov- ernor, the result of which was that the execution was postponed and the sentence of death was subsequently commuted to imprison- ment for life. Now, it happens that the term of the present Sheriff, Anthony Walter, will expire on the 31st of Decenfber. rs is sentenced to be hanged on the 6th of December. Sheriff Walter, like his predecessor, don’t “‘hanker after” any such job—just now, at any rate—and prefers that it shall over into the hands of his successor, Aras G. Williams, the Sheriff elect. MEDICO-LEGAL SOOIETY. Regular Monthly Meeting Last Night— Paper on Juries and Physicians on the Questions of Insanity. Last night the Medico-Legal Society of the city of New York held its regular monthly meeting at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, corner of Fourth avenue and Twenty-third street. After the transaction of the usual routine business Mr. Stephen Rodgers, the retiring President, delivered an Teadresn, in which he poke of ihe honor he had takem in presiding over the deliberations of the socie' pa and was happy that he was retiring m the chair only, and not from the society, in whose welfare he feit s deep interest. Mr. Clark Bell, the President elect, then delivered his in: ral. In the course of his re- marks Mr. Bell stated that he was strongly in favor of (lpg? & complete library on medico- sud- jects, an institution the want of which is most eenly felt in New York. He the that society institute initiatory the forma- tion of such a library as wo fot only be an honor but a useful acquisition to the literature of the legal and medical profession of the metropolis, QUESTIONS OF INSANITY. Mr. P. S. Guernsey, of lew York es he paper of ine ve 4 lesa ‘a Physicians on Quest aper the gentlemen spoke of the dimcul Ie minh” ot rae ea ofp contradictory. He constitutes @ medical e: was not answered, nor it likely to be, judging from the conflicting testimony some of these gen- tlemen have given in recent trials, The next meeting of the society will be held on the 14th of December. A GERMAN KILLS HIMSELF. About eleven o’clock yesterday morning George Bieber, @ German, fifty-one years of age, who had been in poor health for some time and was out of em it, Committed suicide at his residence, 318 eae cone street, by severing the arte- vies of his lef wrist witha razor. Death ensue from Coroner Schirmer was no! ead Iwi wid ae inden on the body to-day.