FIRE FIGHTING PLANT FOR LEESTON.

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume XXIV, Issue 4252, 5 March 1921, Page 2

FIRE FIGHTING PLANT FOR LEESTON.

While we have no'intention -of pitting our opinions against those of Superintendent Warner, of the . Christchurch Fire Brigade, who is an expert of long experience in regard to fire fighting appliances, we have a suggestion to offer which may. be worthy of the' consideration of the Ellesmere County Council and the Leeston Progress League. ;. ■At the present • time Leeston township has veryi little protection against fire, and if an outbreak occurred in the business portion of the main street it is more than likely that there would be disastrous result^ There is an old manual engine' which has long outlived its usefulness—a relic, we should think, ot -the earliest attempts made in the Dominion to deal with fires— and which is more often out of working order than otherwise. It requires frequent repairs and coaxing to- get any service out of it and when it is supposed to be in working order, it is so hard to operate that ten minutes on tlie handles is guaranteed to take rn^re out of a dozen men than would a strenuous hour at football. Forking sheaves is mere child's play I compared with it. The mi--•fortunate position in ' which Leeston is placed formed the subI ject of a discussion which took j place at a meeting of the Progress ; League several months ago. It was decided to ask the assistance of the County Council in an effort lo secure some sort of protection, and with a genuine and praiseworthy desire to assist theresil dents m this important matter, the i council engaged Superintendent ■ I Warner to,pay a visit and report :on the best means of meeting the ' situation. The report" was pub- : lished m full in the Guardian in January, and the council decided j to refer, it to the Progress League, !as a representative body •of citi- ; ".ens, for its opinion as to whether | the people, wished the council to carry out the superintendent's recommendations. Superintendent Warner advised the council' to spend a sum not exceeding £1750-r----£824 10s for a motor fire engine^ - hose, etc., the engine to be made up from* a .motor car chassis,*-with a pump attached capable of pumping 100 gallons of water a minute^P uniforms for the members of ■■ the .&£•". Fire Brigade, costing £162 8s .ffndjK the balance for a new fire station, . _ We are not particularly concerned just now about, the uniforms ■■:■■_, or the new station, as ..neither will he of much use unless the machine

which is to deal with outbreaks of fire is suitable for the township's r, needs and effective in dealing with outbreaks of fire. But we are concerned about the fire engine itself and the water supply. That a serviceable motor fire engine can be made up we have not the slightest doubt; in fact, there is one to be seen at Woolston which, we are assured^ does very : good work. The conditions prevailing at Woolston in regard to water supply are, however. Very different from those obtaining at Leeston. The question of an adequate supply of water for fire purposes at Leeston is the most difficult problem to solve. In his report Superintendent Warner ad 7 vised against diverting or dividing up the waters in the creek which flows through the township, preferring that water for extinguishing fires should be pumped from the creel, direct, as any diversion would spoil the supply. This would mean that certain parts of the township would have no water for fire purposes. As it would be necessary to v levy ..'".- a special rate to cover interest and sinking fund'paments on the proposed loan, there would naturally be objections.from some of the ratepayers to the payment of the special rate. The aim should be -;-■ "'• to give protection to the properties of as. many residents as possible: " . V The suggestion we-have to offer is this:. In the course of the next . few months, Lake Coleridge electricity will be available in Leeston for power purposes. By fitting up an electrically driven pump at some point along the township creek, or the creek which runs through Mr C. Eade's farm, and laying not more than a mile of water main, the township could have a high pressure supply which would serve practically all' parts of the fire area, and do away with the necessity of having a fire, en- : gine costing £824 and the, expense involved in maintaining the engine, which would not be "a small item. Instead of the fire engine a hydrant would be required costing under £20. There would be nothing to maintain except the hose and the pumping plant, which would need very little attention, and the cost.of running the plant for practice or when a fire occurred would be very small. A fourinch, main would be quite large • enough to serve Leeston until it became a borough of frqm 1,500 to v 2,000 inhabitants, and the same water supply could be used for sanitary purposes. If the mams ' were five inches they could pro- . bablv be made to serve for a high pressure supply later on for house- % hold" purposes. We would suggest P laying pipes from the. Catholic Church to the Police Station, and from the creek by the saleyards down Lake Road and along Wood : villc Street. One short branch could be taken off to serve Chervier "and other by-street& in that locality and another,could be run along 'Penington Street a short . distance. Selwyn and Station streets could be served from the High street main. One point we are not very sure about is the -length of time it would, take to get sufficient pressure into the mains from the time the , alarm v was given^, A switch at tlie fire station would set the pumping plant going. If it would take too long to get sufficient pressure into the mains—a very high pressure is not needed in Leeston at present, as there are few high buildingsit would be necessary to have a water tower and that would be an expensive matter. The main question is what it would cost to lay about a mile of water mains. If' the scheme is feasible and could 7 be carried out at a cost df about £2000 (to be raised by long-dated loan) it would be money well * spent, and the chances of getting a reduction in fire insurance premiums would be much greater than if the scheme already recommended were carried out. We are of the opinion that it would be , worth while to get the views of an expert and an estimate of the cost. , ■*■''-.-" •"