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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5357, 29 May 1878, Page 2

The sight of the small dribblets of water with which the firemen attempted on Monday night to extinguish the flames in Hulland-street, Te Aro, caused many people to comment on a supposed inadequacy in tho city water supply. The slight pressure was by many accounted for on the supposition that the water was not full on, and when after the lapse of fifteen or twenty minutes the nozzles of tho hose gave forth strong streams, the general opinion was .that the water had just been turned on in force. It was quite apparent that there was an additional pressure, but this was not owing to anything that had been done at the reservoir or to any of the mains. The explanation is this:—Two stand-pipes were fixed to a 3-inch main in Tory-strcet, and to one of these there were two connections, tho result being that three hose were fed 'by a 3-iuoh pipe. Each hose is 21 inches in diameter, hence their could not bo any force that would cause a jet to be thrown more than a few foot. Water at a high pressure was in the small 3-inch main, and it but one had been attached to it a proper stream would have been immediately available, and the fire might have been dashed out in a few minutes. When a hose was brought through from Oour-tenay-place, where there is a 5-inch main, there was at once a jet of such force that it did good work. At the time the firemen were fixing so many connections to the Tory-street main, a man employed in the water supply department pointedput that it was a wrong thing to do, and suggested that a hose should be coupled to some other street pipe. It would have been well had that been done at once, for there is no doubt that had a fair pressure been on, the flames might have been confined to the_ building in which they broke out. This points to tho necessity for some more intelligent direction of tho movements of the firemen, for on Monday night their energies and labor alike were to a large extent wasted, owing to the mistake committed in overtaxing the powers of the 3-iuoh main. Our volunteer firemen are courageous and energetic, but courage and energy will, not enable men to fight a fire unless all efforts are well directed. A remedy for past shortcomings would probably be provided by appointing some one of acknowledged skill and coolness to the office of paid superintendent, with full authority to reorganise the brigades; and it might be well to have a small staff of paid firemen, who would be assisted by the volunteers. In making these suggestions, we have no desire to detract in the slightest from the richly earned by members of our volunteer brigades; but in this city where exceedingly largo wooden buildings abound, some better organisation is necessary, and we are sure that no one would feel a greater pride in any real improvements that might bo effected than would tbs best of our volunteers.