TOWN BOARD.

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 99, 9 October 1863, Page 5

TOWN BOARD.

A meeting of the Town Board was held on the afternoon of Wednesday last. Present: Messrs G. M. K Clarke (chairman), JJay, M'lvor, Lockhart, Gaithwaire, the Engineer, and Clj?rk. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. UESIGXATION. A letter was read from Mr H. A. Giller, resigning his seat at the Town Board. Mr Gaithwaite remarked that resigning membsrs should be compelled, for the facilitation of business, to attend the meetings till their successors had been elected. NITII-STREET. The Chairman read a letter from Mr B. Huey, requesting the Board to make footpaths in this street, in terms of the 9Sth Clause of the Ordinance. loan, &c. The Chairman reported that in accordance with the resolution passed at the last meeting, he and the other members of the deputation had waited upon His Honor the Superintendent, in regard to the money required for the ensuing year. His Honor was anxious to know the lowest amount they could do with, and wished an estimate sent in. "With regard to Government assistance for fire engines, the Superintendent had said that the Government Bank account was overdrawn, and that all the aid afforded would be a donation. Mr M'lvor said that he did not see ivhy the Government should haggle about an odd thousand. They had to furnish nothing but their name, and the security was perfectly good. Mr Hay suggested that the Engineer propare an exact statement of the actual money wanted for the works. The Engineer said it would be a diiEcult and most Invidious task. It was haidly fair

to'select one particular street to expend .the .money of the Board upon, and leave another* •Mr.M'lvbf thought it'would be a shame if the Government did"; not assist the public in malting adecent town.' ' Mr OJartliewaite moved, Mr Hay seconded, and it : -was carried-^-" That a copy j ot the Engineer's report, presented at a previous meeting, be sent to His Honor the Superintendent. 1 ' ESTABLISHMENT AND WORKING OF A FIRE BRIGADE. The Engineer read the following report on the means and cost of working a Fire Brigade, &c, prepared byhhn according to instructions received at last meeting :— TO 'XSB CHAimt.VN OP THE TOWN BOAUD. Invercargill, sth October, 1863. Sir, — Jn accordance with the resolution passed at the last meeting of the Town Boarrl, I have the honor to submit for your consideration measures which appear desirable for the inauguration of fire brigades, and to report on the provisions which are both practicable and necessary for the security of the inhabitants of this town from the destructive effects which may arise from casual fires, unless effective precautionary measures are taken ; as also on the probable cost of the provisions proposed. It may be des : rable that I should allude to the conclusion generally arrived at, that a fire once established in any building, with even brick or stone walls, will destroy the interior either by fire or the means used to extinguish it. The inflammable mnteriiil of which the walls of existing buildings in this town are constructed, is a further- inducement to such a conclusion, and necessitates the provision of the most efficient means 'for preventing the otherwise possible destruction of the whole town by any -fire originating in <^ne building;. In considering whether the provisions to be made for the supply of water should be of a temporary or permanent character, it becomes necessary to estimate the present position of the town, and its probable development. I assume that the time is not far distant when n general plan of water supply and sewerage will have to bo dealt with, because the existing supply of the 'former id becoming daily more and more deteriorated by i(s proximity to the latter, in the multiplication of tha excavations made for these separate purposes. An efficient project of water supply will provide sufficient and convenient sources from which to obtain any quantity of water that may be required for the purpose of extinguishing fires; and as the substitution of timber for brick or stone in the support of any wells to bo now constructed, would effect a saving which would render it even economical to reconstruct them at a future day, when such material was more accessible, I 'would propose that to this extent their construction should be of a temporary character. 'iv submitting tha measures which appear desirable fbr tho inauguration of Volunteer Fire Brigades, 'l ha vc,«its being unacquainted 'with the su'iject, avails ! myself of the advice of the Commissioner of Police and other gentlemen, who have had considerable experience in -the methods elsewhere adopted for working ths appliances provided. From these I learn that whe're'bnildings of similar material to those 'constructed generally in thi.* town arc to be preserved from fire, there are generally two Brigades — vife., a Firc l enginc Brigade and a Hook and Ladder & -igarle. A uniform is provided for these Brigades, anil a pemidicil exercise with the engine is required, that each man may be wcfl vcrscr! in his duties, and the engirfo provcci to be in working order. It is for the B>ard«to consid.'r whether it should not move in a matter so necessary far public secu ity, by palling a public meeting, at whicb his Honor tho Superintendent could probably be induced to preside — and, acting in concert with the existing Fire Brisrado Committc , and (he representatives of the Insurance Companies, direct public attention to the urgency of the question, and at the same ti:ne apply fur volunteers, nud-itupn-rt by tli is method a spirit to the undertaking which it will otherwise want. As the (own partly consists of isolated houses in clusters of four or five, and as the access to these is sometimes impracticable for engines, it seems desirable tli.it the Town B^arrl, in concert with tho Fire Brigade Comn ittee and the Insurance Companies, should import twenty or thirty, email machines, called stirrup force pumps, which, at the cost price of about ■£'■}, tliEj' could dispose of to applicants for the^n. Tnese pumps are an American invention, lately patented in Melbourne, and when worked by a single man with his foul in the stirrup, will throw a jet of water from thirty to forty feet in distance, and of sufficient force to keep tho sides of any building near to one on fire well wetted, as aUo to extinguish any filming particles as they fall. It would brf a prudent measure on the part of Insurance C->mpanie3, only to insure houses where one of these was kept. - The erect-ion of a tower overlooking the town, and provided with a larldcr-stuircaseanrf hell, from which tho street in which tho fire exists may be signalled, for the direction of the brigade and engines, would ibrm a desirable addition to the oth"r provisions. I submit the following works and provisions as those I would recommend -^— That ten wells, supported by timber framing, be sunk in positions tube hereafter determined on, and thnt as fire-engines generally appear to be only available to obtain fheir supply J'roin a level of about eighteen feet below that on which they are placed, without destruction to their effective force ; and as these wel!s would require to be deeper in order to give an ample supply at any season, that each well be supplied with barrel and piping, to which the same double ac ing force pump can be connected for supplying the engine, the effective work of which would be doubled by such an arrangement. The probable cost of tho arrangements I propose would be as fallows : — ■ Ten wells, thirty feet in depth, each provided with barrel piping, and connections complete* and one double acting 'force pump, to connect with either wall . . . . £1,200 0 0 Two fire-engines, With tubing hose and ladders, &c 800 o 0 One engine shed, and room for man S#G O 0 One bell tower 250 0 0 Buckets, ladders, axes, and hook tackle , .. 50 0 6 Twenty stirrup force pumps (Appleton's patent), for resale at cost price .. 60" 0 0 Thirty uniforms 200 0 0 £2.7(30 0 0 Provisions such as tliosp described will undoubtedly have to be made, and to defer them until some serious casualty enforces their necessity, is probably to pay for them twice over, in injury to tbe public and loss to insurance companies or private individuals; and I respectfully submit, for the consideration of the Town Board, the probability that if it votes £1,000 towards the amount required, the Government, the insurances offices, and the public will contribute the remainder. I have the honor to bo, Sir, Your obedient servant, R. M. Maechant, Engineer. Mr Gartlnvaite moved, and it was carried : — " That the portion of the report which referred to the cost of fire appliances, be transmitted to His Honor with a view to again soliciting Government aid." ASSISTANT CLERK. It was resolved, upon the motion of Mr. Garthwaite, that the Assistant Clerk, Mr Morison, do immediately enter upon his dv ties. STANDING RULES. Mr Gaithwaite moved, and it was carried: — "That the Clerk be instructed to draw up standing rules, to be ready against the next meeting, for the guidance of the Board. 1 ' ACCOUNTS. Various accounts were looked at and passed. FOOTPATH TRAPS. The Engineer said that he had not prepared any plan as yet, for footpath, traps, because he wished to have the idea of the applicants for traps more particularised. He was promised by the last applicants — Mr Koebuck— a sketch of his notion of a trap, and then he would be better able to offer a suitable design.