Newspaper Page Text
>amaiu $ -'iy ii ulii.
•tv R. W. \f\ROV *Vl* t it.
SAVANJiAU, THUESUAV. FEU. 9. lx».
Ojh Fm?* D.iPiBr«BVT.—-Trice the
late incendiary fires hiv'd demwist rated
the necessity of extraordinary watchull
ness by the citizens, and tiniisuil aeal on
til3 ,>irt of the Fire Djpiftmjut, atten
tion In? t>; in eiliel to tie xm/ delects
la the rj 4 >i l and effective working of the
Appiroun to w.dch the authorities hare
in p ist times committed the safety of
ghecity. S >m3 of these defects are ir
remediable, sard at the cost of an entire
reeo.iifra itioa of the Waterworks, and
reD/i.ig the greater part of the water
pipe'?, p irticularly’ia the upper parts of
the city.
La a >.i3 of the street*, we believe, on
the BUT, or away from the immediate
vicinity of tae R rer, is there any pii>e
larger tuasi a fojr inch miin, w dch will
probably be tapped for hydrants half a
dozen times in as many blocks, besides
of coarse, the constant drain ill ado upon
its cipaeity by the service pipes ioi
every day me in publ c buildings and
dwelling houses.
The large cisterns which hare been
provided, though there is still iu existence
an Ordinance requiring them to be kept
constantly filled and fit for service, are
almost wnolly neglected; and at the best
sus.i tile ms are exceedingly nut rust wor
tby. We frequently hear the remark
made, especially by those of our soldi* re
woo have been Fireinea in Noituern CuL-a
where the Fire Apparatus and the appli
ances of all kinds are much more perfect
Ilian co lid b i expected here, that “One
Steam Fire E igiue would throw more
water and do m ire work than forty oi
these little squirt-guns,” as they ignomin
loudy characterize the old-fashioned En
gines of Savannah. Now, abstractly
considered, this remark is perfectly true,
but pr ictically regarded, one of the pow
erful Steam Fire Engines of New York
tv >ul l be of absolutely no use whatever
In Sayannah, save only in one or two of
the streets bordering on the River.—
It would have no water elsewhere.
The entire column of water* which
flows through the largest water main
in tljiis city would not equal in volume
by pne-third, the sum of the four streams
which a first-class Steamer can throw
up >u occasion. And for the protection
of the shipping ‘and the storehouses along
the river it would be much better to
bave one or more light boats fitted with
the proper pumps and with sufficient
bose, as the boats could more easily he
floated from one point to another. In
this way the ferry boats of the East and
North river frequently do immense ser
vice in New York. ’
Its of no use to sigh for impossibili
ties ; the madly ftnd right thing to do, is
to turn to and make the best of What we
haw. We think the efficiency of our
present Fire Apparatus could be won
derfully i m proved by a few obvious and
ample devices, the first of which is to
see that every Engine and Truck is in
perfect , order and ready not. only for
work but plenty of work—that it is in
such shape that it will not need as dainty
hau filing as a watch crystal for fear of a
break-down. Let this be properly at
tended to and we shali be spared, the/
eight of two or three crippled Engines,
after every fire. > < . >
Then, it now takes by far too long to'
assemble the companies and drag the
maehine to the fire. This difficulty could
be solved by adopting the New York
plan. In that, as in every northern #ity
*' ' * *'s?'J
f-vr- are always « lough ‘’Bunkers’ who
“bunk” or sleep ir. the Engine house
every night to r >ll the Bngine to the fire
without waiting for further help At the
first tap of tlie be l. tie wide doors are
tnrown oj>en and before the last stroke
signifying the riumbei of the Fire Dis
trict lias ceased to sound the Apparatus
Is on its way lo the spot at full speed.
Tuis accounts for the speedy mastery of
the most dangerous looking conflagra
tions which is achieved My these trained
compauieg.' 1 '
Why could not bunks be fitted up in
Engine Halses of this city and a suffi
cient number of the company be re
quired t> sleep‘there every nqpfct, that
there might always be s strength enough
at baud to roll the engiue to the fire in
the sb >rtest space of time. As it is,
iVfcile tue companies are waking up and
getting to the Eugine House, the fire is
doing iM work, and gets so far the
the better ol the fiiemeii that the labor
of the department becomes limited to
s>mply preventing tbe spread of the
tian.es to other buildings, all hope of
saving the original one being, at a rule,
given up from the first.
We ivßp3ctfully o >mmend these sug
gestions to the Oaief Engineer of the
Fire Department.
A WORD for THIS SOLDIER, AND A
Hint to nut Authorities.— Although,
lor certain reasons, which are apparent
to all residents of Savannah, it has been
neceesary for the Commandant of the
Post to issue stringent orders in certain
matters concerning trade, and also re
garding the night travel of persons living
for the time being in the city, we have
beard very few complaints of the wanner
iu which the enforcement of the orders
has been carried on. With very few
exceptions, the officers and soldiers en
trusted with t.ho execution of tlift various
maudates emanating from Post Head
quarters, have managed their unpleasant
business; in a civil and inoffensive way,
and have seemed to studiously avoid
giving offence. It is true we have heard
a few complaints, but they can for the
most part be traced to persons who have
been ignorant of the regulation*, and
who have consequently and naturally
resented any interference with their na
tions by the military authorities, as an
unwaranted assumption of authority.
Then, on the other hand, there are cer
tain ones who feel peculiarly
by the stringency with what is known
as the “ Beren O'clock Rale,” is en
forced ; by which we mean the military
rule that t every person In the streets,
after seven p. m, shall, If required, give
an account of himself and his business
to the Provost Guard. Iu many cases
persons who feel themselves annoyed by
this law, arc officers who really have
business of importtneo which re
quires their. personal attendance after
dark. Tiieje is, however> occasionally a
case where some convivially-disposed
gentleman has been indulging pretty freely
in, bis cups, and, in a rathe** elevated
state of mind, declines to make the re
quired explanations to the patrol, *nd
consequently is made acquainted with
the ihside of the Guard House. But, as
we remark el at the commencement of
tins paragraph, these utapleasant duties
are usually performed* by the soldiers .to
whom they are ‘entrusted, with all due
*ourtqsy, tindneas, genttenesa and eon
sideration / * '
ißut th/ good order of the city haa for
many dfys been so marked, that we
respectfilly suggest to the authorities
whether it would not be well to try the
experiment of rescinding the “Beven
O’clock Rule," which ocitainly has par
alysed, during is «• >uli .hum: , c ram
branches of basiues-.- tn r * particularly
than oilaT-s priqn, every variety of
public anwHcm ids.
We learn t int am Mg oth *r things,
there is a s*ries of co 10 rU, prop h •<! to
be given l>y tue resi lent* of Sivannah
for the benefit of tie i»o< wuicii is ne
cessarily susperuie* l for tU3 present, by
the incoblmv. ruble tact that an after
noon concert wodi not. an J, under the
existing law* an evening eonc< rt could
not be attended.
Svvan’nah, Feb. 9, 1885.
Editor or rtif SiVAeuii Dvtuv Hkr-
:aid — &ir: I nave been much
phased to notice tiie interest which you
hare ever taken in giving advice, «fce.,
in lal&tioh to the cleauiiness ol this city,
botktot.be *utli •rities ail t> tlie in
habitants therein, and your comments
\n IcA’t evenini/'g isstir, ;U !y* prove, that
this Hterest lias not ab bed.
HavVg occasion my- if to pas- through
the plice iy aft i io>u, I none, and
tbe same “single spi vJ >f lira contra
bands,’and being son what su.pi'ufcd
at such an ma*ud sig ti, 1 in j.i rid oi
the {Hir.-on in Charge, [woo Happened t >
be an old citizen of Biv iiai J w iat in
was trying to do l and learned, tout tm*
parly were “employed in the S r cl U -
partmeut under tue duly auonoriz and
Agent ofthe iW. lit try authorities.”
Feeling a curiosity in bae muter, aud
doubtless buying more leisure than your
reporter, I‘continual •/ inquiries, and
found, to mj «4r prise, tnat tuey were al
that time no less than forty colored men
aad fifteen waiu men employe l o.i tne
streets, either a* Ltbu-rer-*, Squid Ala*
ters or Teamsters, also fourteen le uis
engaged in removing manure and ruo
bish from the streeis and Ihiies of iiu
city, and further, that on The pre.viou.-
day there had been o»w ow. hr, <v.ir;
lofids of suou natter ro»n >v 4 from in
city.
Knowing that tlie?e fads will be equal
ly agreeable to our citianis as fcocy wer
to myself, and from assurances received
believing this is “»> >ralhi case ol
malignant ti >t J ;sti.ieJ t > bo -
com* an epidemic.“
I remain,
Yours sympathetically,
_ 0.
Accident ro a Schooner—Tue Schoon
er May, in tow m tue Steamer Guide,
this morning, while parsing the obstru.*.-
tions below Fort Jackson, did not. on y
her helm with sufficient alaerdy. ami run
afoul of the sunken crib? and stove a bole
iniher bottom, through which the water
rubbed with considerable rapidity, mak
ing the farther progress of the schooner
on her voyage an impossibility. Tec
May was ttt the obstnict'ou*
leaking badly. The Guide, iu coiis.-
qtienoe ot tbo low slate .of tiie tide
and her great drat Hos water, will be un
able to go down tlie river until this aiter
noon. flhesustained no damage iu the
alfc-ir.
PE*ecxAf*.—Will Mr. F. A Sawyer of
Boston, call or send his address to this
office? '
The death of Mr, 0. J. Collins (a bro
ther of Wilkie Collins) and a gentleman
of, 6ome note as a liternteur, lias be* n
announced. Mr. Collins was a contrib
utor to severai magazine* and news.) i
pers, and was bett.known to the rea ling
public by Ini novels, “Sackville Chase,”
“'fhe Mania Chains,'* &e. Like too
P)jiny of tbe literary men ami artists
'tvhom we have lo>t of late, Mr. Collins
Was comparatively young, being forty
four year* of «ge at the time of uis
death.
SELBOTKI) ni)l.» ARD RMM OV
ALVVB AMJ IHCllilfi 'l.
The good people of New Oric.nns h*ve
bee i li&vl’ g quite as much rain !#*<• t tut
we iiave, if we may judge by the fid tun
ing extract from a late papir iron. t. U4 t
city:
A friend, who keeps a raL. i^ e ,
kindly tell> us that on Sunday nigiu.mtd
Monday au eight incli guage*, h-> ti ,*-
p sed to the weaiher, reconkd one and
three quarters of an inch of rami X u
the wind, blew very bard, he think* two
inches muai bare fallen ; but tin fall as
recorded, is an extraordinary our., ;.od
has hardly been beaten since the iinie
shower during which Noah took ids V y-
V .
Tue Thirty-Sixth Annual Ball ot the
New York Fire Departineui t ok pure
on the nigiit of Monday January H.t, at
the Acad.-uiy of Music, New im* n.y.
It Wiio most su<*( e'Siui, being descrim i :»y
tlie New Yoik Herald us a “jan., crimd,
j mi,” and paid several thousand «j i.iarg
to the Fire Department fund.
Givb him Arms, —Tiie wretched, unit
Jo nines, who, lor years, lias n\ i «n
anything l>ut a public nuisance, re
cently transfer!ed a libel suit ... ,i#
against the New York Leader to <n. .i,n p
person, Ue ie.il editor ol tuat pap r ( ~r.
J »nu Clan y.) being .dead. Tne t *v* .nid
six penny Count now professes to iuve
discovered that the alleged lib. t f.-r
winon ue sued the Leader was written
ny some p.-rs *n other tl.*u Clauvy, ,n.d
ue oriugs a suit against the other jn r*..n.
May tue poor puppy succeed. It a
humitul of dollars will quiet him, let . iiit
nave thrui.
Tne id*a s t forth b*lovv ia nut onl/
plea*ttiu, rat doubtless practicable:
An Eugiisn puysiciaohas tou.»d a itiue
tor rea Mckne.w. It Consists in lowering
»iie tempti m ure oi tbs spinal i.gionby
tne .#o of ice. mn *n hub a ms
oei »#ag iia. been intfiiiid by mean.' of
widen tore ice in mpt in contact with
each region of 4 # «pine; the upper p*r
iio iof ihe ice being prevented lr<mi lail-
d .vvn me melting proceeds, aud
Inc nioutn being so •JFclually chised aft
io prevent, tlie Water trom e.'Cafiinga*
the. ice units. Each bagful uulu in
ivo-mt iwo hours! Yery convenient, wo
5.101.1 .n't til hfeL
Hi covnftr riioM tw» Ei» cts 4f War.
Mills in tns political economy ©eaks of
the rapidity with which people recover
from tne effects ol *%.r, ftiXpaius the
reason as follows :
‘•This perpetual cor.Mmptioi and re
production oi capital affords theexplana
-110.1 ot wnat. has so ufiaucm-itci woiiucc,
tne great rapidity with wliiclilcountries
recover trom a slate of devastation : tbe
disappearance in a Wiort tine, ot all
traces ol the miscliiels done by earth
quakes, flood', hurricanes, and the rava
ges of war. An enemy leys a.
country by fire aud sword, aad destroy*,
or c u ries an ny nearly all tlie movable
wealth existing in it; all the/ inhabitant*.
are ruined, ami y#t, in a t*vV years altei;
ev. rything is much as it /was beiore.
ridb v;* //< odl CMtrix rutlurtM hfts been a sub
ject of ast. adsl.meut or ba» been cited tw
eXempliiy the wonderful Wcngtli of lb«
principle of saving, wlzch can repair
such enormous losses in' nueli a brief iu
fi i val. There is nothing at all wonder
ful in tbe matter. What tbe enemy have'
destroyed would bave been destroyed ia
all tie while by tlie inhabitants theno
seives : the wealth which they so rapid
ly reproduce would have needed to b*
reproduced, and would bave beau repro
duced iq any case, and probably iu a*
short a time.
“Nothing is changed, except that dur
ing reproduction they haw not now thA
advantage of consuming what had been
produced previously The possibility of
a rapid repair of tneir disasters maud/
depends on whether' the country boa
been depopulated. If its effective popu
lation have not been extiipated at tb*
time, and are not x starved afterwards,
then, with the same skill aud know
ledge wuich they bad bclore, with theil
land and its permanent improveme it*
uudestroyed, aud the more durable build
tugs probably unimpaired, or oul/
