AT a regular meeting of the Board of Fire Commissioners of the City of Philadelphia, held at their rooms, this, the 11th day of May, 1875, the following communication and report was presented by the Chief Engineer of the Fire Department.

Philadelphia, May 11th, 1875.

To JACOB LAUDENSLAGER, Esq.

PRESIDENT, AND MEMBERS OF THE PHILA. FIRE COMMISSION.

Gentlemen:

The condition of the Fire-Plugs in this City during the past winter, was such as to create the utmost anxiety in the minds of all connected with the subject of the preservation of property from destruction by fire; and was especially a subject of great interest to the Fire Department, to which is confided the protection of hundreds of millions of dollars of valuable property. Merciful Providence preserved us from a calamity, which had it occurred, might have been greater than that which laid Chicago in ashes, and gave such a blow to the interest of Boston, in the memorable conflagrations which devastated those cities. But the immunity we have enjoyed cannot continue forever, and every consideration impels us to provide so far as human power and foresight can do it, against the occurrence of such disasters. The Fire Department of Philadelphia is in a condition of unexampled efficiency, we have good Engines, and a thoroughly disciplined force; but when a fire occurs, unless furnished with a plentiful supply of water, no degree of efficiency avails to prevent its spread. Without such a supply of water, the Fire Department is like a well disciplined and equipped army without ammunition in the face of an enemy. To neglect the warning of the past winter would be criminal; and it is of the first importance that during the present summer some steps should be taken to remedy the evils so strikingly forced on our attention.

The Fire Plugs of this City were in a condition of almost absolute uselessness during most of the winter. At almost every fire it required from five to fifteen minutes to thaw them into a condition to use; many times the first engine would almost exhaust its supply of hot-water, without thawing the Plug, and the second engine would have to be attached. The time thus occupied might often decide whether a fire should be stopped in its infancy, or expand into the proportions of a great conflagration. Again, in many portions of our city in which are situated the most valuable buildings and merchandise, the water mains being only four, or six inches in diameter, it is impossible to obtain from our present Plugs, in these localities, sufficient water to supply our large Steamers at any season of the year; and fire in these localities might spread from want of water to extinguish them. The necessity of some remedy for this condition of things has been apparent to me since I have had the honor to be connected with the Fire Department.

Under these circumstances, I have investigated with great care an invention brought to my notice some few weeks ago, and as a result of these investigations, I am pleased to report that I believe a full solution of our present difficulties is within our reach, at a comparatively small expense. I allude to Hill's Patent Stop and Branch for water-mains, and Multiple Plug. This invention, presents, in my opinion, the perfection of machinery for delivering to Engines all the water it is possible to draw from our supply. The possibility of freezing is avoided, the location of the valves far below the frost line, and the prefect arrangement for the escape of waste water makes it an impossibility for frost to effect this Plug, unless in a contingency which would render all precaution useless, viz: the freezing of the water mains themselves; while their arrangement over a reservoir at the bottom of the Plug, gives a steady and equal supply of water at all times, during use.

The Multiple Plug arrangement overcomes all the difficulties hitherto experienced, in attaching more than one Engine to the same Plug, by giving each Engine an absolutely separate and independent Plug, thus allowing as many Engines as may be desired to concentrate at one point, with a great saving of hose, and avoiding the obstruction to street travel caused by attaching Engines to Plugs distant from each other, and laying long lines of hose from the Plugs to the locality of the fire.

By tapping the mains at the intersections, instead of the main itself, it overcomes entirely the difficulty caused by small mains, and gives a full supply of water to our largest engines, and saving the great expense of laying larger mains. Heretofore the tapping of mains at an intersection has not been satisfactory, for the reason that the Plug has been located in the centre of the street, making it necessary to have the cap below the surface of the street, this has caused the cap to be covered with mud, and in winter, with snow and ice, concealing, its locality and necessitating a search to find it when needed for use, and requiring time to remove the obstructions; the valve was also located above the frost line, and the same liability to freeze existed as in our present Plugs. These difficulties are entirely and satisfactorily overcome by Hill's system, he taps the intersection from the under surface and carries a branch to the sidewalk, locating his Plug there, instead of the middle of the street, and in parts of the city where Plugs not in use, will not supply one of our steamers with water for one stream. Hill's Plug will from the same mains supply three Steamers all the water required to throw each two streams. The investigation into this Plug, has be thorough, and its practical workings tested by an experiment conducted under the supervision of this Department, and at which you were present. A four outlet Plug was attached to a ten inch main on Spring Garden above Broad Streets. I append the reports of the Engineers of each of the Steamers which were used on the occasion. The trial was most satisfactory, the Plug delivered to the four Engines a full and steady supply of water during the entire time, the supply being as full and satisfactory when each Steamer was throwing two streams, as when only one was being thrown. With these Plugs at convenient points in the city, and with the present force at the disposal of the Department, I deem the occurrence of a large fire almost an impossibility. I therefore earnestly recommend the adoption of this Plug for the city, in place of those now in use.

In regard to the Stop invented by Mr. Hill, --- while I regard it as the best I have seen, and as having great advantages over those now in use---it is entirely disconnected from the subject of the Plug, and I deem its consideration as more properly belonging to the Water Department; I therefore refrain from pressing it upon your attention.

Respectfully submitted,
WILLIAM H. JOHNSON
Chief Engineer Philad'a Fire Dept.

At the conclusion of the reading of the above, and after discussion on the same, the following preamble and resolutions, offered by Mr. W. A. Porter, of the Board, were unanimously adopted:
Whereas, The present condition of the Fire Plugs in this city, is such as to seriously embarrass the Fire Department, particularly during the Winter season, neutralizing the efforts of the Department to maintain their organization in the condition of efficiency necessary to protect the great interests confided to their care, and demanded by the public---failing to supply water promptly and in sufficient quantities, when needed to extinguish fire---and we, deeming the subject one, the importance of which it is impossible to over-estimate. Therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the communication presented this Board, by Chief Engineer, Wm. H. Johnson, together with the recommendations therein contained, is adopted and approved by the Board, and that after careful personal investigation, being satisfied that Hill's Multiple Plug and Four Way Stop and Branch will, where introduced, remedy the serious evils now existing and experienced to such an alarming extent during the past winter, we earnestly recommend its adoption for the City of Philadelphia.
RESOLVED, That a copy of the report of Chief Engineer Johnson be forwarded to the Presidents of the Select and Common Councils of this city, together with a copy of these resolutions, and that we respectfully, but earnestly request that such action may be taken by these honorable bodies as may seem to them wise and proper, to secure the adoption and introduction of this improved Fire Plug.

JOHN R. CANTLIN,       JACOB LAUDENSLAGER,
                  Secretary                                      President.