One of the most urgent problems now facing Chapel Hill is that of affording adequate fire protection throughout the village.
In the last three or four years so many homes have been constructed in the “suburbs” that a considerable proportion of the population lives beyond where fire can be successfully attacked. And, further in, the hazard has been increased by erection of homes on vacant lots, bringing buildings closer together and thereby making it easier for fire to spread.
For really efficient fire-fighting, the firemen should e able to feed their hose from a six-inch main. But at present, mains as large as this run under only a few of the streets. Rosemary lane west of Columbia street, Franklin street west of Mallett, and Franklin east of the Lawson home, and Cameron avenue west of the old T.J. Wilson home, have only the smaller mains.
One four-inch line along Pittsboro street brings all the water available for fire protection for all that section of the town. For example, if there should be a fire toward the west end of Vance street, dependence would have to be placed upon a small stream that could be brought through the hose from this four-inch main.
The University owns the water plant, but reduced appropriations have clipped University activities here as in other departments, and no money is available for extensions. Therefore, the board of aldermen is trying to work out a plan whereby the municipality shall do the necessary construction. Some sort of action to that end is regarded by the mayor, the town manager, the fire chief, and others conversant with the situation, as a prime necessity.
From the front page of The Chapel Hill Weekly, Thursday, Dec. 24, 1925
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92073229/1925-12-24/ed-1/seq-1/
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