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FIRE AND WATER particularly at night, fell into the trenches, and then proceeded to sue the contractors or the town for negligence. Careless drivers frequently sent their vehicles crashing against a barrier or into ex- cavations. And worst of all, at times the town was left almost defenceless against a fire. In this connection, the editor of the Brant Review, on December 6, 1883, wrote as follows: The blundering in the construction of the system of waterworks for our town has again almost proved fatal to our front street. The fire on Wednesday morning was all but beyond the control of our fire appliances . . . No single part of the work on the system has been done well and at the proper time. Even the little job of connecting the boiler with the steam pump was grossly bungled, and when an attempt was made to start the new steam-pump for the first time, yesterday afternoon, the steam was got up in the boiler but when turned on to the pump, that complicated piece of machinery failed to respond even after the most seductive coaxing. This result is not considered as the fault of the machinery, but is owing to the fact that the expert imported to the town for the purpose of making the connection was drunk most of the time. Two weeks later, however, when the first official test was made of the system, the editor was more optimistic: On Monday last, the first practical test of our waterworks was made with satisfactory results as to the elevation of water in dif- ferent parts of the town. On the highest part of Banfield Street, water was thrown perpendicularly 32 feet, or high enough to go over any house on the street, and a good steady stream of water. In the lower part of the town, the jet was very powerful and in every way satisfactory. Several bad leaks occurred in different parts of the town, but not to the extent anticipated. For a time, the system continued to give trouble. Frequently a main would burst, and then, until it was repaired, a large part of the town would he protected from fire only by the steamer. And during the cold spells of the winter of 1883-I884, many hydrants were frozen tight, much to the embarrassment of the council (for Mr. Baker and his supporters were shouting "We told you so."). A steam engine had to be sent on a regular round from hydrant to hydrant to thaw them out. However, these annoyances were finally removed, new mains were continually added, and the whole system began to operate more efficiently. During 1884, the steam engine and its pump delivered 36,400,000 gallons of water and required an average of 1440 pounds of coal a day. As yet only 82 private users were being supplied. However, as the mains were extended, others began to ask for the service. Indeed, during i886, new services were added so rapidly that a new Duplex Steam Engine had to be installed, which could pump 600oo gallons a minute. But it was not until after I9goo that the mains were extended over most of the town. Meanwhile the fire brigades had again been reorganized, and had been adapted to the new system. Regularly they held practice drills. The hose-reel companies would get set with their reels at 127