Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1855-08-07
rIRE ENauNEs-LAKeE AND SNAIL.

FIRE ENGINES-LARGE AND SMALL.
A few weeks ago we noticed the fact that
the Common Council Of this city, refused to
purchase small Fire Engine of Messrs.
Richie & McCloud, for the use Of the city, the
objection being that the apparatus was too small.
We disapproved of the action Of the Council
then and do now, simply because St. Paul needs
a Fire Department and Fire Engine, and in
asmuch as the city was unable to purchase a
large machine, we considered the purchase Of
the small one as absolutely necessary to meet
the wants of the citizens, whose property is now
left to the mercy Of the fiery elements. The
day of small things should not be despised, and
some small things are preferable to large ones.
For the benefit Of the "City Fathers whose
united wisdom decided that the present Fire
apparatus in this city was of no account, we
copy the following remarks from lecture ''on
an improved Fire SYSTEM" and commend them
to their careful consideration. The lecture was
delivered by VIM. w. Hill, and is reported in
the New England Farmer. After speaking of
the present cost Of sustaining Fire Depart
ment, Mr.. Hill proceeded to discuss two points,
"First, is our present system for the preven-
ton of fires, efficient? And second, can it be
made efficient without too great an expenditure of
money? TO the first proposition he replied no.
In the country, the engine is often a mile or two
from the burning building, and time is required
before the fremen can assemble to take the engine
to the fire, and after they get there no reservoir
of water is at hand for their use. Their Efforts
are consequently almost useless, and the building
is destroyed. The same is true in great measure
in regard to cities. This displays the ineA6ciency
of the present system. Before the department.
can get to work, they are powerless before sea
of fire. Our engines are so large and costly, and
| it takes so many men to handle them, who also
want compensation, that it is put out of the pow
er of nearly all country towns to keep sufficient
number to meet ali emergencies.
Taking up the second proposition, the lecturer
forcibly argued that the present system could be
made more efficient, and cheaply too. By the
substitution in Cambridge, for instance,-whero
they maintain several large engines at an annual
expense of sll 400, and valued $2O,O00,-of 100
small engines costing $3.50 each,with thirty feet
of hose, which would throw three ighth inch
stream upon the roof or into the windows of any
ordinary dwelling house, having them distributed
! in different parts of the city, they would in less
than year pay for themselves by the decreased
losses from fire which would follow by such sys-
tenn. Nearly every dwelling would be in the inn
mediate neighborhood of one Of these engines,
| which could be worked with less than half of the
labor now expended upon the large ones, and half
dozen of them could be upon the grounl in a
very few minutes after the alarm given
They would also tend to lessen the losses by fire,
| in the obstacle which they would be in the way Of
the incendiary through the celebrity with which
fire can b., cxtinguished with them. They would
put out ten fires where large one does one. NJ
merous cases were cited to sustain these views.
| There arc more than one hundred towns in this
| commonwealth, which arc entirely unprotected,
while the whole farming interest is in helpless
condition in case of fire. The small engines, tho
speaker said, had been tested, and found fully
competent to DO all that large engines could do,
and more than that, would put out fire before
large engines could be brought to the spot. Their
efficiency has been witnessed by great numbers of
| people. The lecturers plan is to have fire de-
partment including both small and large engines,
the former to act chiefly as preventves Of de-
struc.ive fires, and the latter lofty buildings
and where the fire has made great Roadway before
being discovered. BY the use of one small engine
upon the first breaking out of the disastrous fires
which have occurred in San Francisco, millions Of
dollars might doubtless have been saved.
Another argument in favor of small ines is,
| that where town introduces ten or twenty, tho
citizens, witnessing their efficiency and cheapncss,
will introduce others as special protection Tor
their premises-so that the number will be
indefinitely increased, and the chances Of loss by
fire consequently vastly lcssencd. Captain Barni-
coat, the late veteran chief of the Boston Fire De-
parment, had told the lecturer that he considered
the present engines in that city too large, and
that smaller ones would possess great advantages
| over them.
| Another consideration urged by the lecturer
| was, that numerous school houses, academies,
colleges, aims houses, &C., entirely unprotect-
ed from sudden fire, and thus the lives of the in
mates greatly hazarded. This danger could
| be obviated By having small engine in the build
ing.
| Upon the conclusion of the lecture, some re-
marks were made by Mr.. WM HALL, Representa-
tive from Bradford, who commended the views
advanced by Mr.. HILL, and cited cases where his
observation corrOborated the statements made by
him. lie also alluded to the bad moral influences
which cluster around the present fire system, and
which operate SO unfavorably upon the young
men connected with them, and lead often to in
| ccudiarism.' ea.
Are not the views put forth by Mr.. Hill
sensible and reasonable, and do they not put to
blush those who sneeringly sought to set at
naught the efforts Of those young men, who,
actuated by the desire to form Fire Depart
mcnt, assumed the responsibility and purchased
a machine at their own cost in hopes the city
would take it off their hands? From all we
can learn the small engines will take the pref
erencc in the organization Of Fire Departments.
and there are many reasons why these ma
chimes are preferable in our city to any part Of
the Union.
CT The Prairie du Chen people are rejoicing
somewhat over the anticipation Of railroad to
that point. The proprietors of the Courier say
that they intend to fit up their Office, even at a