New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-10-11


800 EDginemen or Brakemen.
Total je6
Of the men, composing numbers and ), one
third must be stone or brick mssODs, one-thrd
carpenters and the other third other mechanics
whose trades are connected with building opera
tons These men have forty eight hours service
and twenty four hours rest Consequently two
thirds are at all times on duty. When of duty they
must attend the theaters and other places OF pub
lie regOrt, AMI keep watchful eye upon them.
Masons, carpenters, punpmakers, and chimney
sweepers in general, who are free of their respect
i've guilds and corporations, and are I" masters,
are a sort Of quasi members OF the department,
and may be called upon in case OF special need.
Another body Of men have charge Of the engines
with su ,tiOn hose, which are scattered along the
river and only do duty there, aud of the steam
frs-eDgine, which is placed by the palace and
museums for their special protection. The men
employed here are Al hOsemen and 220 brakemen,
increasing the aggregate of fremen in the city to
about $50 individuals
These men, in particular the two classes techni-
cally called fremen, are under the strictest mill
tary discipline AS stated already, they are
taken only from those classes of mechanics familiar
with the construction of buildings, though this
rule does not extend to the brakemeD, whose only
duty is TO work the engine, and are never called
upon to hold the butt To gain admittance
INTO tDe service as HIeidi, inc Chnul0dJt uust ne
under forty years OF sge OF sound and strong con-
sttuti0D, ana OF good moral character. His appli-
cation must lie before the Department four weeks
that all this may be thoroughly inquired into. As
d general rule, the candidates must have served
their three years in the army. The number being
So limited, there is 10 difficulty in selecting the
very best men.
As soon as admitted the new fireman is put to
learning the exercisc-Of which one of the docu-
ments has full accOunt-all the words of COM
nand and the mode of executing the orders, for
everything is done, down 10 hitching the traces
and mounting the wagons, with the exactness OF
military drill. When we have such system, it
will be time enough to translate the Z" Fire Exer-
"cise." Moreover, each man is constantly prac-
tictd in handling every machine, tool, or i'm pie
mebt of the apparatus, and TO develop his phys-
cal strength and agility. A professor of gymnas-
tics is EMPLOYED and he is exercised daily upon all
sorts of ladders, wood, rope, and so on in ascend
ing and descending loosely hung ropes in walking
upon iosts and the edges of planks In short, in
all ways to perfect himself for every possible
emergency. He learns not only to obey instantly
and exactly all orders conveyed by word of com.
mand, but when given in the hurry and tumult of
a fire by the shrill whistle Of the officer.
Among the old rules and orders respecting fires,
established hundred or more years since-beside
that queer one that the Jews shall pay fifteen tha
lers every time there is fre-is one which was
devised upon the principle of the more noise the
better: "Watchmen shall alarm the neighb0rs ;
"householders shall make the fire known by hal
"iooiDg; domestcs and servants in the house
shall cry it aloud; and in the streets the city
drums may be beaten" This is also done away
with. Each station and depot now communicates
with the central station by electric telegraph, laid
in gutta percha under the pavements, though.
The telegraph, by the way, does not belong to the
Fire Department, il being a police engine, and
more particularly arranged with a view to the sup
preston of demOcracy"-the invention of the
republican Morse being adopted with view to
put the various ministries and the army quarters
in instant cOmmuni cation, and to enable the head
Of police to feel the pulse of all Berlin at once.
However the Fire Department uses IL, though rs
communication can pass from one station to
another without passing under inspection in the
central sta.ion-nor, indeed, without leave there
first obtained. The wires are skiold, and laid in
different lines to prevent accidents. A fire breaks
out; no alarm is made, but notice is given at the
nearest station, and is thence communicated To
headquarters. AS in grammar 80 in the fires
here there are three degrees Of comparsOn-small,
middling and great fires. To fres Of the first two
classes, during the day time the officer a. the cen
trial station details BY means of the telegraph, eight
engines with their accompanying mounted tdns,
two tool wagons, two machine la iders, five water
wagons, and the proper complement OF men. All
these 20 out from the watches aud the depOts aud
are joined by three hrstcl1ss hremen ~ O'ler
fremen and % brakemen from the head station
At night the force is increased by ore frst-class
fireman and 50 brakemen from headquarters, and
OF the former with - of the latter class from
each of the depois. AT great fires there 10 gen
eral rally.
Not bell is ruDg, no cry of fire is beard, and
yet in from three to four minutes from the moment
notice Of 8 fire is given at watch, all the fJrcs
detailed BY the chief-engineer is expected to be
ready, the horses alta shed TO the engines water
carts person wagons and so on the men all in their
seats and waiting for the word, march and away
they go in perfect order and as fast as the horses
can carry them They know the street and num-
Der Of the fire, and everybody else being removed
they have the premises all TO themselyes. Two TO
three minutes are allowed in which TO get ready at
any particular station after the order comes from
the chief engineer
This system certainly secures some great al
vsntages; for instance, the combined force Of
many men can be used to the best possible effect
al tie apparatus is at al times in the best possible
order and the hrtmeD come 10 their duiies in case
of Ere fresh and unWearied.
AS may be supposed the fremsn here sre as