The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-09-08
PRICE TWO CENT


Hook and Ladder Trucks. complete $1,000. Ace
$e2,5o
additional Police Stations 1000
Total. 56
The city now has engine houses sufficient for the pro
posed department.
Annual expense to the city will be- say
Steam Fire Engineers at 50 .25
IIostlers act keepers, $400 .......... $50
II Companies repairs Sc &c. at 81 COZ
Fuel for Steam Engines and Engine Houses, and
other incidental expenses. 3OO
$29,sc
Chief Engineers salary LOT
TotaI..... 81 o0l
In the formation Of a Department should any of tn,
fire companies or hook and ladder companies-uot les
than threecery to the Mayor their willingness to he
come members of a Cit. ~" "''.' mt as ,vidcd for
! and list of members -- ,mmisson
with conveyance Of tho ai !rati, lpany. by
sale or otherwise, to the Mayor and City Council til" Fire
Commission shall Immediately proceed to organize City
! Fire Department,
The Commission in the plan proposed will he seem
not propoe to Interfere in manner with company
now in the city. but have cnEincd themselves to
mendatiOn for City Fire Department, the companies
located to give protection to all parts of the city hav
! ing, as the commission believe al the elements o
! thoritcs,
Should the City Council pass an ordinance to establish
the propoed department, the Commissioners believe that
unite with the city authorities department su
cl'ii Tor the City o Baltimore to be increased from time
! TO time as necessity may require.
All of which is respectfully submitted.
JoHS DUKEUART,
WIN. G.. G0RsUCl.
GEO. W. HERRING,
LEONARD J. B,NDEL,
WM. II. STRAN,
SAMUEL kIRK,
HUGH 3. JoNEs.
Thereport is signed by eight OF the nine Coumis-
sioners, Henry SPman Esq, refusing to sign it. lie is
understood favor the general of the PLAN
prefers paid department entirely.
MINORITY REToET.
The HoHorGbIc Rng0r GD8 Cty CouacH Of Baltimore:
The undersigned, minority Of tie commission created by
your houcrah body to inquire into and submit plan r
the reorganization of the fire department OF Baltimore.
differing essentially from the majority of said commission
relative to the ost appropriate mode of ciecng said
reor"anzat on, beg leave respectfully to report:
That the inSuhcency OF the reSe tsystem Of eytin-
smsIln2 hTeS IN ue CIT! OF baltimore Is meme ", II
which it is scarcely necessary to enlarge The appoint
Of the present commission the recent de-ulory
acticn Of the fir department itself powerful cstmoti
ais even II all others were Wantn, that II Ion Is NOR
oughly eeded uot Iorily rcqu ed In what mode
shah this reform he effected is therefore the only question
to be decided. After thorough investigation Of the
whole subject, and the nation of the different
systems in in other cities coupled with personal
rcri nee of twenty wears te unlrr-in,d is driven ire
sithr to the conclusion that such form as is required
in this city only be brought about by the total aho
ton of the present system and the adoption in its stead
Of an e"tre paid department, in which steam and horse
shall be introduced the greatest practicable
tent aud all o whose employees from the chief engineer
to the hostl shall hold cir Offices long they shall
prov" competent for The discharge of the duties lncu
bent thereon and not he liable to removal hercfrom by
reason OF any political cons Iteration whatever. Su h q
system appears to he superior to that proposed by the
jority, for the asons herewith assigned
FrstSiN steam fire engines. with ten to each, are
capable Of performing service fires than twenty
four hand machines, with fort, men each Second-The
assistance of runners and other irresponsible being
dispensed with the noise and confusion now incident
the fire ground will and disturbances between fire
bee obsolete the volunteer system. Thhd-
With men and horses thorourbIv drilled in the perform
Of their work the machines be conveyed to fire
with increased rapidity. FOurh-Thc small number OF
men required for this department will materially di
minish the crowd attendant upon fires. and
they viii not only be eNungulshca Wlth greater
facility and less waste Of water, but greater op-
p0rtunty will be afforded for the saving of goods
and property from buildings on fire Hftn-Ihe eX
penSc of maintaining this system viii be definite and
telegraph in efficient opeatlon fires Will he properly 10
Gated and false alarms Of occurrence thereby saving
large amount in and tear of machinery Seventh
The cost of repairing under the steam paid system Is Tar
less than for hand machines under the volunteer system
the entire st of repairing fire engines in the
CITY ofCncnnati for 1857 onlv amounting to lO75
lars EghthSix thousand feet of hose will be ample for
the of this department, whilst that now in opera
tinn in Baltimore requires a least 20 600 feet Finally
Steam machines will for the most part, be worked at
distance from the building fire and the small number
of operatives attached thereto will render enectua
the efforts of the police to keep of ders and others not
interested.
Such plan will cost more first in pecuniary point
Of view, than almost any volunteer system but whether
such is proper mode Of estimating its real value to TINS
community is inquiry to which the undersigned has
full confidence YOUR honorable body will reply promptly
for yourselves and satisfactorily to your constituents As
TINS system processes decided superiority over all Others
is only proper that the cts in others should he cur
Sorily designated In the city of Cincinnati which IS an
instance of the greatest Of the paid system in this
country portion of the hand machines are yet retained
in solely because their steam machines not pro
vided with facilities for using and throwing small
quantities of water. The department in that city
is, therefore compelled to depend upon the hand
engines in localities where water is only to
be obtained in small quantities The latest i'm
provrnents in steam fire machinery howeve. have rene
died this defect and engines building which are
capable of completely sUpcrseding the hand machines in
the localities named above In the city Of Boston tn"
sadly.
taEes. In Couscqu Of the employment of steam
and horse power the services Of four times the number Of
men becomes necessary; in addition to which, though
permitted matter Of necessity several Of the com
avail themselves the services Of runners who
n members even paid for their services.
Tne city Of New York presents in its fire department
toIeaby correct likeness of the which the majority of
the commission propose to lnaugnrat" IN B3Nm"fe-a
fusion Of the paid and volunteer systems tw" tHE"n
tic which the cNperenc" Of The New York de-
parment SclfdorS not demonstrate viii ever work to-
gchcr harmOniuUsy. Under the h"nchcent rule ii p"h
ical commissioners, and the odd iumhling together Of
paid authority the on" hand, aud unpaid irrcspnn-
bt, on the other there exists in>uhordinaton in
thc volunteer department Of New York this day; with
all of paid rulers than there does in Eamor"
where each company is independent of any organized
control outside Of themselves. Tie last city whose fire
department it may be proper to notice Is Philadelphia
ard the undersigned would be rayng the system origna
he fail to admit superiority tn" system in in
the last named city and this admission j. perhaps the
only proper notice which 1t Is necessary at TINS time 10
take thereof.
proposed will he less than is generally SuVH"S
ed and viii not vary much hom the following eSti-
mate:
For six first class steam fire engines equip
ped complete $500 each S2l 900
For six hose ct-rilg.S. clcr cdp4hia of
ryng coo feet thrce-inch hosc c............. 200
For 6.cOO feet best copper -riveted leather hose,
three inches diameter 5000
For two hook AMI ladder trucks, with appoint
ments complete. ....'..'... ...'''' uOo
For twelve horses for steam engines. 400
For ten for hose carriages and trucs.... 500
For eight houses and lots complete 30oGo
s63 100
The foregoing is ral estimate and will doubtless
be reduc when the ystem is put in operation especially
in the item houses of which the city already
owns several desirable locations The annual cost
of maintaining this department will not exceed the follow
One Chief Engineer-salary per Ooo
ONE CIcrk ..... 750
Ofice expenses of Chief Engineer. go
$500
Six Steam Engine Companies, each
One foreman captain 5000
One engineman. .''....'..''''... .NO
One host.cr and driver............... $50
Six extra men, each Slo0............ Coo
Keeping three horses Sl5O.......... l3O
Total expense six machines $50 each. 100
Two Hook and Ladder Companies, each
One foreman. ..-......S-uJ
One hostlcr and driver....... ....,.. $50
Mae men extra SlG0 each........... 900
| Two horses for keeping. ............. 300
Total expense two companies at..S 100 each.
oil GAS and fuel 2,OOO
Harness for horses, renewal of horses repairs Of
engines, hose, &c and all other contingent eN- o
/
Grand total. ........,....S+OOOo
The UNDERSIGNED takes pleasure in thus presenting
your honors body plan for the reorganization Of the
Fire Department of this city, Which he considers is justly
entitled be called reform and although furnished at
an annual expense exceeding that proposed by the
majority Of your commission must, to every candid mind
if its moral influences alone considered be invalna
ba in comDarison When to such attributes joined its
efficiency tie perfect with which 1t may be con
troed its feasibility almost invnchle Whatever
estimate your honorable body may feel it your duty to
place upon its value thing seems imminent and that
is the ultimate abandonment of the volunteer system
That justly omnipotcn power puOic opinion
has already recorded its Judgment against it. and the
Steam Fire Engine in whose path follows the paid system