The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-05-06
BALTIMORE.
THURSDAY, MAY e, 1858.

From notice published in yesterday o""' we
learn that it is the intention OF our bi'tlhore iire
men TO give to their new ally, the oteiiii rHe
ENGINE n formal welcome upon lis arrival III Ihis
CITY Whether His Honor, the Mayor, is to be
Chairman of the Committee of Reception or pro-
poses to address the Engine in one of those pecu-
liarlv happy and graceful speeches, for which he
hos become noted we have not been advised. We
are clad, however, to see the friendly spirit with
which this great Improvement upon the old system
of distinguishing fires, we are speaking now ofthe
Engine not of the Mayor,-is viewed by the mem
bers of the Fire Department among whom it was, at
one time, feared that its introduction would meet
with opposition, aud give rise to difficulties The
apprehension did injustice to the true, working
members of the Department, than whom none are
better able to understand or more prompt TO ac-
knowledge, the defects of the present system and
the evils which are inherent in its organization
The advantages of the Steam Fire Engine over
any hand-engine, both in respect to the volume of
water which it is capable Of throwing and the
force and regularity with which its streams may
be projected, have been sufficiently well proven by
the test ofactua experiment. to render unnecessary
any argument in favor of its adoption. Wherever it
has been tried, it has given entire satisfaction and
we do not doubt that similar success will attend
its introduction here. Aside, however, from the
merits of the machine ITSELF considered in the
light of useful invention, we should regard
the substitution of Steam Fire Engines,
for hand-engnes, as great moral and
cial reform The very weight which it has
been found necessary to give to the engine in
order to strength in its machinery, and uni
formty and steadiness in its action makes ii ne
cessary to horses instead of men, for its trans
poration from place to place. Now, horses neither
drink whiskey, nor throw BRICKS nor fire PISTOLS
neither are they likely to prove incendaries, or
thieves. Firemen, we are sorry to say, or, ut
least, the worthless fellows who too often usurp
the name, and wear the badge, while they dis
honor the calling of fremen sometimes do all
these things They have been known TO drink,
fight, and shoot each other, and even to kinde the
fires which they afterwards strive so industriously
to extinguish, for the sake of the excitement of
"run," of the opportunity for stealing which
such an occasion affords. OF course, we do not
charge these sins upon the real fremen of the city,
the men who, at all hours, and in all weathers, are
ready to quit their business or their beds, at the
first stroke of the alarm-be and who will 90 any
distance and face any amount of danger or fatigue,
TO the lives and property of their fellow-men
These noble fellows are entitled to all praise and
honor, and we proud to believe, that there are
in the department, whole companies, actuated in the
main by just such spirit of active philanthropy
Other companies there are, however, whose mem
bers bear totally different character and .it is to
In no Ernnn IF no
generally, that our remarks apply Wherever
the volunteer system prevails and the APP
paratus is dragged to fires by men,
the necessity for having the engines taken at once
and as quickly possible to the spot where they are
needed, and for accepting accordingly the services
of any body and every body who may offer to lend
helping hand, inevitably gives rise to the existence
of body of hangers-on to the different fire COM
panies, whom we may describe as runners -
These fellows are mostly boys whose minority, or
blackguards whose character, forbids the POSSIBLE
ty of their being received into the membership of
any decent company. They are suffered, how
ever, to hang about the doors of the engine houses
and to assist in drawing and working the engines,
until they gradually become as regularly attached
to the companies, as though actually members.
These are chiefly to blame for the crimes and ex-
cesses which seem almost inseparable from the vol
unteer system. The introduction, however of steam
fire engines and the necessary substitution of horses
for men, for their transportation from the engine
houses to fires, is calculated to abate if not
oltogether ror,ove, this great evil. Men Will no
longer be wanted either to draw or to work the en-
gnes Horsehesh and steam will do ALL Only
driver a fireman to tend the engine, and pipe
man to direct the application of the water, will be
required for the efficient working of steam fire
engine These, from the nature of their employ
ments, and the necessity for their being always on
hand, ready for duty at moments notice, must
be paid servants of the company, or of the city,
according as the engine may happen to he private
public property. Moreover if the engines are
drawn by horses the necessity for having the hose
carriages at the fire as if not before the en-
gnes, in order that there may be no delay in putting
the latter to work so soon they arrive and can be
got into operation, will compel the use of horses
for the purpose of drawing the hose carriages
Consequently, the runners " occupation will be
gone and "Sykesy'' and CHOSE become obsolete in
situations. These are some of the reforms which
we may expect from the general adoption of Steam
Fire Engines, and we therefore think that the
honors, which are to be bestowed upon the Engine
which is soon to arrive in this city, are well de-
served, and will be fifty paid. Its public reception
by the Fire Department will be an occasion every
way worthy of the eloquence of the Mayor, whose
claims to deliver the "Address of Welcome" we
trust, will not be overlooked, nasmuch as the hos
tity of that distinguished magistrate to every
form of ruf6anism and rowdyism, and, his entire
and cordial appreciation of "Steam Fire Engines
in general, only await fitting opportunity to be
abundantly manifested in-words