Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1858-01-09

In octuai service th9A
When fires did not need service s
To go to Rock Island fires. q
False alarms 3
In all l8 tinas.
With the exception of three occasions. d.
struction Of p, operty by FIRE has been CON-
paratively trifling. The fire occurring dnn-
day morning, July 5th, on Brady street.
Catholic Square) was the mort destructive
Of any other, chiefly owing to the great de
advantage occasionsd by the locality being
30 far from water that sufficient quantity Of
hose could not be procured to take the va
ter from the river until the arrival Of the
Rock Island engine, when, WITH the aid of
the hose OF that engine, the flames were al
most immediately extinguished. The under
signed cannot too highly commend the spirit
Of perseverance and labor manifested by the
firemen Of this city. and also those Of Rnck
Island, on that occasion, - we'll % nth r
times when called on. -
The company has been - Efficient Az 90
possible for any newly organized company,
with the same Inconvenience for procuring
guishment Of fires The quantity of hose is
the majority of fires have been from 400 70
1900 feet distant from the river; consequent
ly the labor and delay of getting water that
distance can be fully understood by no one
not a practical fireman.
The undersigned would respectfully call
the attention Of the City Council to the ur-
gent necessity Of Immediately adopting some
method Of having supply of water above
Third street, for the use of engines at fires
and would recommend, as the cheapest and
best method of procuring it, that cisterns
holding 1000 barrels Of water, be constructed
in the streets, at convenient distances apart,
and to be filled with water from the river,
for the use Of fire engines
have been at considerable labor in pro
curing the best Information concerning the
cost Of constructing such cisterns, and have
consulted with practical cistern builders,
and find that cistern fully completed, hold
ing 1000 barrels, will cost s4OO. The cities
Of Detroit. Mich, Newark, N. j., Natchez,
Miss, Louisville, KY, and many other cities,
have adopted this method of procuring sup
plies of water for the use Of the Fire Depart
ment, and they are considered the best and
most convenient method that can be adopt
ed, in tho absence Of water works.
II, at any future time, our city should es-
tab.ish water works. these cisterns can be
used with great advantage, especially in
cold and freezing weather, when hydrants
and water pipes are frozen up, and rendered
useless,
These cisterns can be filed with water
from the river 1900 feet distant, by attach
ing the hose Of the Fire Department to the
pumps of the Engine at the FIGURING Mill
of Burrows l. Prettyman, which is driven
by steam power, and is running night and
day the greater portion Of the year, J. NJ ID.
Burrows, Esq, with accustomed liberality,
offering to do this free Of charge to the city
In some sections water from the roofs
of the neighboring buildings could be used
with advantage The water can then be
pumped from one cistern 10 another by the
fire engines, until all the cisterns are filled,
with trihing expense to the city, and that
chiefly occasioned by the purchase of
pump costing about $3.50, which could not
only be used for filling cisterns b., - I
also be used for supplying th< 1nADIA1
should fire occur at any other toil
Sundays, when the hose could be.EaR.
tached from the pumps to the engines,
making the streams of water used, much
more effective. Should fire occur within
1900 feet of the mill, the pump would fur
nish supply Of water to both engines at
the fire. making their streams more nImer-
ons and effective There are other advan-
tages to be derived from such an establish
meut of cisterns and pump. which the linn
its Of this report will not permit me to emu
merate, and which must be evident to eve-
ry intelligent citizen. us in all fires occur
rig above Fourth street, at the present
time, the engines are of little use alexander
compels me to say that if these cisterns had
been constructed before the late Obstructive
fires, the loss Of property by those fires
would have been comparatively trifing.
have hitherto felt the need of tho assis-
tance Of a hook and ladder company, which
10 one of the most effective auxiliaries of the
department, and am pleased to report
that such o company has been organized,
now numbering forty members, and com
posed chiefly of property holders, and
amongst them are many old fremen, who
are again willing to put on the "har,,ess"
and assist in the bensvo olent labors of saving
the lives and property of citizens from the
devouring flames.
This company is now equipped with lad
ders, hooks, axes, ropes, DC, and their truck
for carrying the same, will be ready for
service in six or eight days. The. equip
ment is not as full as it is ultimately de
signed to be, but the company deserve great
credit fer the energy they have displayed
in effecting their organization, and thus no
bly, responding to the necessities of the fire
department. In cases of fires in rows of
wooden buildings, when fire engines can
not be rendered efficient. for want Of wa
ter, the aid of the hook and ladder company
will be indispensable in staying the progress
of the flames.
The undersigned would further recon-
mend that fire bell be Immediately pur-
chas ed and placed in the cupola of the en-
CINE house. Now, there is no alarm bell
and it is sometime before the bells Of the
churches can be rung upon an alarm OF fire.
The undersigned would suggest the ap-
point of watchman. with full polieceman's 3
powers, to be stationed at the engine house.
and to have charge Of, and perform the
work of keeping the apparatus and hose of
the company in complete order.
If the suggestions of the undersigned, for
the appointment of a.Watchman, to be Sta
toned At the engine house. be carried into
effect. he can always, without loss of time,
sound the fire . arm, and thus Immediately
apprize, not only firemen, but citizens, Of
the breaking out of any fire.
The undersigned would recommend tho
passage Of an ordinance. preventing rer-
sons from driving wagons over the hose,
when being used by the company.
The department IS greatly in need Of On