The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-10-16


THE FmEsEN's PARADH To-MoRaow.
morrow the 6remen Of this city will make thsar
second triennial parade, and we venture to cay
that the display on that occasion will be ~
grandest civic representation ever witnessed ia
any city in the world, for the splendor Of tho
decorations employed, the regularity of the dr.
ciplined MAS, and the muscle Of the individuals
who compose 1t.
The cost Of the parade which from It's
name, it appears, has been adopted, not
as ON annual, but . three years. osiebfa-
.tion-will not be less than a hundred
thousand dollars to those participating In
it. The fremen have laid the pictorial art
under heavy contribution in the decoration Of
their apparatus, and we may expect to see n
the ranks tomorrow works of art which, for
design and execution, are worthy to grace the
walls of no mean picture gallery. Fine speoi-
mems of silverwork too, are quite common az
ornaments to the machines, in which the fire.
man takes so much pride. In short, there is
hardly branch Of art which does not find re-
markable representation in the appurtenances
Of the Fire Department
But what is all this compared to the body of
fremen themselves? A volunteer army-foc
the most part young men, banded for the
noblest purpose toiling and risking life with
out any other remuneration than glory and the
selfsatisfaction of doing their duty-they pre-
sent in vigor :of frame, activity, daring and
discipline, = corps darna<e which cannot be
excelled, perhaps, in the world. The aremen
have had many times to labor under the onus
of misrepresentation, and to hear themselves
called by harsh names, but when We remember
the scenes enacted sometimes In Baltimore,
Philadelphia and other cities, 1t must be adj
mitted that the New York firemen will bear
most favorable comparison in point of respec-
liability and good conduct with any similar
body in the country. It is true, we hear of
iremen's fights occasionally, but it almost al
ways happens that it Is the runners and rswdy
hangers-on Of the engine houses who are the
instigators andparticipants in these ARRAYS, and
not che fremen themselves; and the alacrity
with which the fire companies hasten in such
cases to disabuse the public mind, and clear
themselves from charges of rowdyism and vio-
lence, shows that they are intensely sensitive
and jealous of their good name. 1t is impossible
to keep idle rowdies entirely away from the
bands of fremen during a fire. The alarm bell
is the signal for all the loafng and ill-disposed
classes of our youth to hasten to the scene,
which presents equal chances for fun or mis-
chief, and it is not always safe or fair to hold
the firemen responsible for the conduct of these
persons.
There is no doubt, we think, that the present
efficiency of our fire department is, in great
measure, due to the chief engineer, Mr.. Harry
Howard, whose extraordinary energy and self
devotion to the interests of the Department have
reduced giant constitution almost to debility,
and frame of iron to partial helplessness.
Should the weather tomorrow prove proPi-
tious, New York will probably witness one Of
the finest sights ever offered in her streets, and
something Of which the metropolis may feel
proud