The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-08-30
The Fire Dep.rsm ent Of 81. pe,-,.b.r..

n TtftidIh1DIc iESItu1Ou va St. 3>efff4DuTR
is the Fire Department, and one OF the most
farcicaI entertainments to be met with 1. the
sight OF a company with It's apparatus going TO
a fire, and its management when arrived there
In the first place comes a aheruid on horsebstek
and in uniform, dashing down the street at a
full run, to announce the approach Of
the captain of the company From an
eighth to quarter of a mile be-
hind follows the captain himself, clad in
full military dress, including a long sword
and white gloves, and seated in a barourhe
drawn by three horses abreast, going at the
top of their speed. Now comes short plat
form wagon, also drawn by three horses. on
the top of which stand half a dozen men and
an engine, made precisely like a common gar.
den pnmp, but having two and q half times
the power of that worthy little machine. Be-
hind these will usually be seen another wa
gon, carrying in addition to SO feet in length OF
two inch hose, as many soldiers In great coats
and helmets us can well pile on to il, and then
four orshye other double teams carrying each
one man beside The driver, and a snaall-si sized
barrel lying flatwise and having square hole
in its top, for convenience OF filing it by
means of buckets.
A standing reward of about fifteen dollars
to the company which first reaches n fire.
causes the drivers to whip their horses into {.
furious canter, and as the train dashes along
the street, exciting the pride, admiration and
awe OF the unfrayeled natives, the whole sight
Is so iudicrous that spec tator. who happens
to have seen the fire brigades of other cities.
can with difficulty repres. such noisy laughter
rs puts him in danger Of going TO the lookup
for boisterous behavior.
Once arrived at the fire W itii melting horses
and empty water casks, all interest in the
burning building appears TO cease. The cap
tam, III MS carriage, takes up position which
affords the best view of the flames while the
men go deliberately about unber ding the fifty
feet OF hose, with its hree-eighths OF inch
nozzle, and, after every thing has been arran nged
with military precision, the water casks are
ordered off to the river to be filled. When one
81 these tpH with The
pump, the brakes OF which are set in motion
at the rate of twenty strokes per minute, (by
actual timing of the watch,) while the man
holding the nozzle OF the discharge looks out
for some elevated position, from which he can
throw water into the chamber windows, and
if he fails To secure a convenient berth upon
pile OF dry goods boxes or q carts tail, the
probability is that you will see him in the
course of ten minutes in the second story of
neighboring house, with his hose passing upon
the outside, and playing from the window of
one into the other. This plan works 10 the
satistact ton of all concerned while the barrel
of water holds out; but after q while the
machine begins to sssuck air. and then
comes a loud hurrah and cessation of opera
tions till another cask can be backed up and
attached to the suction OF the Torrent, the
Niagara or the Cataract, or engine of whatever
aspiring name happened to be imposed at its
christening.
OF course, such apparatus and management
as / have described. can produce no effect up
on the flames until after building is burned
out, and the fire becomes concentrated on the
ground floor, when, if the house be narrow,
the engines will play across horizontally, and
most likeIy effect q small saving OF charcoal.
The walls of brick houses, being aver
age three feet thick, never fall down. l had
noticed that whilea portion of the men We're
toying with the pnmps and water casks, ano-
ther set went wildly TO work, smashing all
the windows and chOpping holes in the roofs,
while yet others rushed on iii advance of the
flames, pitching sofas. table and pier glasses
out Of the second and third story windows on
to the pavement. the fail OF conrse. dashing
everything 10 pieces.
Such conduct in countries of older eiyiliZa-
ton is usually es esteened the work OF men
lnboriug under the effects OF temporary insan-
ity; but, after seeing it practiced by regular
drilled IiTemen, whose interest in saving prop
ertv or even their own lives. would never lead
to any spJn laHeu,ls action OF the kind came
to the conclusion that there must be some
philosophy at the bottom of it--an idea in
which L was confirmed by careful inquiry OF
an inteilg gent Russian. According to his ac-
count, the furniture of a burning house is
thrown out solely with view to prevent its
feeding the flames, by creating draft through
the windows and root, III order that they may
consume the timber work as soon as possible,
and thus prevent the greater damage that
would result to the walls from confined and
slower com mbuStlon.
But the Russians do not rely altogether upon
the IRE department. 1t Is customary toinvoAe
supernatural aid. As soon as convenient after
q fire has broken out, all the priests in the
neighborhood assem- bic and march III solemn
procession around the flames, bearing pictures
OF the saints and other insignia OF office, and
utterlng prayers in the Sciavonlc tongue.
Great interest is felt by residents in the yiclni-
ty, in the route which they take, because 1t is
believed that the flames will not spread be-
you'd it; but am not aware that the priests
are at all particular on the SUBJECT, except 10
avoid intense heat, and follow such streets and
open spaces as broad enough to make il toll
erdbly certain the flames viii not reach beyond
Them =Cnr. SuEiugG Geid RsuHtlicaN.