, 1860-10-29

majority N1FG 6ouc 14GAeS "AA1~n e44s @AAA
nority will he compelled to respect And
if that is treason, we say to the fire-caters,
make the most Of it.
STEAM AT Fires.
The wisdom Of our city authorities in
discarding tho use Of the old-faslnoncd
hand engines and the services Of a yolun-
tcer department, and substituting therefor
steam machines and paid department, is
every day more and more apparent. The
fire ut the immense Brewery Of Llll d Dl-
versy, On Chicago avenue, on Friday eve
ming, proved, for the tifticth time, the econ
omy Of the change that las been made.
Had the department been on its old tootins'
that valuable pile would certainly have
been burned TO the ground. Nothing that
the most exl1austing and perseyering labor
could have done with the old machines
would hayc avai1ed; and it was only to
skillful use Of the agencies at hand that
that great property was saved As 1t 1s' the
loss is inconsiderablc; but the entire value
Of the establishment, over and abovc TIC
cost Of repairs, must be set down to the
credit Of steam.
But to the mass Of our people the great
benefit Of the steam department comes in
directly. As the result Of careful inquiry
made at leading agencies in this city, we
are enabled to say TINT the annual saving
to the city, through lower rates Of insu-
sance which follow improved methods Of
cxtinguishing conflagrations, isgreater than
the whole cost Of the fire apparatus, inclu-
ding also the yearly expenses Of the de-
partmcnt in all its branches. This seems
like Nh cxtrayagant statement to be made
in wooden city like this; but it is u1'-
questionably true We have no means OF
ascertaining exactly the gross amount Of
the premiums paid here every year for
insurance; it is large-aycraging at least
forr hundred and eighty thousand dollars
Now within the past gear, and since the ad-
yantaees Of steam fire department have
been proved, there has been large rcduc-
tion Of rites, This reduction is estimated
differently at different offices; hut the aver
age is not less thnn thirtyp per cent Anac-
tive competition among underwriters has
had much to do with this FILLING off. To
that agency mny be attributed decline of
| 10 per cent, but the steam machines must
have credit for the remainder-20 per cent.
This, deducted from the gross premiums Of
last year, would show saving Of 600, ,o0o!
The entire expenses Of the department for
the last half year, Us We learn By the Comp
trollers books, have been $o3, ,7o3, which
amount covers all salaries, all repairs,
horses, their feed, &c, asc.-a total Of $41,-
506 per nnnum- There are six engines in
use, for which tho city paid in tile aggregate
$4,000. Hence the cost Of the Depart
mcnt for the current year, including cost Of
engines and all machinery is $70,60o. But
rs tile engines will last twenty years OF
more, but small portion Of their original
cost is to be charged in the annual expenses
which may be fixed at $55,ooo. sothe city
pays that sum to save in cash 100000, to
secure an almost perfect immunity from
widespread md destructive contlagrations,
and 10 gunrd against the frequent ravagcs
Of smaller fires which destroy in the aggre'
gate immense amounts Of property which
no insurance covers. The sum Of it all Is
thai the paid fire department with steam
machines is q money making investment d
| tic first ilnportancc-one that no man in
the city would be willing 10 dispense with
for five tines its cost
| But there other advantages connected
with the use of siam machines which arr
not to be overlooked. Those who r1lI
them do not get drunk, kick up rows, con-
NIT acts Of insuboraination, kill each othe'
in street fights. badger the authorities, MOI
encourage idlcness and dcbauchery. Al
waysrcady, never tired, invariably obcdien'
and effective, the engines dispense at onct
with TINT train of evils which in this coun
try always have followed and always vii
follow hand machines and volunteer de
partment The cngine-houses are no longc1
nurseries Of rowdyism and strife; they re
semble machinc-shops in which men wor1
for pay and behave themselves becaus'
their selErcspect commands it Putting
out fires IS no longer m occasion for gen
eral drunk, br. trade to be nlade respect
able and rcmuncrstive by the good conduc
and skilled efficiency Of those who pursu
it. We wonder that with the experiene
Of Chicago and Cincinnati-t1e results @
which arc easily figured-thc larger citic
like New York md Philadelphia have bsc
content to endure the manifold disadvan
tagcs Of the old system, when the neces
sary reforms may be go easily introduced
He would be bold man who in our Com
mon Council should propose to give up tn
steam machines aud 60 back 10 the rowd5
ism and inefllciency Of the past,