New-York daily tribune., 1865-12-21
mixed corruption Of great city he was Wild vicloos
dangerous, and we can spare him now.
THE NEW FIRE DEPARTMENT.

mixed C0rrlpt1On OF great Wnp '.'""s
dan pQerOus, and we can spare him now.
THE NEW FIRE DEPARTMENT,
which everything consdered) is esss expensive than
the od it employs the cream or pretty much all thas
was worth having of the od 1t Is no longer an engine
OF poltical corrupton and 1t will probably cease
il has not already ceased to exert degrading IN
fuence on the young. ,,,
There may be some Of the rowdy element 10 still
canker its machinery for while, but the retaining or
discharge Of these longer belongs TO bureau
that must play itsicards sharply to secure reinsta
ment but with commissioners who have no interest
and let us hope no inclination to foster corruption Tor
political ends. The tap Of the frebe now means hot
that there is 10 be rush. foray ana raree SHOW -
muscle and bad temper but fire is to be exngniseo,
public enemy to be subdued; and as the hremen are
paid for their services, it is reasonable conehsion
that they viii not be so much inclined to plumber
THE FIREMAN NOW
does not aone consist in his garb Even II the rowcy
instinct turks in his breast it is to his interest 10 pue
out the fire e. do the work for which ne IS pafd) rs
soon possible for it is work. and not wild pasflme'
as formerly. His ambition to play a bigger stream.
and reach the Of labor faster than another en-
gine is an honest and praiseworthy rivalry as ega-
mate as the desire of city county to excel anoher
in improvements and enterprise redounding to The ben
cit OF Its Inhabitants.
The election day with him Is patriotic. not ner-
cenary consideration because of the absence OF the
temptation which may have Influenced his errlD8
brother The breath expended in directing or cbldlnE
his horses saves many oath, which might otherwise
be heaped upon felowheng, and the general dminu-
ton OF noise in the street is disguised and indirect
blessing 10 the community at lhrBe.
THE ENGINES NOW
are large but not clumsy. They drawn 10 the Ere
by swift horses and not lettering and boys They
are worked by treess steam power instead Of hnte
human Drawn, and each one Is capable OF throwing
two or three streams either of which is equal 70
score of the miserable, piddng Jets which were abo
rously squeezed from the old hand-machines.
In confagation Of vast propOrtions-like .that OF
Barnum's Museum for Dsance-twenty OF these steam
fre.eDgines (anG only ten Of the Western engines.
which larger and more powerful would be wortb az
rpa .f tha obs tnp MI.
Broadway from the Astor House to Union.sq1are We
also have the inestmabc advantage Of beas able 10
reach the fire before it expands from incpeney TO
consuming element OF vast proportions.
The FIRE BELL NOW
is nothing than the signal 10 dozen or half do3en
men that there is prompt hard, intelligent work TO ne
DONE dozen taps have scarcely sounded before tyo
horses are hitched to the tongue OF the machine and
bright fire is blazing in the furnace behind them ihey
learn the meaning Of the bell by instinct (yho mas not
noticed this in riding any OF our street c1Esf GDd
paw the planking Of their stables mpatently Before
q dozen taps more have sounded, they are galopnS
down the street at the rate of six or eight jes an
hour and probably the deep tones OF the alarm Dol st
yibrate in the air. when the engine is f OF water ana
glorious siream-strong enough to split heavy liank
and thick IS mans arms pouring upon the iisn5
flames with an assurance of protection and safely IN
every gnrgle at the nozzle sharp hiss as tho drowning
fountain floods the fire.
CONFEDERATION NOW
is usually merely the commencement Of IRE. The
noise is almost as great it under the old regime
bn il does consist Of the shonts oaths and ves OF
drunken men; it is only the puff puff puff which
indicates that the bondman Steam is heayng his great
lungs and sranng his snews of steel TO perform the
work Of a regiment Of 'hremen.' Then the hrenen
Themselves are so few in comparison with the volnD-
toers of old that there Is not he OF the confIsion
They are drilled and oiceied, know whom 70 obey and
whom TO order about There are not half SO many
policemen present because their presence ;s not re-
oured and the fire is generally made short work OF.
SUMMING UP.
The Old Fire Department was expensive, corrupt N
its tendencies and only PARTLY useful in its legitimate
operation-that of extinguishing fires in New.Yo'k
City, the New Fire Department costs less has itte or
no outside influence for good or bad, and Is, eoHpa-
lively at least very efficient in subduing fames
The former extingushed fires light and long con-
tnued shower might cool the laboring crater OF vol
oano; the latter puts them out something aiter tne
manner in which man crushes spark beneath DIS
heel. -,
The one was On upmitigated nuisance; the other
gives abundant promise of becoming at no very ds'as
day, an unspeakable blessing