The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1866-05-30
For The Republican
Our Fire Department.

Our young and beautiful. city o. Lansing
IS rapidly increasing in population and
wealth; the unsigh;ly and unseemlv wood
rows OF stores on our principal avenue are
being removed, and giving place to stately
brick blocks - the erection OF numerous
elegant and commodious private dwellings
the completion OF another lie Of railroad
to this point, and the projection and pre-
liminary surveys Of three additional lines,
not only exhibit in marked degree. the
present prosperity, bat index bright and
hattering future for our growing city.
1t 49, however, source OF painful regret
that candor and sincerity impels Us to the
confession, that in one very important ana
essential particular Lansing Is fer behind
sister cities We refer to well organized
and thoroughly efficient fire department.
an organization 80 Indispensable 10 the
welfare and welIbeing OF our city-Iansing
IS totally destitute OF The year lust
/ closed has been without parallel in the his
tory Of our country for the losses We have
sustained by fires. Every portion Of the
country has alike suffered, our own State
not excepted. Michigan, in this respect.
has suffered largely. But While the s." fire
fend has laid waste the property and des-
troyed tie lives Of our neigabOrs. our city.
to q very great degree has been exempt
from disaster in this respect
kind Providence tenderly plying our
defenceless and unprotected condition. has
stayed the destroyer, as far as our city
is concerned. But is our situation at pres-
ent SO deplOrable in the event Of fire
which assuredly Is liable TO occur at anv
moment Let US see
lst We have fire engine" Granted;
not very good or efficient machine yet
it is an engine
"a. We have quantity OF hose belong
ing to the engine. Granted again; bur tho
hose IS entirely and completely useless:
spoiled. rOtted, worthless for the purpose
Intended. Well drop the hose. and We
come to the question Of water. Have We
supply OF that element without which.
though the engine be of the very best, and
the hose sound. nothing can 10 accom-
plishcd N the way Of extinguIshing con-
fiagration
Grand river furnishes al abundant supply
Of water, but IS it accessible in the event OF
Sre Certainly not, unless. Is a friend
al our elbow suggests, when a building Is
discovered on Gre. as preliminary step 70
the extinguishment Of the flames, the ser
wees Of Capt. Sbattuck be first secured To
remove the Burning building to the river
bank, where supply of vater can be
readily obtained
Again. We have al organized engine
company as well as hook and ladder com
pany Begging your "pard.n0, As Sary
Camp" wonld say. we have neither. We
once had well organized engine company
and book and ladder company. At the
present writing both companies are not
only dlsOrgarized, but demOralzed." We
mean IS ire organizations, and FOR this sad
condition Of things the companies them
selves are not 10 the least responsible. The
fault, the criminal fault. lies with our city
government
This, then, Is the present condition OF our
city FIRE department Not charming pic
ture, but to the public submit it, whether
too Highly colored. overdrsvn or embel-