The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-09-24
TUESDAY MORNING. SEPT. "a.

In DIR local columns this morning
will be found full account of the de-
structivs lire which occurred nj an
early hour yesterday morning. II Is TO
be hoped this calamity will not be with
out its lesson. II affords one more ofthe
multiplied evidences that the city IL al
most entirely destitute OF means of de-
Tense against fire-not only Ia the lack
ofnlI organization among the hrenien'
but in respect to neutrality-suspicious.
lV hose. The deficiency in hose was
referred to in this column early last
May. we then stated on good author
ity that there was scarcely u piece oil
hose in the city that could be relied on.
In view of that abatement the CITY Coun-
ell felt constrained TO order lest OF
hose. The hose were tested, very I'M
perfectly it is true, and the result
fully verified the statement that the
hose could not be depended on in at
Iachments To the Main street water
pipe. This was so apparent that even
the civ Council walked up long enough
10 pass an order for the purchase OF
800 feet OF new and good hose. For
some reason the purchase was never
made; and this failure, coupled with
the refusal OF the Council to purchase
one or more steam engines, so utterly
discouraged and Disguised the tremen
that they disbanded their organiza-
lion as Department. Since then
the city has been not only with
out ire hose (praetically,) but
without any lire organization. OF
course when "A fire occurs the members
ofthe several companies turn out,
cheerfully, and do all they can; but
they are under no general head and, of
course, great confusion and delay re-
suit, beside that occasionsd by the con-
tiuual bursting OF their rotten hose.
Ia this particular case the result could
hardly have been different had the fire.
men been well equipped for the
flames when discovered were too far
advanced to have been subdned.
Fortunately, too, the night was very
calm. But II It had been windy
night. the consequences would have
been very different. There is no telling
where the destruction would have
stopped.
We beg our city council to consider
that fires are just ms likely TO occur in
windy as in still weather, in one locali-
" as another, and that they may break
out any hour, day or night. We re-
peat what we said four or five months
ago that there Is no security for any
property la the city while this condi-
ton of things continues. The question
for our citizens to tnke seri-
ousIy home is whether it is best
TO provide beforehand for Perils
that are morally sure 10 over
take us sooner or later, that may do SO
Mt any hsur, and that are sure TO come
unexpectedly; or to wait till the c"iam-
ity has fallen. We despair of ever see
ing the present City Council take any
intelligent, liberal and adequate action
on this subject, because 1t seems impos-
sible for that illustrious body to conf
prehend the city's need of such thing
rs a fire department. Must the city
be therefore helpless? She ought to
have at least two more steam
fire engines. Is there no way
TO get them without the aid of the City
Council ,or is there not a way to quicken
the apprehensions of that bodyH The
City Council are but the creatures of
the people of this city. Why should
thew not execute that peoples Willy
We believe niue-ten;hs OF all the prop
erty holders in the city want an eff
Gent Fire Department and are willing
to incur ali needful expense to that end.
Is there any way in which this wish
could be impressed on couucilf We
suggest whether 1t would not be well TO
hold a public meeting and get an eK-
preston on the subject.