The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-04-11
Substantial Facts for Solid Men
Description of Fire Department.
TNDIANApaII nrif 10

The unprecedented raEages OF IRE
in many parts of the country during
the past twelve or fifteen months, have
set thinking men to work to ind
out the cause or causes, and to apply
remedies. The '''wise men of Goth
am remembering that the Hebrews
of the olden time had something to do
with pillar of fire." have decided to
hold the children of that long-suffer-
ing race responsible for the prevail
ence of confagrations, and large
number of the principal insurance.
companies have resolved not to take
risks on property owned or occupied
by Jews. There can be no doubt that
ineendiarism is fearfully on the in
crease, but there. is no reason to be-
lieve-this crime specially of any
particular race among our. heterosen-
eous population. Neither Jews nor
Gentiles can claim monopoly in this
or any other species of rascality.
Prominent insurance men IN this
State have sought to protect their in
terests by legal enactments extend
ing the definition of the crime Of ar
son, and regulating the sale of explo-i
sive oils and other Illuminating fluids.
This is we'll SO far as it goes, but:
the principal dependence of insurance
companies and property holders gen..
orally in every city for protection
against loss or damage BY fire must.
be upon we'll organized FIRE depart
ment. Your city, though striding
along in the march of Improvement
in most other respects at rate that
promises at no distant day to eclipse
all competitors, is in this one
particular. far behind the times.
You lowe more to what some
people call the protecting
hand of Providence" and others
speak of as good luck for your ex-
emption from the devastating in
fuence of sweeping confagrations
than to the efficiency Of your Fire
Department. On more than one oc-
casion the writer has called public
attention to this subject, and, as is
usually the case with volunteers in
the. field of general reform, has been
rewarded with curses largely in ex-
cess of stamps. He has been politely
reminded that it was not his funeral,
and advised to save his tears and ink
for personal use. That advice may
have been good, but it was not cor
daily approved, and the recipient
thereof, at the risk of further IAN
athamas, proposes to ''stir up the
pure minds" of the good people of
Evansville by a few practical re-
marks on the old subject. 3saag q
The fire department of Indianapo-
lis, though far from perfection and
susceptible Of obvious improvements,
presents q model which with slight
notifications might be adapted to. the
wants Of your city. The early detec-
tion-af- fires and the prompt notifcal
ton of the fremen are provided for
by very simple and inexpensive means.
On the top of high building CEN
trally located issa tower which com
mands view of the entire city. Con-
nected with the tower is large bell.
A watchman is always on duty in the
tower looking out for the appearance
of a fire. When one is discovered, he
indicates by the proper number of
strokes of the bell the district or To-
cation where the services of the force
are required. So accurately is this
duty performed, that Of forty-three
alarms last year only two were false.
Two men are required for this service,
WHO relieve each other at regular in.
teryals.
Three steam engines "Latta,"
Leg, aadf harmed and a Seneca
Falls''-with hook and ladder wag-
on, constitute the mechanical force of
the lepartmentg To each ofstheseep-
gines, eight men are attached, four Of
whom (the engineer fireman, engine
driver and horse-reel driyer) are re-
quired to remain always at the engine
house. LAT night, they relieve each
other on watch so as to keep one man
on duty. The four horsemen are re-
auired to be in attendance only at
fires, and deYQte the most, of their