The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-05-18

How suggestive OF horror, suffering. and dis
tress or delicase women and tender children
exposed to the pitiless storm-old age and In
fancy cast forth upon the inhospil.ble night
with weeping eyes aud bleeding hearts, to view
the destruction 0l all they hold dear, and round
which their waImess- affections had centered.
What more calculated to arouse our deepest SYM
pathies, to call forth our noblest efforts and
largest charity, than such scenes OF woe and sad
ness. And yet low readily. we delegate these
sacred duties to the fremea, While I'VE selfshly
Indulge our enste From Yea, TO year We nave
seen him do his maufui endeavor, until at last
our trust In him las become faith; and, w!th
full confidence in his prompt response to the call
OF succor, we are consent to let him bear she
brunt andfancy that upon cur shoulders rests
no responsibility.
In reviewing the history the Charleston Fire
Department. we find that it is naturally divided
into three periods-the lines Of demarkasion hclng
the great hre Of 1888, and the generaLexchange OF
haud engines for steamers within the first two or
three years after The late war. In 1885. fer the
first time, the utter iuadequacy OF the old system
was fully demonstrated, and q total re0rg shza
ton was the consequence. fore that epoch The
Fire Department In this city was nothing but
bucket concern" as we have heard our elders FIRE.
quenty express H. and known to the present gen.
GRAFTON only by tradition, or from the history OF
Ned Brace where similar lnstitntion in Savan-
nah ishumorouslv described In the mirth.provok-
ing pages Of the Georgia Scenes.n There is an
allusion also, to this same custom, in Schter's
LAY Of the Bel:o
"Swung from hand to hand with zeal along
BY the throng.
Speeds the pail"
The engines vera small affairs stationed near
the fire, and supplied by these buckets. line
was formed generally by impressment, from the
well to the engine, and along 1t passed tho buck
ets from hand TO hand; another line conveyed
down the empty buckets blck-again to the well.
The engine company, in the meanwhile, are en-
gagged in playing on the fre. The want OF. hose
was serious awback; and even when the buck
cts passed out of use, 'ha5tes were not much
better A little ED ,ihe would go to well and Oil
up, then go to the fse and play upon II, to return
again to the we'll as soon ss Its scanty supply
shall have been eShahsted.
Before 1888 there were {e*r Il, any public wells
in the city, and tl, scarcity Of water was one OF
the most serious hiudrances to greater efficiency
OF the department. The city afterwards sauka
number Of fire wells but many OF these have be-
come worthless by the ttlal drains Wherever
dl ain came in contact with Il fire well. the Inter
was destroyed. as the drains are on a lower level
than the wells.
1t is very much TO be regretted that among the
casualties OF the lat. war we have to mention the
destruction OF nearly all the records OF the depart
ment in this city; aud We were thus frustrated in
our original design Of writing full and succinct
history OF the fire organizations OF Charleston.
Heretofore the anniversary OF the department.
the27th Of April, always was the great gala day
of our city. For weeks the enthusiastic young
nremen worked light and day, Furnishing their
darling machines TILL every particle OF metal
about them shone like polished silver. Their fair
friends fully equal ed them In their SEAL aud cau
tilbuted their Qnoacto the pageant by The Taste.
ful wrealhs, garla1tts md pyramids OF uataral
aud artificial flowers that decorated the engine
and hose carriage. The contest then was for the
greatest distance any Of the engiaes could throw
| stream OF water With the change OF tappira-
tus 1t was at once perceived that this would o
| louger be q fair test, as 1t Wonld be eIsy
| for any company 10 secure the victory
| by simply procuring steamer OF greater
power than aHg other in 0ur department. A
different style OF contest was, therefore, in.
troduced, which has been found to work
well In other cities The object now is to
run the apparatus a given distance. and throw q
stream In the shortest pos 'ible time. This has
the advantage OF at once being verV prac' ical,
encouraging manly and healthful exercise, aud
at the same time furnishing every possible ele
ment for an homo orable rivsiry and friendly emu
lation. 1t was found best, however, TO separa te
this contest or tournament f.on the annua al
MAYORS parade end inspection, as the'Fire De-
partment had greatly outgrown lie ante-oellun'
proportions, and 1t was all but. impossible to &C;