The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-03-30

OF these men none stay at the engine
houses except the hostlers. The ordinance
prepared by the special committee as
passed by the Second Branch, proposes to
make the list as follows:
Each Assistant Marshal, .,"S 30 100
SSEEEPginesrs' each ''''.>'''" az 1SS Il5S
RF T;tI Ts,r '....," ~ | , ,S5S
CompSSy same as now ~ 400
Total. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS O6
Under the latter arrangement the engi-
neers, firemen and hOstIers are to give
full time at the engine houses, day and
night; and the extra men arc 10 stay
there ut night and be subject to call by
day..
The apology made for the Department
in its present condition is that ct present
only the hostler stays at the engine house
at night. The other men sleep ut their
homes, which are sometimes remote, and
ifaroused lose time getting to the engine
house. II the hostler starts out with the
engine alone, they must follow him up
and II he lights the furnace fire rs he
runs, without any one to regulate the
engine, lie runs the risk of blowing II up.
This We suppose explains why Our
engines so often go to fires without
steam, and raise 1t after they get on the
ground and this state oil things will aC'
count, in part at least, for the delays in
getting to work. ...
The primary object Of steam fire de-
partmcnt, is to get up steam, get on the
ground and get to work, all with the least
possible delay N(ler the alarm is given
Minutes, and even seconds arc precious at
the beginning OF u tlre-worth whole
hours afterwards Precisely here is the
weak place in the Department MS ut pres
ent manned. Too much precious time is
lost before the apparatus is set in motion
Five or ten minutes oNGn makes the
difference between u slightand disastrous
fire. Yet how often do We here have tC
dcplorc the loss Of twice or thrice as long
1t is supposed by those who favor the
plan Of the special committee that the
apparatus Of the city would thereby be
amply manned. The number Of men Is
certainly sufficient, and undCra marshal
OF energy and executive ability there
ought to be no doubt Of It. If the mcr
arc on the spot, il the horses are in har
ness ready to be hitched, If the engine II
in order and position, the furnace filled
with Combustiblc fuel ready TO light, ant
ifthe men and horses arc properly drilled
it is the work of but Il few seconds to &c
an engine out. A Philadelphia paper says
an engine Of tho new department there Is
made ready to start in just 20 seconds
from time Of getting the alarm. This kline
Of work requires skill and discipline
among all hands, and these can only bC
secured by having intelligent and sobel
subordlnAtes and executive capacity ii
tho marshals.
twas stated in Council that the change
proposed would impose an additional cosI
of about $4,000 We are not able tc
figure it more than $3,OSG. The expense
seems to be regarded as the principal lion
in the way by those councilmen who are
opposed to the change. This does moi
seem to US a very large view of the sub
iect; If It were 5000, that is mo-
very great proportion Of the yearly
expenditures. Tho Council at its las
meeting voted to pay that much to q
single officer otthe city and did not seen
to think much oft, win any gentleman
who is distressed at the idea of taxing the
community some $1,000 in all for fire
service, sit down and figure up how
much the imbecility OF the Department
as at present organized has cost this com.
munity in tho lastycar! Nothing can be
surer than that Of all fire systems an iner.
flcient one is the dearest, and IN elective
one the cheapest no matter what it costs
Wheeling has bought costly engine!
and apparatus, and yet has stopped short
Of successful use OF them. If five thou
sand dollars or anything less will enable
the city to get some good out OF this ex
pendlture, it seems reasonable and proper
to expend it 1t appears to us the COun
Gil has not shown due appreciation o
this question, Judging from the treatment
Of it Tuesday night There are indica
tons that honorable members care more
for their personal ends, their likes and
jealousies in tho matter, than they do fol
the passage Of some measure on its merits
The Fire Committee appears to be Jealous
of the Special Committee, and vice versa;
and the Gins" Of the Department arc
doubtless afraid of the chance which a
change would give the "outs." D..
For ourselves we are not in the interest
ofany man, cliqueor scheme. We writ,
in the interest of community who hAvC
many millions Of valuable property OK
posed to fire; with scarcely any protec
ton against its ravages, though they have
already been taxed enough for tho pur
pose to be amply secured; and we cal
upon the Council no longer IN trifle with