The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-04-04
EIfQettrter.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. ,
Z ~ -st q -
Card from Chief Marshal Winder.
To the Editors OF the IutelIIgcncer {:

Gard from Chief Marshal WlnueTa
To the Editors OF the IntellIgencer:
In your Issue of Friday, March 81, ap.
pears o Gerry powerful article, over the sig
nature Of "Citizen" q don't know my
one of that name), devoted to the abuse Of
the Fire Department, and particularly the
officers thereof-especially the Chief. l
have not had time to make reply before,
and, in fact, doubted very much the pro-
priety Of noticing it now; but with your
permission l would make plain state
ment in regard to the reel Of old hose,
Vhich'appeaFs to have soured on the gen.
tlemen's Whose name Is "Citizen, " stom-
aeh. Some time last year l was told by
some ofthe property holders m the neigh.
bOrhOOd Of the old hose house in East
Wheeling. that they would like to have o
reel Of hose there, to protect their proper.
ty until the Department should arrive at
a fire; and that they thought Of petition
ing Council for one. l told them, as the
Atlantic" was in temporary quarters and
not in its proper location, / would put q
reel Of hose there, although / had no au-
thor1ty so to do, provided certain parties
named should take proper care Of the
same and prevent boys and others from
destroying 1t, or operating 1t ID. conflict
with the Department. This was agreed
10, ( I Immediately provided them with
the hose, connecting brasses, nozzle,
spanners, &C., The first fire after this
occurred OF McCluskey's stable, where !
arrived in good time and assisted them
with this thosC and fully appreciated their
services in checking the fire, until the de-
partment arrived. There the trouble
commenced, o lot Of men and boys crowd
ed around tic engine and the men who
were, using all possible means to get to
work, using language anything but COM
plimentary to the department and such
as no gentleman would be guilty Of. A
long time elapsed before another fire &C:
Cured tn that locality and, / suppose they
gorget to pay the attention to the appara'
tus, it demanded and allowed the boys or
some persons unknown to remove the
connection and nozzle. The next fire
occurred at Uausenauer's stable and their
apparatus wGsnot In condiuont0 do much
good. was duly notified Of the fact and
reminded them Of their promise to take
care OF It and was told they could not
keep the boys out Of the house, which l
believed. A gentleman who lives neal.
said that II would provide them with
more brasses and nozzle he would keep
them ip bis house. suggested the prob.
ability 81 thef otheS taking the hose
out while he, would have the con.
nections and be asleep. 8'He' assured
mo that nothing Of lhe'iRind would
occur, as he would be on hand with them
as soon as there was force enough 10 take
1t out l gave them to him. The nozzle
was not flrst.classi but the best l could
and afthe time, - as ~ ~
At this time / was spoken 10 by d gen.
tleman, suggesting the pIopriety Of placing
this hose in Culbertson & Fishers foun.
dry. I told him that 1t had been placed
where 1t was for the protection Of proper.
ty in the east end OF the Ward, and that l
thought the Atlantic engine and hose was
close enough to that locality, ! told this
gentleman the arrangement had made
with the connections, &c, which seemed
OF the time to be satisfactory.
II had (as Citizen intimates / shOuld)
known that the fire was 10 be at Bodley's
shops just at that time / would most Ger.
tainly have prepared for it. This fire did
occur, and this same reel Of hose was
taken there, but they had no connecting
brasses, as the gentleman who had charge
Of them, thinking the FIRE was over the
creek, went to 1t and LEFT them ut home
consequently 1t was not used.
The next fire was near tho Fourth
Ward School house. The hose was there
but the nozzle had been left with part oil
the hose at Bodley's shops-rathGr handy
to Culbertson & Fishers foundry-but q
little remote from this ire The next one
was at Christman 6 Debold's livery sta.
bic. They came and, for a wonder, had all
their connections, putting stream on
the back OF the building. 1t may
show that there was no hostile feel.
ing, that prevented the United Engine
from taking their plug, sending 1t on to
Market street TO get an attachment.
While gentlemen were operating
this stream all was well, but 1t got into
other hands, Iwhen the same annoyance
occurred as at McCluskeys fire, i
The next afternoon the Atlantic Engine
and hose were removed to the new house
one square away from where these old
hose were. ! then had everything l put
there removed to the new house. They
were not taken away because they were
used to e1tinguish fires, but because they
were used to create riot at every fire,
when they came in'contact with the De.
paItment, and.I don't feel authorized to
encourage anything Of the kind.
As to the bell being removed when it
was, there was misunderstanding on the
part Of the workmen, who were instruct.
ed to remove the cracked bell on the
Second Ward hose house. AS we were
told the new bell could be ready.ln ten
days, we had the bell put up in the Sec.
ond Ward after, the mistake had been
made. r........
Citizen says, "The engines have been
known to arrive at fires after they had
been extinguished by the hose, and then
throw water on the buildings from one to
three hours after.' All l have to say in
reply is that nothing Of the kind over &C.
CURED since the organization Of the pres.
cut Department, and Citizen cannot name
d single instance and prove It. He says,
instances are not wanting where citi.
zens have prOfered their services in a
gentlemanly manner to the officers at
fires, and have been threatened with the
lookup" In reply, can say that l never
at any fire, or any other place. treated any
one other than as gentleman, who 30
treated me. There arc plenty Of gentle.
men who can testify 10 having offered
their services to me atfires, and their ser.
vices have been accepted and appreciated.
He also says, "This same Department Is
moo endeavoring to obtain permission
from the City Council to sell off the reels
and hose carriages" P7C 500
: This.B nottrues Itwasfecemmended