The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-03-31
TIE FIRE DEPARTMENT.

-
To the Editors of tho IhtsllIEcacer:
Thefact is rapidly becoming patent to
ttiemindsof the people of this city that
the present fire department is worse than
inefficient |. e. entirely incapable Of saw
ing our property from destruction by fire.
The time has come when patience ceases
10 be virtue, and the indignation OF citi-
zens must find medium OF expression.
Therefore VIC ask space in your valuable
paper while we call the attention OF every
citizen to the danger in which we stand,
while under the control OF the two or
three dozen persons who comprise the fire
department ...ssr..sl. .s,..--.
In the first place, we are having numcr.
Gus destructive fires, with our means OF
communicating alarms taken from US.
The bell on the Fourth Ward hose house
was removed some two months ago, and
nothing LETT in place thereof by which the
people Of the ward and city might know
that their homes and manufactures were
being destroyed. When told that the re-
moVal of that bell was an oversight,
one of the chiefs Of the fire
department asserted to the contrary.
The writer claims that If that bell had
been in place to give an alarm, the people
of the Fourth Ward would have dragged
the hose ito the burning wagon factory,
on the morning Of the 10th inst, OF least
twenty-five minutes sooner than the De-
partment did, and would have saved the
machinery in the buildingon Fourth street.
A dead loss Of fifteen or twenty thousand
dollars on account OF the Fire Department,
and fifty men thrown out Of employment.
Secondly, the Fire Department has put
out of existence, or made inaccessible, our
hose-the only immediate and efficient
means whereby we can convey water from
the fire plugs to our burning houses. And
this same department Is R0i0 endeavoring
10 obtain permission from the City Coun-
Gil to sell off the reels and hose carriages.
II Is gratifying to know the Council has
not yet consented, and it is to be hoped
that the reels will be retained-as they
will be needed when the people abolish
the present system.
Several citizens requested the chief ofthe
fire department to place reel Of hose in
Culbertson & Fishers foundry on Fourth
street, where q Waterman is employed
and where the hose would be taken care
Of and DO accessible. Refused on the
ground that the hose would be too close
to the Atlantic engine house, and, there
fore, useless. Ill
The destructive fire following shortly
after, only o few yards distant, and the
benefit that reel ofhose would undoubted-
~ have been before the department was
on hand, is a commentary on the careful
ness and forethought Of our excellent
chief OF the fire department. =.
On Saturday evening last some, OF the
citizens OF the Fourth Ward rceled the old
hose in the Rough and Ready hose house.
That same night the same hose was
taken to the fire Of Messrs. Christman s
Debold's stables, where 1t did splen.
did execution, but alas for human
hopes. A citizen TO extinguish his neigh.
boris burning, building is to extinguish the
glory OF the fire brigade. Such doings
should not bo' tolerated, and the chief Of
our brigade had the hose taken away and
the reel returned empty, leaving us once
moro with our hands tied. a
A petition signed by every manufacture
or and many citizens Of the Fourth Ward,
was presented to the last meeting OF Coun-
Gil, asking for q reel Of hose, and comtem.
plating no conflict with the present organ
ization,, Not asking fora volunteer com.
pany which these gentlemen so much
dread. Tho petition passed the Second
Branch, and the First Branch adjourned
before 1t was acted upon. ...,.. j
The people Of tho Fourth Ward, know
ing the efficiency Of hose, value them
above the cumbersome slow, going en-.
gines, that have been known to arrive al
fires after they had been extinguished by
the hose, and than throw water on the
buildings from ono to three hours after,
Instances ore not wanting where citizens
have prOdered their services in a gentle
manly manner to the officers at fires, and
have been threatened with the lookup.
We cannot expect the department TO be
as prompt with their heavy engines as the
citizens with the hose. Neither can the
Chiefs prevent the. people taking part in
the saving Of their property, and il these
domineering thrcatenings arc persisted in
at fires, it will eliminate in the dowlall
of the Fire Department, and the Whole
business will come to grief.
Our remedy would be to place reel Of
good hose in each engine house to be used
by the people. There arc plenty Of reels
and plenty of hose No outlay Of money
Is required. Every person will be salts.
fled and we can save our homes from the
destroying element. The only objections
that can DO raised will CONC from the
Fire Department.
First-A drunken element that cannot
DO controlled is o mistake. They can DO
controlled as easily Us the drunken mem.
bers ofthe Fire Departmental tho burn
ing Of Berry's rope store.
Secondly-Hose attachments would be
made before the arrival Of the engines
That is what we want II the engines
cannot DO as prompt as hose we had bet
ter trade them off for hose. And in con,
clusion il the managers Of the present de,
partment are not equal to the necessity o.
the times there are plenty Of good men to
be found to take their places.
a.r.. .a CITIZEN.