Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1871-11-01
Special Message by the Mayor to
The City Council Oct, %, 1871.
To the Honorable Council of the
CifV Of Warren.

| Special Message by the Mayor to
The City Council Oct, %, 1871
TOthe Honorable Council of the
City of Warren. X
The Municipal Code, Section 122, pro-
vides that at such times as he may deem i
expedient, the Mayor shall report to the
Council c~oncerningthe affairs of ithe cor
poration, and recommend such measures
for adoption as to him may seem proper
In accordance with said provision of the
code l take the liberty of calling your at
teRtion to a few things I deem eminently
proper to be attended to with as little de-
lay as possible.
FIRSTFo THE PREVENTION OF FIERs.
To provide against the occurrence Of
fires and protect the property and lives Of
our citizens it becomes us to use all the
precautionary measures in u power TO
prevent the same, and to prevent such *
tensive CONGREGATIONS as have oyertaken
us in the past, and which have happened
to cities and towns recently. In order to
do this, I deem it of the first and utmost
importance that you should look well to
the means at hand to accomplish this OBJ
ject, and first in importance 1 think, is the
passage OF an ordinance, appointing and
prescribing the duties of 4 chief fire engi-
neer or fire warden, to examine and re-
port TO the Council at stated times the con-
dition Of all houses, manufactures and
other buildings as TO their safety and the
proper means at hand to extinguish fires,
and requiring said officer to be present at
all fires to direct the fire departments and
examine into the cause Of such fires, and
if the cause be from incendiaries, to seek
out the perpetrators, make affidavit, and
prosecute such persons to final convic ton,
and at all times to make it his especial bu-
siness and act with a view to the preven-
ton Offres.
MEANS TO o OUT FIERs
We are sadly deficient in means for put
ting out fires ard saving the property and
lives of our citizens in case of an extern
sive eonfiagration. We are deficient in
facilities for getting water in many places
in our City. Many dwelling houses are
entirely unprotected from fire so far as the
fire department is concerned Take for
instance Mahoning Avenue and adjacent
Territory, from the river az the foot of
Market Street or the Iron Bridge to the
A. & G. W. Rail Way there is but one
~eistern, and that only holds about 400
barrels of water, and said cistern is at the
intersection of Washington Avenue with
Mahoning Avenue, and too great a dis
lance %interyenes from that to the corner Of
High Street and Mahoning Avenue, and
said corner Is about as far as the Steamer
can do efficient work while Standing on
the Iron Bridge, and from said cistern on
Mahoniug Avenue there is no means of
water to supply the engine clear
to the North line of the corporation,
while between those points there is much
valuable property, entirely unprotected ;
also at the termination of Scott Street at Ba
zetta road so called, and contiguous
thereto is much property and all practic-
unprotected, as most of the year
Red Run cannot be made available, be-
cause it is almost dry, the greater part of
the year the Eastern part of South Street
is also in like condition. Also in the third
ward South of the old canal bed, there is
means whatever for getting water to
the engines as was recently demon
Strated. and that part of the city contains
many dwelling houses belonging to labor
PTS and mechanics, who can lily afford to
lose their little all and then also the num-
Der of buildings is rapidly multiplying
The present means were sufficient years
ago, when business houses and dwellings
we're few and far between, but let US bear
In mind that large and valuable business
blocks and costly dwelling houses are
multiplying rapidly all e the city, and
it will readily be seen that our present IA
for e~xtinguishing fires are wholly
inadequate. also think that prudence
and n proper regard for the usefulness of
our fire department. and safety of the
property Of our citizens, require that
hooks, ropes and ladders should be provi-
ded, to enable fremen and others to assist
rescuing persons and property from
burning buildings and if circumstances
should require it, to tear down and re-
move buildings and debris which may be
the way for spreading and extending
All ofthe foregoing matters are be-
ing continually called to my attention,
1 deem them Of so much importance
hat 1 thus officially call your attention to
them, and ask for them your earnest and
Early consideration.