The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1873-02-18
What our Fire Department Heeds
Editors Of the Register:

SIR You will pardon me this intru-
sion, but feel compelled to inquire
through your valuable paper whether
the present force OF our Fire Department
could not be made of more service to
this City and our Citizens by making
some few improvements. Could we not
use the fire alarm telegraph in this place
where the engine houses are so far
spart that, when the Mills are at work
you cannot hear the alarm, by the pres.
eut system, from one engine house to
the other 2 l think the City would be
TO a great extent more secure in case
OF fire if our Council would adopt
come means of having this fire alarm
connected with each OF our engine
houses and our Hook and Ladder house
in the 5th Ward. would also inquire
if It would not be a good idea to have
horses for said Hook and Ladder rig
ging2 Under the present system tn is
most essential part OF our apparatus is
the last TO get to the fire. Now l con.
tend that the Hook and Ladder should
be the first, il possible, at the scene OF
danger. Supposing that fire breaks
out in the middle of the uight-in some
of our dwelling houses; the family as q
general rule sleep up stairs the
lower stories are on fire. What will
the occupant, do ? Jump out OF the
window as Mrs. Kutteuauer did and
endanger their lives. Under the present
sy-tem they have no other means OF
escape. Nov in such cases, as before
remarked, if your Hook and Ladders
were on time, this danger could be
avoided, and some more serious cases
than that | have cited could not occur
Therefore Mr. Editor think that by all
means we should have horses for this
portion OF the Department.
Now there is another improvement
that | think could also be made at a
small expense, that is, to have enough
men in each engine or hose house Of
the city paid reasonsble,sslaries, whose
duty it would be to remain in their re-
spective houses during the dsy and
sleep in them at night. the same a. in
other cities, 30 that when the alarm Is
given they would be ready at any time
of the day or night TO go with their ap-
aratus to wherever danger threatens.
Under our present system the fremen
are paid such a small amount that they
have to work during the day and con-
sequently have to be called out at night
by slme Of our night ramblers who are
olt in the streets, thus causing deten.
ton in getting to the fires that would
be avoided if they were on hand in their
respective engine or hose houses, aud
would save probably Thousands Of dol
lars worth OF property that now stands
in jeopardy, We have no more assu-
rance that q fire will not break out
in our midst at any hour than any other
community. l think with the dangers
OF Are staring US in the lace, that it
would be well for our marshals or COM
mittee on fire department to consider
these views gathered after q hasty sur.
vey OF our fire department. | will say
nothing of the Eighth Ward. cup
pose that our city fathers consider
there is no necessity for anything in the
shape Of fire apparatus in that locality
where there are 90 many frame build
ings. Now think that there should
be at least one steamer in this ward,
TOR you might burn down half Of it ur.
der the present system before man
could run from there to the United en-
CINE house to give the alarm it might
be some better to have the alarm tel
egraph in such case, but still better than
telegraph to have horsss for Hook and
Ladder, and men iu each engine or hose
house TO answer all alarms. hope
that our energetic fire marshal and his
aida with the public in general will cal
the attention OF our council to these
facts, and that some anti.6re protec.
tionists will give Us their views on the
sutject. You will pardon me for oc
cupying 90 much of your time and
space. Yours &c.
= CrrIz In OF TIE SIxrH WARD.