The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1874-12-17
OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT.
Some Defects in it which Should be
Remedied.

4sOAA-SNASN'
Until the fire of last Sunday morning,
involving a loss Of IS, coo, we were of the
opinion that the fire department of this
city was in perfect order, and that moth
ing was lacking to make it efficient. The
fire alluded to disabused our mind of
such belief, and the object Of this article
is to point out certain defects existing
therein, that should be speedily rene
died. On the occasion mentioned the
steam fire engine, purchased at cost of
between $4,000 and $1,000, was as use
less as squirt-gun in the hands of a
child. When the alarm was given, the
steamer, in charge of August Dueno,
engineer, and the fireman, was promptly
taken to the reservoir near the Sd ward
school house, the suction pipe inserted,
and pumping slowly commenced, the
hose from one cart having been laid,
and, as the engineer supposed. the 700
feet from the second cart having been
attached to it, which would have been
more than sufficient to reach around the
burning building. Instead of that,
however, what was August's surprise to
find that he was drawing water from the
reservoir and pouring it upon the ground
at the end of the 500 feet of hose, and
that the cart holding the 700 feet was
standing in the engine house, half a
mile away from the scene of the disaster!
It seems that one cart left the engine
house in advance of the steamer, and
through the exertions of few men was
dragged to the reservoir, thinking that
some one else would bring the other
cart. But "what is every ones business
is nobody's business" and when too
late to remedy the evil, the truth of the
assertion was manifest. On former oc-
casions the hose carts were attach ed to
the engine, insuring their presence when
wanted, but not having been made for
such means of locomotion it involved
much danger to the life and limbs of the
firemen and was discontinued by order
of the Chief Engineer. Since then it
has evidently been left to the discretion
Of our citizens to wake up and pull the
heavy carts to the fire or let tie engine
go without them-and this evil, we in
sist, shall be corrected. The fire COM
pany having the steamer in charge, is
comprised of 80 men, who each receive
Appliance from the city for their services.
One way would be to disband the COM
10 men to haul the hose carts and pay
them enough to make the full perfor-
nance of their duty an object. Another
way (and we think the best) is to pur-
chase a cart which will hold 1900 feet
of hose, and have it arranged SO that
horse can be attached-as they have
them in large cities. It is just as easy
for livery man to bring three horses
as two, and there has as yet been no oc-
aasion for complaint as to the time elaps-
ing before horses were brought and at
tached to the engine. Such grave mis-
takes as that one made last Sunday
morning, are not to be tolerated. That
one cost Messrs. Guttman & Grabo sew
eral thousand dollars in property de-
stroyed which might have been saved
had the hose been on the ground as soon
as the engine. 1t Will cause insurance
men to raise the rate of insurance upon
us, and in the end make it more eXpen-
sive to have anything but perfect fire
department., than the one az evidence of
whose shortcomings was made so mani
fest last Sunday. We have a good en-
gine, a faithful engineer, and it only
lacks an alarm bell which will arouse
our citizens, and means of transporting
hose, 60 make the department efficient.
Shall 1t be made SO, or not, is ques-
ton which our authorities had better
answer soon.