The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-01-31
FIREMEN'S CHARITABLE ASSO.
CITATION OF NEW ORLEANS.
The Fire Department to the People
of New Orleans.

that We should present to our fellow-citizens ,
clear statement Of the case
Inc necessity Of this public exposition is ais
lmperatively demanded from US as measure 3
eelf-defense, because mischievous and interested
parties are using this unprovoked difficulty as
pretext Tor the purpose OF covering up their nj
| terror designs upon the Fire Department Of New
Orleans.
The question Of the merits, Or the efficiency O
the Babcock extinguisher, had very little to do
with the real Vaccinations of those who are
again conspiring against the Fire Department.
The facts which follow in this statement will
prove that there was but little opposition in the
department to the use of the Babcock extin.
guisher. That at the moment the Board of Tn.
derwritera endeavored to dictate to the depart.
ment, (taking advantage of its financial Distress J
the passage OF a resolution, pledglng itself to a
certain line of policy, the small eXtinguishers
were being used in the department, and had been
used for period OF nearly .to,u gears, and the
large extinguisher for about ten months.
In the month Of January, 1874, the Board Of
Underwriters made request of the association
that the Fire Department be permitted to test
the efficiency or usefulness OF the large Babcock
extinguisher, in order thai the said board might
determine, from the character Of the report
whether it would purchase the one then in the
city, as an auxiliary to the Fire Department, and
to be worked under its supervision and by its
authority.
At a meeting Of the Board OF Delegates, held
February 2, 1874, tho President of the association
was directed to inform the Board of Underwriters
that their request was granted. The Board of
FOremen were instructed to make the necessary
arrangements to test the apparatus.
These resolutions passed the board by q vote
of SO to 10.
This action was transmitted to the Board Of
Underwriters
The Board OF Foreman Immediately assembled
and arranged for the test The engine " as to be
tried by each company Tin numerical order.
taking to two fires This plan faithfully car
ried out, and had been nearly completed, when
the present trouble arose.
At regular quarterly meeting Of the Board Of
Delegates, held Oct. II, 1874, Mr.. A. Kalinski, a
delegate, submitted a written application to the
board, asking permission to run one or mere
Babcock extinguishers large ones) all of the ex-
penses to be paid by the Beard of Underwriters
the men employed by them to be members of our
department. and the machines to run under the
control and supervision Of the chief engineer.
He stated that he had made this application
Tor and under the authority OF the Board OF I'm
derwriters.
Mr.. James l. Day, delegate Of Louisiana
Hose land as President of the Sun Mutual In
,urance Company, a member Of the Board of
Cnderwriters), objected to any action being
aiken, upon the ground that it was entiyely u,t-
lutorized as the Board OF Underwriters had
ak n no official action on the subject matter of
aid application.
At his request it was laid over
At this meeting reports were read from thir- |
he large Babcock extnguisher, and, with but |
wo exceptions, the reports were favorable as to |
he eerviceable character of the engine in the in
iplency Of fire.
The secretary was instructed to convey t is in
ormation to the Bo I'D OF Underwriters This
vas subsequently done. These facts set forth
he exact position of this question in the month
# October last. The small extinguisher had
een used for nearly four years without inter-
erence or interruption. The large one was on
~ wa no |
rder. There was no intention to interfere with
ither.
In the month Of November last committee
as appointed to petition the Board of Under
riters for loan CT money to sustain the Ere
department., as, in its crippled condition, it was
n possible to continue much longer in service.
Upon the application being received, the Board f;
Underwriters appointed committee to confer
18th our committee.
The committee had two conferences During
le second session the question of adding one or
ore Baocock engines to the department was
scussed. The committee of the association
trough its chairman, the President Of the asso- {
atom assured the committee Of The Board Of
as made on the terms proposed that Mere ,ras !
} douOt OF The passage Of a resolution carrying I
4 the desires Of The Board Of Underwriters. !
Mr.. James /. Day (who was on the insurance q
'mmttee, as delegate in the Firemens Chari-
bic Association, confirmed the assurances OF
II President. The insurance committee ap-
Jared to be satisfied with this statement, and =
II committee reported back to the Board Of i
elegates that in their opinion the loan asked I
r would be made. a
The insurance committee reported back to their
ard he result OF our conference. That board
structed their Secretary to call on the several
mpanles composing it, in order to ascertain r.
lether each OF them would subscribe to their :,
spective pro ratas Of the loan of $4,000. =
The question Of the Babcock extinguisher was ,
t then raised. And now an unaccountable de- S
? OF nearly two weeks took place without hear Of
anything from the Board of Underwriters d
out our application for loan. The depart
mt was suffering for want OF money, The
esident of the association, in two interviews
n Mr. Day, urged upon him to have special y
'etlng OF the Board of Underwriters called, for s.
; purpose OF ascertainlng the fate Of the loan IL
sInal'y special meeting was called, and the IL
ult OF It, as officially conveyed to US, was the !,
,sage of the following resolution: !.
'Resolred, That when the action OF the Fire De- .
'tment shall have been had, on the running OF q
> or moro Babcock engines, this board will A
e action On the proposition to effect loan to
FIRE Department."
he above resolution was read to a special
citing OF the Board OF Delegates, held Dec. !"
1874.
he resolution naturally created great surprise
indignation. It was unexpected unwise and
allied for, and, aftersthe postire assurances Of
committee at the conference, strangely dis =
rteOus, to use no harsher term.
he Board Of Delegates, in the preservation tn
Ind IN the defense of its dignity and reputa- ~. l,
!, promptly passed resolutions ordering the th'
ldrawal of the Babcock engines from the ser ;
OF the department, directed that the appli- :
on for a loan be rescinded and the committee
harged. Oh
ct it be borne in mind, now, in order to show Re
unreasonable character Of the resolution of Il
Board of Underwriters, that no official appli- -
on had erer been made 10 the Board Of Dele I
s 10 'uh additional BGbcOch engines. The att
.est approach to this was resolution offered Con
lr: Day. as a delegate, at a special meeting l42
November 80, "that permission be granted WI
one. two or three Babcock extinsuishers pee
lid be run at the expense Of the Board of
erwriters, and under the supervision of the F
# Engineer" =
le meeting being special one no bushes TT
d be transacted except that for which the , ELI
ting was called unless with the unanimous 19rl
ent of all present. Objection being made tha,
resolution went over under the rule TT
t it be remembered that this resolution did at I
come from the Board of Underwriters. but will
'y emanated from delegate Of orr BODY rep
the meeting Of the Board of Underwriters f