The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-05-14

COUNCIL BUSINESS.
THE FIRE pEPGRTMENr.

~ NN~ ANEAAN 0A kAg SVAAAAAttNs
on Fire Department, which proposed tc
employ an engineer for each OF the Fire
Engines at a salary Of $72O per annum, and
require their entire time for the service
and also providing for the purchase oi
the National system Of Fire Alarm Tele-
graph, formed the subject Of a long and
somewhat acrimonious debate. DR..
Baird attacked the resolutions by declar-
ing that they formed part OF a scheme to
force upon the city the adoption of the
Fire Alarm Telegraph and d regular
paid fire department. He fOresaw that
under the thin guise Of installing engin-
GERS and fremen m assumed necessity
would soon arise for tho full complement
Of men esteemed requisite for an efficient
paid fire department, He therefore
moved that the resolutions be reCommit.
ted to the committee, and that they bc in.
struCted to report the cost OF maintain
ing asnllicient number Of men to make
what would constitute full force for e.
fectivG duty.
Mr.. Henry Wallace las apFopos to this
whole subiecD called attention to the
fact that this city is for nearly two miles
Of its length without any facilities for
the extinguishment oil fire. He pointed
out that the city Is As squares in length,
and that the last engine sOuthward il
located at 9th street. So that the upper
half the city has three steam fire en-
gines while the lower half has none.
Again, he remarked that the Seventh
Ward, or Island, which is separated from
the city by the breadth Of the river is,
like the Eigth Ward, without any fire
apparatus, not even bell with which to
sound an alarm Of fire, lie said that he
would not give his vote to purchase or
set up any system Of FIRE alarm until the
lower part Of the city and the Seventh
Ward were provided with something to
alarm.
Mr., Blair replied to the gentlemen who
had proceeded him, stating that twas the
unanimous opinion Of the Committee on
Fire Department that the fire alarm tele-
graph ought to be purchased, and he
wanted it distinctly understood that II
the proposition to purchase the telegraph
was not acceded to by the Council the
Committee would not recommend the in.
crease in salary Of the fremGn nor their
employment for aIl their time. MIR,
Blair wanted IL further understood that
he did not want any engine on the Island,
but he did want method established
which would enable the firemen 10 lie.
termine ut once the lOcalityof fire. lie
said that the Rre bells were uncertain,
that on windy days they could not be
heard but over small portion Of the city,
therefore there was Unnecessary delay
in getting engines to the place of
the fire which might some day prove
most disastrous. In reply 10 the ques-
ton as to the number Of men required to
constitute u full compliment for paid
department, let the gentlemen name the
number Of men they want employed
and the Committee will recommend
their employment, for himself he thought
two men were sufficient to take the ap.
paratus to fire II the precise locality
were indicated.
Mr. Stone was OF the opinion that there
was no need Of fire alarm telegraph;
that the money required to erect and keep
in repair the system proposed to be
adopted, with an additional amount sutli.
cient to purchase two more good engines
to be located at proper points, would
make the city probably as safe as II pro-
yidcd with fire alarm telegraph. In
regard to tho sufficiency Of the fire bells
Mr. Stone said he had lived on the
Island for many years, and he felt certain
that in very few instances, II any, did he
fail to hear the fire bells or to notice that
in very few minutes the alarm was
sounded all over the city. While lie
would not oppose the purchase OF the
fire alarm telegraph II he thought there
was any actual necessity for II, he could
not see that there was any at this times
Mr.. Hail said the whole thing, as re-
ported by the committee, was a mere
blind; that the real and ayowed object
Of the resolutions was to commit the
Council to The purchase Of the National
fire alarm telegraph and to inaugurAte
paid fire department. lie would ask
the gentleman from the Seventh Ward
how many men would he required to
form an effective force? II was but a
mere bubble for the gentleman to say
that we could have as many as we want
ed. He would ask Mr.. Blair II two men
we're sufficient to take an engine 10 fire
and operate II when there. Certainly the
gentleman would not claim that II was,
and II not, how are the balance Of the
fire department to be brought to the scene
Of action? The Rre alarm telegraph to
all the city outside Of the engine houses,
is a silent affair. The gentleman says
that the attendants at the engine house
will ring the bells, but how can they stop
to do that and yet be on the way to the
lire with their apparatus in effective work
ing order with that promptnsss that Is
supposed to be the result Of having the
fire alarm Telegraph
Again, the gentleman from the Seventh
Ward claims that the bells cannot now
be heard, at times, except over avery lin.
tied portion Of the city. viii they give
forth any louder or more certain sound
under Are alarm telegraph system ?
Certainly they will not, II isvery "p'
noPcnt that tho rob,u,ttInn mean to have