Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-11-02

3 at the engine and were hitched up, ready
a to move out, in exactly the above mum
! Der Of seconds; all of which our com
missioner thought was quick work and
exhibited training both in men and
| horses. Every citizen knows that our
lire department is very effective, prob
ably quite as much so as any fire depart
ment in the United States, but our citi.
zens do not know what disadvantages
the department labors under as to means
and material.
THINGS WORTH REMEMBERING.
In many portions OF the city there are
no public c~isterns for the protection Of
property, and when a fire breaks out the
water has to be driven through long lines
of hose from c~isterns many squares
away, all of which materially lessons the
force and volume of the stream thrown
by the engine and subjects the hose to a
strain which too often bursts the sec.
tons and for a time renders the efforts
of the fremon powerless for good, and
this generally takes place at the critical.
or, as a Frenchman would say, the q
preme moment when water is most need
ed. The department has not a sufficient
number of feet of hose, nor has it a sui-
icient amount of general material, be-
cause, through false economy, the city
government unwisely concluded to be
penny-wise and pound. foolish in fire
matters, and cut down the expenses to a
minimum. This acts like the Pro-
crustean bed. Everything too short must
be heightened out, and everything too
long must be cut off, but everything
must be made to fit within q given
amount OF expense per annum. In
the matter of public c~isterns for
fire purposes, all property own
ers are entitled to the same
protection, but the citizens residing near
the suburbs do not get it. as no public
c~isterns are within many squares of their
property, and before the engines can get
to work the property is destroyed. Our
commissioner states it as a general rule
that buildings catching fire in the center
of the city are generally saved, while
buildings catching fire in the suburbs or
on the stre@s near the corporation line
are generally destroyed.
II PRESENT STATE OF THE CASE.
Memphis has not q sufficient number
OF engines. There are but four steam
fire engines in the city, one on Mair
street, North Memphis; one on Adams
street, near Second; one on Shelby
street, near Beal; and one on DeSoto
street, lear Linden. The Shelly street
engine will be placed on Main, near Trez-
evant, when the new engine house is built.
The four locations will then be as good
as could well be arranged with a view to
the general protection of property. The
Adams street steamer CDanbury) is en-.
tirely too heavy for two horses. It is
unwieldy, and should be replaced by a
new and improved steamer. The Dan
bury is an excellent engine for steady
work of a stationary character, and
could be kept in reserve and used for
filling cisternS, pumping out cellars or
other necessary purposes.
What is NEEDED.
Indeed, two new steam fire engines
would not be found in the way, as they
could be so located as to project agreater
area OF terri.oly and protect property
now almost unprotected from the rayages
Of FIRE. This fact will become patent to
all should ever a biz conaagration take
place. Other cities have had their ter
rible conlagretions and Memphis has
fortunately been exempt from such SO
FAR, but is it reasonable to suppose that
such a condition of good fortune will
last %always2 If you go to St. Louis,
New York, Philadelphia, Boston or Chi
cago you will see the FIRE departments
supplied with everything necessary and
an array Of fire steamers so we'll located
that all sections Of those cities are
equally well protected. These city gov.
ernments are wise enough to know that
they cannot spend too much for fire pur.
poses, and they have been taught the
lesson at a very high price, !,
Memphis also needs a fire alarp tele. :
graph, which has been introduced into
every city of importance in the United
States. EYea Nashville has a fire alarm
telegraph. It has been said with truth j
that the most destructive fire could have
been stopped in its incipiency by a ,
bucket OF water, but unfortunately that
bucket Of water is hardly ever present.
The trouble is that when a ice breaks
out it takes a lopg time to give the
alarm to the engine houses. Men halloo
"firel" aud after awhile a police whale
is blown, and sometimes twenty minutes
elapse before the signal bell rings ont
upon the midnighs air. A fire alarm
telegraph, with boxes ut convenient
points throughout the city, would remedy
all this and enable the iremen to arrive
in time to save property. To meet all
these suggestions the cry Of poverty and
economy Is raised, but q big confagra.
lion will increase hat poverty and will
show economy to be a humbug much
more costly than that which would now
N y