Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-04-08

tour of inspection. AS the CITY mas nltnertO
failed to furnish the chief with horse and
buggy, that venerable ''shanks' mare" was
harnessed, and the journey commenced.
The day was not the best that might have
been chosen for the purpose, as Saturday is
the cleaning up and airing day, but enough
was seen and gathered, part of which is en-
bodied above, to satisfy the most critical OBJ
server that the department is efficiently con-
Quoted. The general arrangement of each |
house is the same. The main apartment of /
the ground floor is occupied by the engine
and hose cart, back of which and
facing the engine room are the stalls
for the horses. This arrangement of having |
the horses face toward the engines was first
introduced in this city by Mr.. Birge, and is
the one adopted in well regulated engine
houses. Overhead are the sleeping apart
ments, and, over the stalls, the hay-lofts.
The transients sleep in the large halls which
used to form the meeting rooms of the old
volunteers, while the smaller apartments,
which are in all the houses nearest the stair
ways, are occupied by the paid-up men. On
Saturday, every window was opened, and the
bedding was tossed freely apart to admit the
penetration of the air. AS said before, it
was 'sairing day. The bedding was scrupu-
lousy clean, and, on other days, the beds are
arranged in neat array at the 6 A NJ. roll-call.
Convenient to each bed stood the occupants
boots, over which his pants were rolled. Once
! in his boots, the freman's neither extremities
may be said to be clad. It's but the work
of moment TO pull up the pants, rush to
his place where his other garments are laid
all ready, and he is dressed before the gong
finishes its sounding. This general discrip
ton applies to all. Each house is governed
by exactly the same laws, each occurrence
happens in each house simultaneously.
Thereby uniformity is secured and strict
discipline maintained.
CITY OF ST. PAUL, NO. ONE.
This engine house, corner of st. p eter
and Seventh streets, differs from the rest,
being double to accommodate the hook and
ladder trucks The engine is second class
Silsby rotary, which was put in SER
vice in 1866, and has been in
constant use ever since. It is the
first steamer brought to the city, and is as
1 good as new to-day. It is differed as fol-
lows: Henery Tubbesing, engineer; Joseph
Wilkie, tiremen; Joseph Smith, driver.
Hose cart: Joseph Hinckley, driver; Mark
Bishoff, foreman, with three hosemen. The
steamer is hauled by fine span of bays, and
the cart by grey
PIONEER HOOK AND LADDER TRUCK.
This apparatus was put in service in 1873,
and is in good condition. Round the
pioneer cluster the memories of the old
volunteer fire department.. It is not the
original truck, but it is the legitimate de-
scendant of the original one which, in the
days of yore, occupied the house that uow
forms the Office of the clerk of the district
court. The "machine" was built in this city
and is a credit to the maker. The foreman
is Frank D. Hall; driver, Matt Schnit;
tillerman, Conrad Loefelholtz; and
five additional men. The truck,
being the only one in the city, has to attend
all fires, as has every hose cart. The engines
attend districts, excepting in eases of alarm.
truck.
The No. l house is the depot for con-
} demned supplies, which are sold off as fast as
} opportunities present themselves. To it are
also attached forge and carpenter shop,
where the men exercise their ingenuity in
various directions, from the making of nail,
to the building of a farm wagon or the con
struction of rocking chair.
TROUT BROOK, NO. FOUR.
This engine is at the corner of Broadway
and Tenth street, in a house erected in 1871
, which is, perhaps, the best in the city. This
engine is first class Silsby rotary, purchas-
ed and put into requisition in 1871
The officers are: E.. B. Birge
engineer John Turner, fireman
and John II. Murphy, driver. Hose cart
! driver, Henry Connors; foreman, Charles
Hanft, and three hosemen. The engine is
t drawn by pair of blacks, and the cart by
big bay.
At this house, the reporter was shown ar
improved method of unhitching the horses
: the invention of E. B. Birge. To describe
! it is impossible without diagrams, but its eff
feet is such that the horses are unhitched be
fore the wheel which moves the hammer o
:. the fire alarm gong has made quarter of ;
|, revolution, so that the horses hitching strap
have dropped loose and the horses are tel
feet toward the engine and cart by the time
the first tap sounds. That's bringing
down pretty fine. The fire of this engine i
lit by gas, another of Mr.. Birge's inventions
A gas Jet is introduced under the fire, t
which is attached fuse match
> When the gas is turned on, it is in
stantly lit and communicates the fam
to the shavings under the boiler. The usua
> practice is to light the fire with torch satu
rated with kerosene, which is apt to bur
the tireman's hands.
l. M1NNEHAHA, NO. TWO.
is The house of this engine was built i
9 1873, and is situated on Wacouta street, nea
It Seventh. The stables of this house are i
. sad need of leverage attachment, and want
n ventilation equally as bad. The engine is
: frst-class Silsby rotary, purchased and pu
y into service in 1869, and is in good cond
. ton. Officers: E. w. Hllderbrand, engineer
! James MITCHELL fireman; John Ryan, drive
y of steamer; James Dorain, driver of car
"a John jackson, foreman of hose, and thre
! men. The engine team is pair of matche
: grays, and the cart horse is sorrel.
70 An old hose reel comes here into usef,
Ia play. Stripped of wheels, which have bee
% used in the construction of an exercisin
IL cart, it is kept reeled full of hose, which ca
r. be run on to the cart without the necessit
" Of immediate coupling.
"a Mr.. Hilderbrand is another invent,
genius. Not content with unhitchin
horses, swinging doors, &C., &C., by electric
ty, he lights his engine fire instantaneous
u with the alarm through the agency of tn
E. same subtle motor. A swinging gas piI
4, arm is placed under the boiler, bearing
to small bundle of matches on the upturne
or end, where the jet is. When the go1
"a strikes, the gas is turned on at the same il