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

The Rise and Progress of the st. Pan1 Fire
Department--The Perfection Which Has
Been Attained--A Visit to the Engine
Observation-Disclosures for Speed When an
Alarm is Given--The Horses and Their
Tricks--An Organization of Which ANY
City III the Land Might be Proud.
:Fire and water are good servants. but
bad masters Thus antithetically, pithily
runs the old proverb. It is not, however,
the province of this article to deal with
knowing accidents by food" wherein
water has gained the mastery, although they
would fill goodly chapter of thrilling in
terest. The other chad MASTER" and its
suppression, when in that 'bad'' mood are
the themes now to be considered, with
special reference to the city of St. Paul.
FIRES IN THE UNITED STATES.
The United States is painfully distinguished
above all the countries for the numser
and extent of it's fires. There is not City
in the Union that has not, at some period OF
it's existence, been the victim of the tire
fend to greater or less extent, and on
few or more occasions; while Its
more thinly- peopled hamlets and its farm
steadingy scattered over its wide plains are
equally subject to the deyouriDg tongue of
fame with startling suddenness and inevitable
rain Now and again, these fires assume the
gigantic proportions of monster cont1agra-
tons, which thrill the whole world with hor-
III tic at cvvprothiao for
the sufferers, excite the God-like charity
of all civilization. Such was the case with
the historic Chicago fire, and, in lesser de-
gree, with those of Portland and Boston.
THE CAUSES OF FIRES.
OF course, there is cause for all this de-
VISITATION by fire, which is to be found in
the material out of which buildings are al
most universally constructed in this country
Wood is cheap, acqulrable in every section
in greater or less abundance, is easily
wrought, and has, for these several reasons
been most commonly adopted for building
PURPOSES, its infiammable character being
counterbalanced by those advantages. II
generally happens it may be said
It universally happens-that the incipient
city, while in it's villagedom, is swept out OF
existence by fire, two or more times before
the more expensive and more incombustible
materials, brick, stone or iron are adopted
as permanency, and as safe-guard-in
short, as a matter of absolute necessity. In
Europe, on the other hand, wood is compar-
atively scarce, consequently is dear, and
therefore, rarely if ever enters into the con.
struction of buildings, excepting for floor
ing and such purposes. And even with such
incombustible material as stone, brick OF
iron, the European is careful to construct
his walls of immense thickness, which divide
compartments of limited area, SO that if {
fire should seize the contents of room
it seldom spreads, as each is for all practi
cal purposes a tre-proof vault
that is capable of staunchly
resisting the devouring element with aston
ishing pertinacity and effect. In many in
stances, too, and notably in Paris, France
the resinous pine timber is rejected for floor
ing, joists, pillars and rafters, and the muct
less combustible oak timber is substituted
for flooring, some times with iron joists, pill
lars and rafters. Such an establishment a
that gigantic retail store of Field, Letter 4
Co., in Chicago, recently almost totally de
stroyed by fire with its contents, is thin&
unknown in Europe, independent of its out
itself, of comparative rarity for such pur
pose east of the Atlantic. The interior wal
one vast open space, around which ran fiv'
stories of galleries, lined with counters piled
with costly dry goods. The effect was, O.
course, magnificent, yea, gorgeous, but it wa
fire-trap all the time, as it's speedy and ir
resistible destruction inconclusiyely proved
The European store of this class is ding,
and confined compared with such; it i
robbed of the dazzling tout ensemble of it
American compeer; but it stands fire.
AMERICAN FIRE DEPARTMENTS.
While, however, in consequence of tn
extreme care in the selection of incombus
tible materials for building purposes, an
the general solid character of the walls, fire
are of comparatively rare occurrence
and of limited devastation in Europe, tn
means of their extinguishment are ava
behind the American advance in the sam
direction. This progress in the Cis-Atlanti
fire departments is the offspring of necessity
the mother of all invention. Just in tn
proportion of the frequency of fires has bee
the ratio of increase in the facilities and az
pliances for their quenching. Out of th
bane has sprung the antidote, until, to-da,
America stands eminent as the fire COZ
queror of the world. Whatever cerping ma
be INDUCED in respecting the frequency {
occurrence and the alarming nature of tn
extent of fires in this country, objection
most certainly cannot be raised against til
superlatively successful efforts of inventi1
genius for their suppression. If the1
is any fault to be found. it lies in tt
fact that, hitherto, there has been too muc
neglect of the ''ounce of prevention whic
is incomparably shelter than the pound I
cure.'' But that fault is inherent in prof.
erty-owners rather than in fire department
THE NOBLE VOLUNTEERS.
The pencil would family here linger to r.
count the glories of the volunteer" fire d
partment SYSTEM, purely "American inst
tution.'' Had not the foregoing extendt
beyond the limits of q preface of
blushi1g school girls valedictory-a tribut
none too glowing or enthusiastic, might
paid to the red-shirted heroes, who, sacrif
ing all private considerations, are ever ale
for the call of duty, never lacking or askil
either present or prospective reward of al
substantial character. Vigilant by day, a,
sleeping with one eye and one ear open, tn
are ready to rush into ''the deadly breach
at the risk of life or limb with no less g.
lantry and daring than characterizes t
military brave whose peans have been I
echoed in epic and song.
ST. PAUL 8 DEPARTMENT..
The st. Paul fire department. was,