Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-04-27
FIRE EQUIPMENT.

what 1B Needed 10 Keep race Win tne
City-The MalicIousness of q Drunken
Tramp Reporter.
Representatives Of the chamber Of commerce, the
city council and the underwriters held their confer
ence yesterday afternoon In regard to "the efhcen
Cyl Of the fire department. There were present:
Mayor Dawson, Aid. Grace, Rhodes, Bell, Allen, and
Messrs. G. D. Gilfllan, H. L. Moss E. Il. Bigelow,
John 8. Prince, g. g. Eaton, Chief R. o. Strong and
Hon. W. P. Murray.
The meeting was called to order by Mayor Dawson,
who presided.
Mr. II. L. Moss was asked to state the object of the
meeting, which he did In saying: That many refer
ences had been made in regard to the neRciency OF
the city fire department. and the lack OF means to
extinguish fires. In view Of these reiterated COM
plants the insurance agents had held meeting at
which it was resolved to bring these complaints 10
the attention Of - the city. authorities; authorities:
was asked. He had no remedy to suggest, but
he thought, in considering the matter the question
of new and adequate fire appliances should be taken
into account well the the question of sucinnt
water supply. The request or suggestion had been
made in the GLOBE that new engines should be
placed in the Sixth ward and on st. Anthony hill,
and, for the matter of that one on Dayton's bluff
Also ALI this should be considered by the COM
mittee.
Mr. Murray wanted to know what was definitely
wanted by the authorities.
Mr. Moss answered by saying Three new engines
should be bought one for the Sixth ward and one
each for Dayton's bluff and st. Anthony hill. He also
endorsed the GLOBES suggestion to buy chemical
engine. This would be useful in the inclpiency of
fires. Moreover. he suggested that each engine
company should have small chemical apparatus.
Mayor Dawson wanted to know the cost of such
machine.
AID. Rhcdes-The engine would cost 81, 300 to S2,-
900 and the hand machine about S4O0 or $500.
Mr.. s. s. Eaton gave brief history Of Capt. Ben.
Bullwinkles insurance patrol In Chicago
And was interrupted by Mayor Dawson who asked
if the underwriters Of this city didn't have much at
stake and derived a large income, therefore, he
thought they, the underwriters, should form sal
wage corps In this city.
Mr.. Eaton thought it would be an advantage to
form such q corps. But what he wanted was more
of fire department. Parts Of the city were left
unprotected. He had fault to find with the pres
ent department. but it was not sufficient to meet the
possible demands. He asked Chief Strong II his
force was large enough. And he replied that
the force wasn't sufficient to put even the present
fire apparatus to I.s capacity.
Mayor Dawson said the police department, as well
the fire, needed to be increased, but this couldn't
be done without money, and taxes would have to be
increased.
Mr. Eaton-we are building up grand city, and
It will cost well for protection as anything else
Aid. Rhodes believed Summit avenue and other
places should be protected, but how about the water
supply ?-this question, addressed to Mr.. G1hllan,
elected the following reply:
he didn't know how water by water works could be
supplied on Summit avenue-St. Anthony hill. AS
for Dayton's bluff, he thought it would be cheaper
for the city to insure the property out there than to
The supply of water in the Sixth ward would be again
attended with difficulty.
Mr. Murray said the thing should be looked square,
ly in the face The city didn't have the money, and
nothing could be done until the money was gotten in
the next tax levy. Nothing co9d be done for year
at least Bonds couldn't be issued until the legisla-
tre met. AS for increasing the force, that might be
done as an incidental, but there was no money to
buy engines.
Col. Allen agreed with all the rest as to the insult
fcency of the fire department. While away, during
kolva m fra
departments of the different cities visited, and ours
was shame in comparison. The colonel then gave
his experience and the result OF his inquiry IN New
Orleans and felt convinced that the Babcock chem1-
cal engines and extinguishers were serviceable to
q high degree of efficiency.
Mr. Gffllan said it would cost the water company
half q million dollars to give the supply. He then
went into other calculations involving other calcula
tions well up in the millions. He also stated that
there was only one line leading to Lake Phalen,
crossing Trout Brook and it was liable to be broken,
authorities to make move looking towards estab-
fishing another line, say along Fourth street,
Mayor Dawson put out feeler for an artesian well
on st. Anthony hill and found grave objections
urged Mr.. Gilfllan citing the failure at Minneapolis
and Manka.o.
AID Grace called to recollection the disastrous fire
on st. Anthony hill, when several houses were
burned, and then said that there was great cry for
Babcocks, which on investigation, and he thought
wisely subsidized and the purchase of
q Babcock was abandoned. The alderman
then referred to the late fire at Auerbacb, Finch,
Culbertson & Co.'s, and defended the fire depart
ment from the aspersions End criticisms OF tramp
reporter on the Pioneer Press. The alderman hint
ed they were incited against the chief solely and be-
cause the tramp had been put out of the chiefs Of
fice 80 far as the conduct Of the fire department
was concerned they had been manly ana persistent
too, when the force was hardly sufficient to manage
the hose or nozzle.
Mr. Murray here read the following from the ad-
"Nothing has been learned Of the origin of the
fire further than stated by assured in their proofs
watchman had been kept nights on the premises,
but on this Sunday night was "of duty" There
cupable neglect in giving the alarm-the Key to
the nearest box lost and the fire department at fu-
nera-so that half hour elapsed between the dis
covery of the fire and the appearance OF the depart
ment; even then their ineficency was aggravated
by their 'lack Of head, who dismissed the depart
ment before the fire was out and went home. The
adus.ers who happened to be present vanly endeav-
ored to induce the chief of the department to con-
tinue throwing water on the burning goods in the
basement but without avail. They were compelled
TO invoke the mayors aid and authority before they
could get the fire department back to their duty.
Mr.. Eaton disclaimed, 80 far as he was concerned
any interference with the fire department. So far as
he knew, he just would say there had neen great .
negligence in turning In the alarm Under the cir
cumstacces, he believed the fire department did all
it could.''
Ald.6race and City Attorney Murray both declared
that they had seen and witnessed Chief StroDg's
labor, and both gave him credit for his long, con-
slant and arduous service on the occasion OF the
Auerbach fire.
Mr.. II. L. Moss gave credit to the work of the de-
partment, but the force was not strong enough His
experience was, that IL all the fire departments In
the country had been here they couldn't have saved
the building. Field & Letters building In Chicago
had burned the same way, and proverbiauy 1t was
the case that building catching in the roof, even
In the day time, was consumed
Aid. Bell asked Mayor Dawson II the reference 10
him in the adjIster's report was true.
Mayor Dawson-it is false, not word Of truth In
it. -
Chief Strong declared that the depart:
ment never was dismissed, so that
there was no occasion to request him not to DISMISS
The No. was on the ground and at work until Mon
day evening" The chief states he did not leave the
fire until A. II. Monday, was absent an hour, and
returned to remain until evening, though his hands
were frozen, etc.
Mr.. Eaton confirmed the mayor in saying that he,
Mayor Dawson, had never been requested to direct
the chief to throw water on the fire. He had asked
the mayor to have the walls pulled down, that
was all.
Mr.. Ostrander, of the Phoenix, was said to be the
person instigating the adjusters report.
Mayor Dawson alluded to the nonsensical twaddle
of the tramp reporter of the P p and declared that
1t was all contrary to reason. In fact he had been
assured that the fire department., as ne believed de-
served great credp for not letting the fire spread.
Aid. Grace said the Pioneer Press talk was mali
cious and lie from beginning to end.
Messrs. Eaton and Moss both said that 1t was their
intention to introduce, at the next meeting Of the
underwriters resolution 9xhonerating the FIRE de-
partment from any blame for inefic eucy. Mr..
Bgelow seconded the suggestion, and said the ad-
justers had gone out Of the way in passing censure
and had exceeded their duty in so doing.
Col. John s.. Prince was present at the Aueroacn