Daily Republican., 1881-06-02
DISTRICTING THE CITY.
THE FIREMEN'S CONVENTION AT
SEA UPON THE QUESTION.
The Fame Hose Co. to Petition
for Fire DIstricts-COunet
Fire Committee Ridiculed.


ing the city.
; The meeting was called to order b.
: chairman Hanna. After the minute
had been read and approved, secretar.
Duffy reported that he had extende,
an invitation TO the Fame Hose Com
pany to send delegates to the conven
ton.
Mr.. McCullin, of the Reliance, asket
that the Fame delegation express it
, sentiments in regard to the propose,
plan of districting the city.
Mr.. McCrea, of the Fame Hose dele
: CATION, said his company was in favo
Of having the city divided into tw'
districts-uorthern and southern. H
!, saw no reason why the other compa
pies should oppose the plan. Hethough
that districting the city would benef
the tiremen, the city and the chief en-
gineer of the fire department.
Mr. McFadden, Of the Washington
said that, since the Fame Hose Com
pany had expressed its sentiments, i
was no more than right that the Della
ware Company should do likewise.
Mr.. Agnew, of the Delaware Com
pany, said his company was ii
favor of doing whatever the con
vention agreed to do. His company
was opposed to districting the city and
off anything comes up in Council con
flicting with the tiremen, said he, "you
will hear from the Delaware.
Chairman Hanna did not think tina,
districting the city would be successful
with the proposed number of fire alarm
| n l., ,rin hn SniI
he, "two. boxes in the proposed southern
district. Another box will be on the
northeast corner of Fifth and French
streets. Should there be fire on
Fourth street, and an alarm be sounded
at the Fifth street box, the companies
in the Northern district will accord
ing to law, have to stop when they ar
rive at Fifth street"
Mr.. Hanna also said that he did not
think it policy to publish the resolu-
tons, which would be adopted by the
convention, until after they had been
sent to Council.
Mr. Bourbon of the Washington, did
not think it wise to have the resolutions
read in the presence of the Fame Hose
delegates because that delegation had
expressed itself as being in favor of
having the city divided into districts.
Mr. Fletcher of the Delaware moved
that the resolutions be read and that the
reporters he requested not To publish
them. Carried.
The resolutions, which are rather
long, protest against the city being di-
vided into fire districts. The reasons
set forth are similar to the opinions
given by the various companies at the
previous meetings Of the convention.
The resolutions are signed by the
Friendship, Phoenix, Reliance, Water
Witch and Washington companies, and
chief engineer Tazewell. They recon-
mend that dre alarm telegraph signals
be procured for the chief engineer and
his assistants; that, if any change in the
department is proposed, the chief engi-
neer shall be consulted that the fire
department be inspected without any
warning having been given to the COM
panies.
On motion of Mr.. Schrader, of the
Friendship, the resolutions were adopt
ed. They will not, however, be pre-
sented to Council until after Mr.. Blake
has introduced his ordinance.
Mr.. McFadden, of the Washington,
ridiculed Councils Fire Committees
mode of inspecting the fire department,
he believed that that body was not, ac-
cording to the law, required TO make
the inspection.
Chief Engineer Tazewell said that the
tour of inspection was merely costly
custom adopted by Council.
Mr.. Grimes of the Fame Hose Compa-
ny, explained why his company was in
favor of having the city divided into
fire districts. One reason, he
said, was because there would
be less disorder in going to and return
ing from fires. Another reason was that
it would save the fire companies appar-
atus, and that less damage would be
caused to the departments property ifI
four engines went to one fire than ifl
eight engines went. He thought that
the chief engineer could control four
companies better than eight at one fire.
His company, he said, favored dis
tricting the city, not because it had any
enmity against the tiremen, but because
it thought fire districts would benefit
the city.
Chief Engineer Tazewell thought that
if the city is divided into two districts,
the wheels on the engines in the North
arn district would become rusty for the
want of use. Two.thirds Of all the fires
occur in the southern part of the city,
said he, and, consequently, the engines
in the northern part of the city would
stand idle.
Mr. Hanna thought that districting
the city would not be successful with a
volunteer fire department., but that it
would result in paid department.
Mr.. McCrea thought that paid de-
rartment would not be established un- !
less the fire companies, acted disorder
ly when running to fires.
Mr.. Hanna stated that the fire depart
ment is now 200 per cent. less disorder
ly than it was 80 years ago. |
Mr.. Schrder, of the Friendship said
that he thought that Mr., Blake intended
by introducing fire alarm telegraph anu
fire districts, to bel in rea illness to estab-
li,h, at some future day, a paid fire de-
partment.
Mr. Grimes, of the Fame Hose Com
pany, announced that his company in
tended to present to Council, this even
ing, a petition (signed by manufacturers
and business men, asking that the city
be divided into two districts. The
Fame delegates, he said. would not dis
cuss the resolutions adopted by the cou-
vention, unless they were sent to Coun-
ill.
Mr.. Duffy, of the Reliace, said that it
Iooked IN him like Mr. Blake wanted,
since he had learned the firemen's SEN
iiments, to withhold his ordinance.
He also thought that the gentleman
was Withholding the ordinance In
,rder that the Fame Hose Company
night present its petition. |
The convention adjourned to meet at
he call of the Committee on Resolu-
ions.
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