Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-12-19

eraI Interest to Business Men.
The board of directors of the chamber
of commerce held quite an interesting
meeting yesterday morning.
AMERICAN FORESTRY CONGRESS.
A communication was read from F, B.
Hough, secretary of the American Forestry
congress, to L. B. Hodges, relative to
proposed meeting of the congress in St.
Paul in August next. The paper was re-
ferred to special committee consisting of
l.. B. Hodges, DR.. Day and E. J. Hodgson.
The St. Paul Fire Department.
The important matter that was to come
before the board was the report of the com
mittee onfire department. This was the spe-
cial order, and the committee which had
been hurrying the matter up during theweek
was not quite ready to report at the open
iLg of the board yesterday. and asked the
board to excuse the members while they
finished up the concluding part of the re-
port. Finally the committee came for
ward and reported through Mr.. d. R.
Noyes, the chairman, as follows:
Your committee, appointed to examine
into the cause of the recent fire at Nicols
Il Deans store, and the condition and
working of the fire department., would
respectfully report that the cause of the
fire was an overheated stove, causing igni-
tion Of the rough board partition behind
it, although that partition was protected
by ordinary iron sheeting. The fire being
within the partition,was not easily reached,
and on the opening of the outer door as
cended rapidly to the upper stories.
In the opinion of your committee it
could have been at once extinguished when
first discovered, with few pals of water,
and even later all serious loss could have
been averted had the fire department re-
sponded with promptness; but at least
twenty minutes elapsed, and the call from
box "a (Merchants hoteD was repeated be-
fore
ANY RESPONSE WAS MADE.
Your committee can only account for
this failure of box "a to communicate the
alarm when first pulled, by the supposition
that there was an accidental contact of
wires-consequent upon the stringing of
a new line-at the critical moment of the
first call, as call from the same
box reached engine house No.
later, at 1885, and the fire.
alarm superintendent house at the same
time. He, running out, met No. engine
on the way to the fire, but not hearing
any alarm from the Market house bell,
turned back and gave the general alarm
from box IL. This call, at 1915, was the
first received by the chief engineer and
the fire department generally. No alarm
from the bell was, of course, sounded. to
call out the minute men" until this call
was given" The Hayes truck came out
with No. engine, but having no organ
lied working force, its ladders were badly
handled by volunteers. When at last the
department was finally on the ground, the
work done IVES good and efficient.
THE BREAK IN THE CIRCUIT
and consequent failure of box "a
to communicate the first alarm, was the
primary and principal cause of the delay
and loss, and when the call was repeated it
only brought out engine No. and the new,
imperfectly manned truck. Even after
the alarm was given from box Ii the
force on the ground was for some time in
adequate, volunteers working will
ingly but clumsily. Frozen
water, ice-bound ladders, and a ten
minutes break in the working of engine No.
4.all helped to cause the confusion and delay
so generally observed and condemned at
this fire.
In the examination into the present con-
dition and needs of the fire department
your committee called to their aid the
board of fire commissioners, the commit
tee on fire department of the city council.
the chief engineer, fire alarm superinten-
dent, and others of the department, and
now present you the results of their vari-
Gus conferences:
First-A report from the board Of fire
commissioners embodying, as their own
recommendations, those of the chief en-
gineer and fire alarm superintendent.
Second-Th0 approval by your COM
mittee of many of the changes proposed
and their own additional recommends
tions.
THE FIRE COMMISSIONERS REPORT.
Mr.. Noyes read the following report
from the fire commissioners which is
referred to in the two preceding par
agraphs
ST. PAUL, Mimi, Dec Is, 1882.
To the Honorable Board of Fire Commits
sioners of the City of st. Paul:
GENTLEMN-I herewith submit state
ment showing the present force and
equipment, "with Details" of the fire
department; also recommendations for
the more complete equipment of the
same; also, the report of the superintend-
ent of fire alarm.
All of which is respectfully submitted.
r. o. STRONG, Chief Engineer.
Endorsed by
FRANK BREuER, Chairman Board Fire
Commissioners.
j. G. PRENDEBGAsT, Fire Commissioner.
STATEMENT OF PRESENT FORCE.
Salary.
Chief engineer, full time 81, 500
One assistant eng ineer, full time .. 1000
One superintendent fire alarm, part time. 900
Five engineers of steamers, full time %. 5000
Five 1iremen of steamers. full time. 800. 1900
Five drivers of steamers, full time. 5000 1900
Five drivers of hose reels, full time. 1900
One driver of truck, full time. . $40
One tiller man, full time .......... $40
Six foremen of companies, full time, $40
each. ............... 5,O4o
Seven hook and ladder men, transient,
$40 each 1850
twenty hose men, transient. $40 EACH. $500