Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-02-02
OUR FIRE 1HPi7sETi: EMF.
Last Years Fire rI-Condition an,
Woods OF The DrnnrImcni.

There we're in this city last year only lour
fires Of any magnitude, tie list being as fol
lows; jan &c. fire a W. H. Drinks four-
dry, the Insurance paid on which Wis -.lGgj;
March 20, convent barn, insurance 500 /;
Oct IS, c. p. SMITHS feed store, insurance
1852; Nov. 81, Pioneer Shops, insurance
f3s, al. Besides these here were eighteen
fire alarms and very small fires: and Tic az
grcgate nsuranc. paid was Si2, 19l6t.
This loss is greater than ior many
years past. the disastrous conil i.ra,i II
at the Pioneer Shops having swclicd
the aggregate to very unusual proportions.
But even rs il is. there are few places
of corresponding size that alc n fortunate
us burlington i'll this respect and a lradiu.
reason for this is the promplncss and ,iliciyu-
cy of our iircncu. The regular force uf tic
Fire Department now consists of two engine
companies, fonr hose companies. and one
hook aud ladder company. II is not an cx-
pensivc department hy any means. for its
whole expenses for the year lSs2 were only
S3S0l, and it kept 50 well within the csi-
mates that it now has Il balance Of $780,. 43
TO its crcdit-a very gratifying and Crcdita-
dependent companies have retired from ac-
tive scrvice-thr Walter n Greene hose
company and the L. u. Sutton This leaves
the Volunteers the only Independent COM
pany on the active list-a company which
has done and is constantly doing most en-
cellent and valuable service, and which well
deserves the compliments paid it by the
Chief Engineer in his gnnual report.
In this report several recommendations and
suggestions are made which are worthy OF
careful thought. The chief engineer says
that the fro companies houses arc in bad
shape, and even al the best ar very much
inferior to those provilc hyo'1cr cities for
n similar purpose. Tic Star hose hous =
indeed, is in shape so tad ,lm' som, thnL
| ought to be done about it fpr,hwith The
apparatus is reported n in u generally
good condition, the priuciral exception being
the Ethans' hose cart. Tie chief recommends
the purchase of Il new and appropriate one
and surely company which does so much
valuable service ought not To he compelled to
use an aniqllatCd aud worn-Out cart. An
other suggestion is for the, |, elton # build
ing for the Storage of hose and where il could
be cleaned and dried, etc. THIS is something
the department has long rccded and ough, to
be provided for at once. lndct Il, all the re-.
commentators to which we have referred
have reason and necessity On their side, and
we hope will he iavnlably entertained w the
city authorities. The Fire Department is
composed of the flower Of our young men :
it is surpassed in efficiency by no volunteer
department in the country it is not only
thoroughly efficient bu, it costs tie cy al
most nothing when tn value Of It's services
are considered On all accounts its very
moderate requests, made through its chief,
as herein set forth, ought TO be granted with
out delay
Wemay add in conclusion that Mr.. Cros.
by has made an extremely crcditahlc record
as Chief Engineer. He has mor than iul-
filled the expectations of his friends, and has
performed all the duties nj the oilicc in n
most satisfactory manner.