The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-10-11

AhO bPSON W. IL
sit strikes me-" said an observant
citizen who stood on East Main Street
as the fire department went down the
street at break-neck pace, "that there
is such thing rs being in too much of
hurry. / believe in getting to a fire
promptly, and l realize how valuable
the first five minutes are in putting out
fire, but don't believe in OVERRIDING
thing"
"DO you think they drive too fast?"
eyes, l do. You see they have got
the business down so fine in the matter
of self-acting doors and harness, and
all that business, that they can reach
fire without driving as though they
We're in a steeplechase. Suppose they
occupy two minutes in reaching given
point. l guess at the rate they passed
here they got there in that time from
their houses. Now, let them drive at
half the speed, which would be a killing
pace, what would be the difference in
the general loss?"
at is too hot weather to figure arith-
metical conundrums," said the scribe
Give us your general results"
''ln the first place, this matter of
putting out fires is pure question Of
money loss. Grant that they reduce
the loss somewhat, and it is not gen
orally very much reduction by the two
minutes time gained, how much do
they lose by the pace at which they
drive? In the first place they kill Il
valuable horse every little while, and
it must be replaced. Then the wear
and tear on the apparatus is something
enormous. Why, it's only few weeks
ago that the eXtinguisher went to pieces
and was in the shop almost two weeks
You know how the insurance men
fretted and talked about the necessity
of a second chemical machine to take
its place when it was disabled. 1t is so
with all the apparatus. 1t won't stand
the strain. More money is spent re-
pairing damages than is saved by this
break-neck speed"
This is fast age, you KNOW said
the reporter. You wouldn't care to
have the department mistaken for u
funeral procession, would you?"
THAT'S all right" said the gentle.
man." ''you understand what [ mean.
Ard, after all, when You come right
down to it, it would be better policy to
occupy four minutes running a mile
through the crowded streets than to
make the distance at a three-minute
gait and endanger the lives OF pedes-
trians. Don't YOU misunderstood me. ]
believe in losing no time in reaching a
fire. l think, and have thought for
years, that Rochester has the best
equipped and best-mAuaged fire depart
ment of any city of its size in the
country, and Rochester ought tC,be ana
is proud ct it. The point | make is
that the running speed can be probably
reduced, say one-third if you please,
and still lie the most effective fire
department in the State.
do you ghink the spirit of rivalry
has anything to do with it?"
"Unquestionably it dcss, although
that clemens should be thrown out.
Teams should be sent as rapidly as
safety to life and limb and q whole,
some regard for wear and tear will
admit. 1t doesn't make any difference
which hose company applies the first
stream. Everybody knows that they
are all on the ground promptly and
ready to go to- work in systematic
manner, and ezminute or two don't sig
Nifty. Another great consideration is
the safety OF the men themselves.
Every time a cart is wrecked, there is
an enormous danger to the men on the
machine. They have been very fortu.
nate, and am glad of it, but they rur
great danger ct breaking their necks."
, "How wou!GIyou fix the matter?"
(. ''Simply giya orders that the Speet
be reduced on general principles, and
teams be kept well in hand. Two OF
three men or women or children will be
killed one of these days, and. the city
will have q bill Of damages, Ltell you
if the speed i reduced one~third the
pace will take Il machine a good way
from home in three minutes, "-Rocb
ester "a. ~ DsD10crat and Ghr0hj95e