Daily Republican., 1886-02-20
I'm. .A.as.l is..peeaon.

II Last evening was the lime set By Oh
Fire COMMITTEES Of City Council for th
annual Visit and inspection OF the Fir
department of this city, and .shortl,
after O'Clock Chairman William ri
Blake, Robert H. Taylor, John NJ
Newell, 7. B. Brison and T. II. ,Latime
OF the Fire COMMITTEE, with Chic
Engineer Reeder and Assistant Enqi
neers WiRglesworth and McCullip
Superintendent Aydon Of the fre alaru N
telegraph, President Farra Of Cit,
ICou"cil, and representative of th,
REPUBLICAN,, Morning News
Freie Presse," making altoRethe,
fourteen persons, assembled in the offic,
OF the clerk oflCouncil, ,and as soon as al
were present proceeded to the battery
room In the basement. Here everything
was found scrupnlously clean and il
lexcellent order.
| The battery consists of 1856 cells, which
works the entire system of the fire
alarm telegraph, Including the bell on
the City Hall, that at the Reliance en-.
eine house, with the gongs In all the
lengine houses and at the resid ences oJ
the assistant engineers. There 10 also 4
IGamewell indicator In this room, W bich
shows ths pumhsr Of box. from which
an alarm IL struck TIE Indicator Ia
for sale, and rs the cost is only Sl25 and
10 is 30 very useful, one OF them should
be placed in each engine house in this
city.
The carriages which we're in waiting
In front of the City Hall were then
taken and the party driven TO the
Friendship engine house, at Tenth and
Shipiey streets. Everything was found
in excellent order, and the COMPANY
fully prepared and ready to respond to
An alarm at any moment. Several i'm.
provements have been added during
the year, including new hose car
riage, drawn by one horse, and three
ssts OF swinging harness. The house is
also provided with the patent trip,
which upon an alarm being struck
turns up the gas and opens the stable
doors.
| -Four trials Of hitching up were made
and resulted as follows II, ~, 10
aad Is seconds. William j. J.McGoniRal
hitched the horses to the engine, aud the
driver OF the hose cart, William Ward.
hitched the horse to that. McGoniRal
struck the trip, and the moment the
stable doors flew open the intelligent
animals came tearing out, and took
their places to have tho harness put on
them. When they were unhitched
thsy went back 70 the stable them
selves, ann each one to his own stall.
THIS company is Ill years old, and II
the originators could have left their
graves and looked In ut the engine
mouse last night, they would have been
better able than any one else to tell of
The progress made by the company
during the time OF its.existence
Fhs party were then taken TO the
Pl1aix engine house, at Twelfth aud
King streets, where erything was
found neat and clean, with the ap-
paratus ready for service 1t moments
notice Upon trials being made of
Patters u, with the old style harness,
accomplished it, uuaided, in %, "A, 24
and II seconds, respectively. .
This company has one steam engine,
one hose carriage; one pair of horses,
800 feet OF new hose, 800 feet good hose
200 feet OF hose not so good, aud 116
! members. They also have o magnifi I
cent parlor In tho second story, the
fi0or OF which Is covered with Brussels
carpet and furnished With handsomely
upholstered furniture. On q table In
one corner there Is q stand of wax fruit
made aud presented to the company
some six months ago by Miss Laura
Bigger, now Mrs. Mcconnell, which for
beauty and tfuthfulness to nature can
not be excelled 1t has been pro-
nou noed by competent judges the finest
piece of work OF that kind ever made
a this city. The apartment adjoining
The parlor is used as . reading room and
the company have large book case, but
very few books, and will receive with
thanks any that may bs donated to
them.
The hoGse OF the Delaware truck
company was next visited. This com.
pany have recently introduced new
patent trip, with clock attached,
which stops the moment an alarm Ia
struck, thus showing the exact time
hen 1t is received at the house. The |
company have the swinging harness,
and altaough the horses have 81 feet to
pass over from the stabls to the tongue |
of the truck, tho three horses were |
hitched up by one man in 90 seconds, |
and made u run down Sixth street to |
Walnut, thence 20 Fourth and up |
French street to the truck house In / |
minute and As seconds, or 2 minutes |
aud 81 seconds from the time the alarm |
was strnck. This is remaIka ,ly good |
tAAho 1hb opOuhb III bho bniCLCDCy
of the company. They have 90 mem.
bprs, hook and ladder truck, So feet of |
ext nsion ladder, 6 other ladders tba at |
will reach 30 feet, FIRE extiDsuishers,
axes and tire escape on the truck that
will hold six persons. Charles Evans |
Is the driver, and the manner in which |
fe managed the horses last EVENING"
showed that he is proficient In every |
respect
The party were then taken TO the |
house of the Reliance company ON Fifth |
street below Walnnt, and found the |
horse standing ready hitched to the |
hose cart. On account OF their cramped |
and oontrao, ed quarters no attempt was /
made Of trial In hiCching mp. A fine
picture of the new house which the com.
psny intend to erect at Fourth and |
l. mbard streets: was hanging on the |
wall, and attracted considerable atten.
tion. 1t will be three stories high, 20 |
feet 10 inches front, and 80 feet deep. |
rhs tngine room on the first fl1or will |
bs so feet deep, and the stable in the
rear 20 feet. There will be q parlor 18x |
36 feet on the second floor, with q drill
ver's room In the rear and hall and |
loft back of it. The third floor will be /
us d for meeting room, store room SC |
The tower will be 80 feet high. Bids
were on Friday opened with the follow.
ins result: Harry Laps, s6, 96l SO; George |
Mckee 81 565; j. R. d. Seeds & Sons,
81 4OS; W. j, Hall, 81, ,726; Hubert Cas-
H. s. 800; Harry 8 Christy, $7,491;
w "A Fuulk, 81 610; W. r. Beatty,
So, 900; John l. Ciuntiss, ~ $40; w. ID.
ii .naosk; 81 6S1 81
Everything was found in excellent
order at the house of the Washington |
Fire Company, on French street near
Four.h. rhey are provided with the
Swinping harne "A. and the driver. James 1