St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-11-15
OFFICIAL.
Proceedings Board Fire Commissioners.
Regular Meeting.

Regular Meeting.
OFFICE BOARD FIRE COMMISSIONERS,
ST. PAUL, Nov. 8. 1886.
The Board of Fire Commissioners. OF the
City OF st. Paul met at 7:30 O'Clock p. III.
! Present: Commissioners Prendergast,
Freeman, Warner and President Delano.
Absent: Commissioner Parker.
COMMUNICATIONS.
| From j. j. Hansberger. Worthington,
| NJ mr.. to whom was awarded contract Ior
| supplying department with hay Tor one year
! from Nov. l, 1885, stating ne nao inlsul-
derstood the terms of advertisements ana
could not furnish the hay at price named III
! his old. On motion of Commissioner war
ner the Board awarded contract to NJ.
Schmitz, of Stewart Mimi, he being the
next lowest bidder at the price of SIS per
ton. The president called attention TO the
fact that contractors were leaving part OF
their rubbish and other distractions on the
streets. On motion the secretary was in
! Structed to address communication to the
Mayor, Building Inspector. City Attorney
and City Engineer calling their attention
| 10 the fact. and asking that the distractions
! be removed, or, if left that contractors be
| required to place red globe lights on all
such distractions.
President Delano, to whom was referred
! the sending of a communication To City
Council. protesting against the allowance
of electric wires being strung on fire alarm
| poles, reported having forwarded the fol-
| lowing:
ST. PAUL, Mimi, Oct. 81, 1856.
To the Honorable City Council of the City
| of st. Paul:
GENTLEMEN: The Board of Fire Com
miSsioners are informed that the Honorable
City Council, or committee thereof, have
under consideration, and propose to make
an arrangement with the Edison Electric
| Lii ght company, or some other company,
| to erect poles and string wires on the same,
on which the Fire Department wire lines are
expected to be strung and maintained.
! Against this action by the City Council.
| the Board of Fire Commissioners unani-
mousy protest. for the reason that it will
| be to the great detriment of the working OF
the Fire Department apparatus, consisting
of the wires, fire alarm boxes, repeaters.
| gongS, etc.
The city has, at a large expense, erected
| its own poles, strung its own wires, and
now has this branch of the Fire Depart
ment service, and apparatus connected
| Herewith, in first-claSs working order. and
are in hopes to maintain the same in such
manner as will be satisfactory to all con-
cerned and at a reasonable cost and eX-
pense, both for future maintenance of the
| lines now in operation and of those that
| will be put in operation, as the increased
Fire Department service requires.
1t is the unanimous opinion Of this Board
that no electric light wires of any kind or
description should be laid upon the fire de-
partment poles, and that as few crossings
should be made over or under fire depart
ment wires as possible, and wherever such
crossings of electric wires are made. that
their poles should be set and their wires OF
such character. that if they should break
and fall upon the fire department wires, or
the fire department wires break and fall
upon their wires, that no damage would re-
suit therefrom.
The knowledge which your commission
ers have of the electric light service leads
us to believe that with any extensive ar
rangement with the electric wires on the
same poles with the fire alarm wires that
there would be continual conflict as to the
rights between the parties operating and
maintaining the same that would lead to
endless difficulties.
If there was 10 trouble or danger in re-
gard to the operation of the electric light
wires, there would be no difficulty in those
companies making easy arrangements with
the various telegraph and telephone COM
panies who have poles all over the city, for
Stringing their wires upon the same. but 1t
is i'll our opinion, because OF the great danger
incurred and constantly threatened. while
the electric wires are in proximity TO any
other wires, that no one wishes to have them
upon the same line OF poles.
1t is for these reasons that the Board of
Fire Commissioners so unanimously object
to the granting of any privileges of this
kind to any electric light company.
By order of the Board of Fire Commits
siOnerS. +. Il. DELANo,
President.
The Chief Engineer and Superintendent
of Fire Alarm Telegraph submitted their
annual reports for the year 1885. On
motion the reports were accepted and the
recommendations therein ordered printed
i'll the official proceedings OF the Board.
RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CHIEF EN-
GINEER.
For the ensuing year L would recommend
that your honorable body add to the de-
partment the following improvements:
Condemn and sell engine No. ard en-
CINE reserve, both having been in service
HIlGeu years. WOulu enoO
they be replaced with piston engines.
Condemn and sell La France engine No.
7. 1t is too cumbersome. and cannot do
the work of tirSt-claSS engine.
Purchase an aerial ladder truck and place
in Engine House NO 1. We ueed such
truck for the climbing work necessary on
high buildings.
Rebuild No. engine house, West st.
Paul. with brick. and enlarge so that it can
hold not only an engine, but hook and
ladder truck.
Locate an engine house and company be-
tween Third and Sixth, Broadway and rail-
road tracks, for work in the wholesale dis
trct.
Locate an engine and hose carriage in
chemical house No. 4, and build All addition
to the house in which to place the chemical.
Locate an engine house near Bedford and
Bradley. in East st. PAM.
Locate an engine house at Merriam Park
! to hold chemical engine, steam fire Ell
| CINE and truck This To cOv,,r the Seventh
| ward territory, which still lacks water, but
| contains valuable property and demands
| fire protection. Your obedlent servant.
! JOHN T. BLACK. Chief Engineer.
| Recommendations of Superln iendent of
! Fire Alarm Teeg aph for year 1887:
My recommended ons for the ensuing
year are: Placing of LAIN registers Ii all
the engine houses, t.icleby EN.ng the de-
partment better and more accurate methods
for the speedy and correct, registration of
L.