Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1888-02-04
FIRE DEPARTMENT NEEDS.

At the Fire Brigade meeting last evening
Chief Thomes presented his report OF the
workings of the department for the year
past. Since the 21st OF May there have
been eighteen fires at which the Brigade as.
sisted. all OF which were confined to the
building in which the fire originated save in
two instances-the Shirley fire in South
Butte, which burned out the whole block
because there vas no water at hand to use,
and the Raymond fire on East Park street,
whore the length OF hose that had to be
used and it's weakness from age delayed the
Efforts OF the firemen by hose bursting, and
in which three buildings were consumed,
where with good hose and q handy supply
OF water the fire would have been confined
to the building in which it first &C.
Cured. In fact the record OF fires in Butte
10 q most creditable enc to the firemen who
have handled them, and to q stranger
viewing the frail, Oh AIRED ruins OF q house
in y frame block that looks like 60 many
finder boxes, it is perfectly inexplicable
how the fremen manage it. That there are
natural causes working IN their favor il
evident. but that much Of it Is due to the
unhesitating bravery with which they
stand w to their work in all weatbers is
incontestAbls. With efficient apparatus
and plenty OF water plugs the Butte fire.
men are invincible. They have acted like
heroes, and it is pleasant to see Chief
Themes speaking with such hearty sincerity
OF the friendly feeling existing between the
two companies.
Mr.. Themes refers to the fact that the |
time is not far distant when Butte can
face the inevitable necessity OF employing
paid department. Even now the work inn
posed ON the men composing the Brigade
and the Department in the course of the
year is considerable. Eighteen fires in nine
months, four OF them occurring last month
in the bitterest OF the cold weather, is a
very good record for volunteers to turn
out to at all times OF the night, lose their
rest over, get drenched to the skin at and
become encased in ice or roasted to the
OF human endurance. If it is worth
anything to the citizens to have their
property protected, it is worth their while
to consider what the men who have accept
this responsibility SO generously incuri in
doing. They certainly incur ipconveni.
and dangers that are not exceeded by
The experience of their brethren in larger
There the men who fight fires are .
paid good salaries, are well housed and sup
piled unstintedly with all the most expen-
live appliances for assisting them N their
1nties. II they perish in their brave work.
heir families are we'll cared for and they :
Ire sure OF immortal renown, which will !
a brave man to great personal -.
'isks. They are regarded as a cause of '
municipal pride, as sincere as that "
Military pride which a Frenchman feels in :
he soldiers OF the French army. In every .
ray possible they are the chief care of the u
municipality and a city councillor in one of .
he cities possessing a well equipped fire de. a
artment would no more dare to propose =
ny cheese-paring economy in the aprro- :.
~riations for the sams than he would of .
his own death warrant. -
Butte cannot afford to have q paid fire -
Even with incorporation L
nd enlargement Of the limits this would q
Q impossible. But the Council will have !"
, make appropriations for an allowance OF -
certain amount to every fireman who u
rms out to a fire. There will also have I"
, be built in convenient places, hose-cart VI
buses which will contain room for the ac- ~
,mmodation OF y sufficient number of %
to respond with the cart to an -
arm. and whore the uniforms OF the CON- I
my can b. kept. An electric fire-alarm y.
stem is another necessary improvement p
lat is imperatively needed now, and which ~
'nnot be delayed much longer. But an ID
ectric fire alarm, to be efficient, must al
ach the fremen themselves, not merely ~
use the citizens, SO that the house spoken vi
for the accommodation OF the hose IL
and some of the members OF each 70
mpany and the electric system OF fire DC
arm go hand in hand. &C
The absolutely pressing need for addi. in,
'nal fire-plugs cannot be delayed beyond wi
Q earliest chance to lay the mains neces-
~. This cannot " ,l he done at this sea-. ,
n OF the year, but should be undertaken tn,
soon al the ground il tbs we'd ia the ne,
RUG. tae