St. Paul daily globe., 1888-08-18
THEY HOAORED STETSON.
Che Minneapolis Chief Elected Presi-
dent of the Fire Engineers.
At KANSAS CITY NEXT.
The Reading of Papers and Reports.
The Concluding Festivities and
Exhibition Run.

morning Cn6 lODDy OF the west was
practically deserted by the delegates to
the fire engineers convention. The
day spent at Minnetonka had used a
great many of them up, and when they
did put in an appearance it was with an
evident desire to get away from the
hotel and wander about in the warm
sunshine. President Joyner was the
first man in the room where the meet
ings are held. When he looked about
him and saw only the sargeant-at-arms,
the secretary and few others present,
he smiled gently, and at once rushed
around and captured enough of the
members to warrant the calling of the
convention to order, and began the
reading of the papers.
The first paper read was on, "Does
the Danger Arising From the New
Compensate Fully for Its Introduce
tion?' Will ii. 4Cowles. of Findlay, o.,
read the paper prepared by the COM
mittee, composed of Samuel n. Evans,
Pittsburg, Pa; Fred Hornug, Buffalo,
n. Y, and Will ii. Cowles, of Findlay,
o., and also presented one prepared
himself. Both papers held that natural
gas was as safe and economical thing
as could possibly be used. 1t was con-
venient and cheap, and from all appear
ances the supply was, so far as known,
ineXhauStable. With natural gas there
was no carrying out of ashes, no haul
ing of wood and coal and 10 explosions
of any kind, if the persons handling the
gas were only careful. President Rey-
nolds, of the Findlay Natural Gas COM
pany, sent in paper in which he gave
large number of figures to illustrate
the fact that there was no real danger of
an explosion strong enough to destroy
the cities i'll the natural gas regions for
some centuries yet. When such an ex-
ploSion did come other cities would also
suffer.
Chief Edward Hughes, of Louisville,
KY. read letter from B. NJ. Bates, as
sistant chief of the Louisville depart
ment, stating that he had given a Ger
tain kind of horse collar to the Wors-
wick Manufacturing company, of Cleve-
land, o., with the understanding that he
was to receive S. for every collar sold.
But thousands of collars had been sold
and he had yet received nothing from
the manufacturers. A general discus
sion followed, in which it was held that
inasmuch as nearly all the inventions
were made by the men in the ranks, it
was nothing more than proper that they
should receive the benefit of these in
Ventions. The Worswick company re-
ceived pretty severe roasting at the
hands of the convention, and resolutions
were adopted deprecating the action of
the company, and thanking the Louis
vile tiremen for exposing the company.
Chief Hughes followed with resolu-
tion to the effect that Mr.. Kidd, the
agent of the Worswick company, be
dropped from the rolls of the asSOcia-
ton. Before the question was put the
president announced that Mr.. Kidd was
dropped two or three years ago, and so
no action was taken in regard to the
matter.
Under suspension of the rules the
subject of selecting
THE PLACE FOR HOLDING THE NEXT
MEETING
was taken up, Notwithstanding some
little opposition: Chief Hale, of Kansas
City, Mo-, invited the association to
hold its next annual convention at that
city. The council and the city backed
him, he said, and he would promise all
good time. There was some talk of
Detroit, but Chief Battle, of that CITY.
stated that he was not authorized to in
vite the convention there. Accordingly
the secretary was instructed to cast the
ballot of the convention for Kansas
City.
Col. Clifford Thompson, editor of Fire
and Water, sent in an interesting paper
on "The Perils of Faulty Building Con-
struction." FIremen were exposed to
more dangers from buildings poorly con-
structed, the paper held, than any other.
The chief OF every fire department
should have the power to enter and in
Spect all buildings, and also power to
order such changes as would make the
building safe. TheaterS were eSpec-
ially faulty, and not one in ten was safe
TO spend an evening in. Laws should
be enacted to severely punish men who
erect such shaky buildings, and then
these laws should be rigidly inforced.
The time to make the inspection is be-
fore the mortar is put in, as that handy
substance hides all the defects from the
public eye. The paper was warmly in
dorsed by all present.
The following resolution, introduced
by William Stockell. of Tennessee. was
unanimously adopted:
Whereas, The National Association of
Fire Engineers has been in existence
for the past fifteen years, during which
time they have accomplished great i'm
prOvementS in the organization and
management of fire departments: and,
whereas, 1t is important that there
should be perfect understanding be-
tween the fire underwriters and the fire
marshals of the country, whereby the
fearful destruction of property may be
largely diminished; therefore be it
Resolved. That the fire underwriters
of the different states and Canada he
invited to send representatives and he
come members of this national associa-
ton. so that they may counsel together
and unite III adopting the best methods
for the prevention of such an annual de-
StructIon OF property as is now being
witnessed.
SOME STATISTICS.
The report of II. A. Hill, the secre-
tary, showed that during the year he
had turned over to the treasurer 81, 1,2S5,
and that the receipts had been unusually
heavy. The association now has total
membership of 2S4. During the wear
but two members had been removed by
death, Chief II. j. Farrell, Lowell,
Mass, and ex-Chief W. S. Bud. Fairy,
town, n. Y. The treasurer's report
showed the receipts to have been s., ,439
and the disbursements 81, ,301. .76, leaving
balance on hand of S137.46.
The committee on resolutions pre-
sented report rendering the thanks of
Ahe convention to Chief Stetson and
wife, Mayor AmeS and others, who had
done much to make the convention such
pleasing success. which was unani-
mously adopted. Resolutions of respect
20 the memory of the dead members,
Scott and Farrell, were adopted. The
lime for holding the next convention at
Kansas City was fixed for the second
Tuesday in September, as provided by
The constitution.
The committee on nominations made
the following report, which was unani-
nously adopted, and the following Off
1ers were declared elected for the ensu-
ng year: President, f. L. Stetson, of
Minneapolis; vice presidents, B. Bry-
son, McCool, D. G. Larkin, Fred Hor-
nung, j. r. ProMitt, NJ. L. Mailing. j