Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1888-11-28
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.

THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
Preparations to Put 1t on a Paid Footing
The Niggardly Treatment to Which ii
Has Been Subjected Hitherto.
City Clerk Graves was figuring up yester-
day the expenditures OF the municipal gov
eminent OF Butte since the beginning OF the
fiscal year, May "a, to the first OF the pres.
ent month, and among the rest he dis
covered that the expenditures for fire pur-
poses were just 1928, not counting the
amount paid for water, but including the
cort Of q Fire Marshal's salary at $50 o
nonth. The six months water rent at
500 q month for the period in question
would be 5000 additional, bringing the
city's expense for fire protection up to
| 1928 for six months. In the same period
there was expended by tie Street and Al
ley Committee, 81, 963; under the head of
Police Department, SIS, O36, and for light
ing the city $2,017.
In most municipalities the amount ex-
pended for fire protection is one OF the, if
not the heaviest item. There is no feature
Of municipal administration anywhere in
this country outside OF Butte in winch SO
much liberality is shown or SO much pride
taken. The ambition OF every other COM
munity is to have the most perfect fire de-
partment ~procurable. according to their
means, and to this end the latest and most
complete equipments that money can buy
are invested in unqu~estioningly. OF
course, these departments are on a
paid footing, the men engaged on
them devoting their time entirely to the
work of fighting fire. Any one who has
lived in any OF the large cities OF the coun-
try eed not be told what heroes these men
are and how fearlessly they risk their lives
to save the lives OF Others in peril in a
burning building. This bravery is just as
freely, almost recklessly, expended in the
effort to save property, and instances are
frequent of their sudden death under fall
ing walls OF from the many forms Of cas-
ualty to which they are exposed by their
calling. They are generally among the
best paid OF a city's employees, and it is
seldom that an alderman will be found
with the hardihood to recommend a reduc-
ton in fireman's wages.
But while this is the case elsewhere, Butte
seems to lave been governed by the very
opposite principle-niggardly and scanta APP
propriatIons to its fire department. The
city has had less reason for this than most
other. 1t has had the service of it's fire
department gratis, and all that the men
have asked in return has been liber-
al treatment in the way OF material
and the mean OF fighting fire.
Tnese have been denied or furnished with
such hesitation as to make it appear that
a favor was being granted. For a long
while the men had to take care OF the ap-
paratus which. after a fire i'll muddy or cold
weather, is worse than fighting the fire.
Only recently has the city bought a team
to pull the heaviest hose reel to the place |
where it is wanted. The hook aud lad
der truck is still without Il team and the
smaller hose reels are hard enough pull for
a dozen men uphill.
The dissatisfaction OF the men, both in
the Fire Brigade and the Fire Department,
resulted in ii demand for reorganization of
the affair on a new footing. The passage
OF the new city charter gay hopes of
something being accomplished. It author
lied the Issue OF bonds for municipal pur-
poses and the fire department was to come
in for a share Of the anticipated benefits.
Among the bonds authorized to be issued
was $4,000 for public buildings. The
Council decided to sell the present City Hall |
and with it's proceeds and the above sum
erect Ii city hall that would, among the |
rest, supply the needs OF the fire depart |
ment. But the hall could not be sold when |
the time came to dispose OF ii and the
bonds brought no purchasers either. So
that the city IS just as near being able to
improve it's tire department as it ever was.
Something is impera lively necessary, |
however, and some steps have to be taken
to keep the department running. Thu Fire
N.,., ~ . F,, DR tlo N-,-.;l H., -. i = I. l. I L |
compensation must be made to the
men who incur loss OF rest, discomfort and
danger in fighting fire in Butte. The City
Attorney has been directed to draw up an
ordinance making an allowance to the
members Of the department when they turn
out to fires. The ordinance is under way
now and will be presented at next Wednes-
day nights session Of the Council. What
else it will contain besides some allowance
to the men is not at present known. But
if the people OF Butte were OF the same
mind as the citizens Of other towns OF its
size in the country, the new fire ordinance
remodel the service entirely and
make it the same important feature in the
city that the fire service is in other similar
towns. 1t will be only d step in the right
to remLnerate the firemen for
their services. There is yet lacking much
to place it Oh a proper footing.
AS long as the city depends upon the
pressure in the hydrants for force to throw
on fires, fire engines are asuperfiuity.
But though engine houses are unnecessary,
lOse-carriage houses are not, and the city
should be supplied with at least four,
in different quarters OF the city,
md supplied with necessary conveniences
or the men attached to each hose carriage.
The mostimperatiye want, however, is an
electric firc'alarm system, without which l
any improvements will be short Of COM
The cost Of putting in such a {
,ystem for this city would not be great,
lad tie advantage is too obvious to need +
out in detail. By it the locality OF
fire could be at once determined and
lime saved. At the fire on Upper Main ;
street last Tuesday night, only one hose
turned QUE, that from East Gran
te, aud the men went mp Main street at a
with 40 detiAite idea OF wheIe the
ire was. 1t happened to be only q slight 7
ire and one hose was sufficient. But T
he remark OF one OF the men pres. =
mt at it was significant. The alb I
Ience OF any but Que cart was mentioned I
ind ne replied: 4 tell you the boys are {
ired Of turning out at fires f~ornothing and r
Tot even getting any thanks for it," {
The present Council would be willing be- +
7ond a doubt to place the fire service OF =
he city on the ~footins it needs, but as long v
10 they are hampered by lack of funds g
heir hands are tied. Until public senti- )
nent arrives at q point that demands the =
safeguards for protection from fire, !
here can be no improvement over present q
But if the public realize the :
anger OF continuing in the present careless =
tate Of Indifference, then power will be i
iven the Council through q legi 3lative en- i
ctment giving it authority to raise the g
ecessary funds to supply existing d~eficien- y
,
THE NUISANCE ORDINANCE. p