The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-12-11
FOR BETTER SERVICE.
Chief Collins and His Foremen
Discuss Fire Topics
Duties Of Ffremen-Whs should
stop at the Piug-seeessity
for Chemical.

Ckaffe q number Of fstesestsDg matters
eazae up st the meeting OF the Board Of
; Foremer and ASSISTANT Forea1en. Of the
/ ere cepsrtrnens, a. tbs meeting called by
chisg colHns las; night Ta@ object Of
| the meeting. ss the ehief stated 81. vas to
tax over and arrive a. a better under
standing Of matters affecting The oTganiza-
ton Of the department. The late fire has
shown that, while the men have
always coae the best they coEid
according 10 their knowledge and under
ali circumstances. yet, with . little better
understanding Of what their powers ere,
aud 81 a more systematic working to-
gefher. the service Of the department.
eoaid be rendered even more efeetaai At
that Ere souse difficulty yss met with IA
keeping people from rushing into the
building. aud even one Old fireman who
has sesn lots Of service, mar
fowly escaped deasa, while some on
cfais of the police force stood in danger
Of taeir lives for little while. Chief Col
tins wisely rpIss that the saving of human
life Should take precedence OF the spaEing
OF burning building. He therefore eOus-
s-Is has men 10 look after human life AZ all
hazards and ffss Of all hing. At the fire
referred tn we men bad - jump from their
windows when the building vas already
almost zuttet.. II is the duty Of the hook
and ladder companies. particularly. says
the chief. 70 see that ever body Is ont OF
the building, and 10 stay right there 10 keep
people from coming into the building. For
The time being the fremen have police
pgwers.
Again, hremen should not listen to every
mans orders. Il Il quite common thing
n fires 20 hear ontsidsrs, who baye moth
ing whatever 70 do with the department.
% assume thar they can instruct the fire
men a. 10 what Is the bes. thing 70 do.
They yell aud make q grea: deal If fuss,
''ratfiiug" the fremen and hlndering the
service. OF course no iroHeiaG rule can be
laid down under the existing state Of
things. because frequently outsiders turn
ia and render considerable assistance, but
the hrcmeu should take orders from only
their proper superior officers.
That was the conclusion last nights
meeting came 20. Take the case Of hose
bursting. An outsider yells, Turn the
water GA. II the hremcn obey that kind
81 al order, as they did a. the FraHenthal
fre, there wIii Be the same result, namely.
much delay, when all that Il necessary is
70 simply kirk the hose, and e. soon as the
damage is repaired the stream can be turn
ed on again without delay.
Another thing: There should always
b. 4 i0aB at the plug, az least. until his
/ further station there becomes unneees-
savy. The chief and board OF foremen
found last nigh; that 40 particular rule
could be made designating just who
0-ARAAAH ~ 1t AsAl pug 80 ~ was AEatAEL
that the man who should stop there
should be the hrst who arrived ar tHe
plug with the hose cart. lie should re
main theirs until iursbcr orders
frufa bis foreman, or the as
sigiant foreman, or such other
insure water and permit the creation OF a
stream IN the quickest possible time. and
Il can be done very easily. for, while he
stands there, ready at any time 20 turn on
the water. the balance OF the hose force
viii be stTinging out the hose and as soon
rs the hose j. ali unreeied the stream may
Issue from the nozzle. The plugs placed
recently by the Washington Iron Works.
aud which are mostly along the principal
streets. all turn to the left. aud that the
foreman will have ia get accustomed TO.
The authority of firemen of companies
and engineers about the engine houses and
respecting fire apparatus was discussed at
length, also the authority of the IRE aud
water committee 81 the council This,
which is more of matter OF department
routine than public interest, win be I'M
jerstood thoroughly by the men In due
time when the company meetings shall
have been held. The above was the sub
stance OF what last nights meeting, which
lasted over two hours amounted TO.
The horses for the two engines arrived
recently. They are four fine looking ami
mails. Chief Collins Is In favor of the par
chase OF two more lots upon which to
erect buildings, and be thinks that a chem
zeal engine viii be added TO the depart
moni before long. Three men with team
OF horses, he Saws, could handle chemi-
cal and the service accomplished would be
pretty eiiectual az small fires aud in the
higher portions of the city. No water is
needed, consequently no hose. and ehemi-
Gals are much lighter 70 be pulled zap grade
Than ponderuus steam engines AS to
good tire-clarm system, the chief thinks IL
would take tulip $40, coo TO get one in good
working order here. This might possibly
cover the cost Of the Cougs aud
boxes, ard all the electrical and
mechanical apparatus necessary. He has
made tour Of several eastern cities. and
consulted quite number of FIRE chiefs as
to what are Seaitle's wants In the line of
fire protection. lie states that the general
conclusion of the men he talked TO was
that above all things Seattle should have a
chemical engine, owing 20 the scarcity of
the water supply Along the wharfs, of
course, a chemical engine would not be
much good, nor would IL at any great Gre.
but there Is usually n good supply Of water
for the steamers where the big fires occur,
aud especially al the docks