Morning journal and courier., 1889-02-25
OUR FIRE DEPARrmENT.


 Loren H. Stannard returned on Friday even- ing we'll pleased with their two days trip to Boston and vicinity. On Thursday evening ! they attended the annual ball of the Boston Fire and Protective department, given in the Mechanics building. This organization is
 similar in it's aims and benefits to the Fire mems Mutual Aid association of this city,
 and one which is we'll managed and has the hearty support of her citizens as is well shown from the fact that fully 10000 people were present, 1000 persons being in the grand march. The printing alone cost ! $1, 900. The cadet band of fifty pieces fur
 nished music. The programme consisted of | an elaborate affair in satin covers, one of which bore representation of 8 pair of \ watchful-eyed owls upon @ snow-covered | tree branch. The income from these annual I balls is for the benefit of sick and disabled fremen. Last year $11, ,000 was cleared, and the proftsxof the present affair were about $10,000. The Protective association has been the means of great benefit to the sick and disabled among the 500 fremen. The department has 35 steamers and 15 trucks.
 The chief and Commissioner Stannard were | royalty entertained and were among the many specially invited guests. Chief Hsndrick from his long connection in fire department ! circles is well known at the Hub and is a1- I ways a welcome visitor. He was specially requested to go before the Massachusetts leg \ islature on Friday and explain the status on ! which the State Firemen's association of this State is conducted to the committee on sp- propriations. A similar association has been formed in Massachusetts and the legislature has been petitioned to appropriate $10, 1000 to the organization annually. Five thousand dollars Is appropriated annually by the legis- 1ature of Connecticut for the same purpose It is the impression in Boston that the meas- entirely separate from the local societies spoken of. They are all certainly worthy ob- jects and deserving of support from our citi- zens. as well as from all our sister cities. At the house of steamer and hook and ladder there is nearing completion a very handsome and unique table, beautiful in fn-
 ish and workmanship. It is of the crazy patchwork variety. All of the different col ored woods of which it is constructed "blend and harmonize" in the same manner as one of the crazy quilts, 50 frequently to be seen nowadays. It is round top table, the basic wood of which is mahogany. Into this is ' fitted some thirty seven different kinds of wood of all conceivable lines, sizes and \ shapes. There are over two thousand pieces some of the wood is from the old warship A Constitution. It was constructed by the men \ in the two houses. There are seventeen Y men in all quartered at these houses ' and all with two exceptions assisted in it's construction, every man inserting more or less pieces and shaping the pieces to suit his own fancy. checker board is marked out of fancy oolored wood on one side of the ta- ble and crib board on the other. On an other side are the initials 'N.H.F.D.," :" while on the remaining side is 's1SS9," all appear II irrr in ho11 kol oe wood, no two pieces being alike. Stars, bars,
 ladders, three-cornered, square, round, octa- gon and every shape that the human mind \ could suggest make up the balance of the ta- \ ble. The work was under the immediate su- pervision of Captain and Assistant Chief William H. Hubbard, who has charge of the houses, and MT. George U. Allen, 8 member of steamer 2, who is a fine scroll sawyer by occupation and for number of years work ed in the clock factory. The men are justly proud of the table and will be pleased to show it to their many
 friends when they visit the house. The table will be located in the sitting room on the second floor and it is probable that many of the boys will play many a quiet game of checkers, chess, crib and whist, games which help to drive away the dull hours of fre- mans life who is on duty twenty-one hours
 out of the twenty-four. The new table will be a handsome addition to the already well equipped house of steamer 9 and truck l. MT. John Brereton, formerly hoseman of steamer 8, lies very low at his residence on Locust street.
 The health of the department in general
 is very good, very few men being off duty from sickness.
 Steamer 2's men responded to e still alarm of fire yesterday noon, caused by the fires in the new unfinished building on the corner of Gregson alley and Center street, which is be-
 ing erected by Pingree, the restaurateur. The fires had been started to dry the walls of the building, and the stove becoming over heated threw out dense volume of smoke, which attracted the attention of passers-by, and word was telephoned to steamer 2. The men responded very promptly, and outside of using an extinguisher and putting out the fires no damage of any account was done. The fire apparatus hustling through the street at the noon hour, just ss people were
 returning from the various places of wor- ship, attracted large crowd to the scene which soon dispersed when the cause was as- certained.
 The hose cart of steamer 8 was called out at 12 o'clock Saturday night. Word had been sent to the house that MT. McCarty's new and unfinished house on Mill River street, between Beach and State streets, was on fire. Steam was pouring out of the win dow tops, where the windows had been low cred. There was no damage done, however, the heat coming from stoves put in the house
 
 tumbled out of their warm beds with tic thermometer at or below zero, were not 10th to return to the arms of Morpheus.
 New Haven's aerial truck is the first one of its kind which was ever built by the Chicago Fire Extinguisher company and since then very radical changes have bsen made in it, but it is safe to say that this city is kept posted on all the new improvements which are made from time to time and the company add them to the truck as fast as any new changes are made. And this is done free of expense to the city, showing the concern to be a particularly hon orable one from 8 business standpoint. It also shows the foresight Chief Hendrick had in ordering one from 8 model, as it has prov ed for itself with few minor imperfections all and more than was claimed for it. The defects are being remedied in great degree
 as the men become used to the apparatus; It is acknowledged by experts to be the best aerial ladder now in use. One of the main new features which has been added to it is as follows: The ladder can now complete 8 circle, while in the old way it could only swing around and make half circle one way
 and return. This improvement is accom- plished by taking the drivers seat off and out of the way when not in use. This could
 not be done. In the former way the drivers seat was thrown forward and prevented the ladder from swinging completely around, ob- structing it when the circle was half made.
 This improvement is good one, as it does not prevent the ladder from being raised no matter in what position the truck may be placed. This is an important matter, as there are @ number of places in the city where the truck under the former method could not be used when it was driven in s'head on," as it is called, and valuable time would be lost in backing out and in again. Now, no matter in what position the truck may be placed, it is ready for service at all
 times.
 The hose carriage at the house of steamer 9 is on duty again after receiving new coat of paint and vsrniRh and repairs necessitated by the accident in which it was smashed while going to the Mallett fire a few weeks ago.
 From Ponce.
 The schooner John A. Matthewson, Cap tain Matthewson, has arrived here from Ponce, Porto Rico, bringing from the Arm- strongs a cargo of new molasses, very fine in quality. The crop is turning out well.