Morning journal and courier., 1889-03-16
ABOUT A FIRE PATROL.

ABOUT A FIRE PATROL. strong Arguments i'm Favor of it as
 shown by Numerous New Haven
 Fires in Large Establishments and
 Private Resfdences-Many Instances
 How q Patrol Could be ForNsed-A
 Salvage Corps-Business Men Are
 Lnrerested-Testtmony on the Sub-
 ject.
 Does New Haven need 8 "fire patroln or "salvage corpsa"
 This matter has agitated the minds of fire officials, merchants and insurance companies for the last ten or fifteen years, and the ques- tion was brought up anew after the recent l Bowditch 6 Prudden fire. That such thing | is needed in this city cannot be denied from | the great destruction of movable property in the last few years, and Chief Hendriek has | recently compiled table of losses by water 1 alone in the last fifteen years. This sum alone would have paid for the maintenance
 of fire patrol for thirty years if not more. ! The amount of movable property which could have been saved at the Malley fire some years ago would have paid for the running ex- five years.
 IS Other fires in which salvage corps could have done immense service was at the fire in St. Patrick's church. The organ could have
 been saved, as the only damage done to it wss through water, which thoroughly drench- l ed it and then freezing, entirely destroying 1 it's usefulness. The tarpaulins which are car ried on these wagons could have been cover ed over the organ and thus protected it. At the recent fire in the Davenport residence on Hillhouse avenue large amount of valuable furniture with this aid would undoubtedly tor1o haavN oxya1 safety where the water could not have l reached it.
 In these days of general insurance of course the insurance companies have direct inter- est in the formation and support of fire pa- trols. Besides these interested parties many
 people do not like to see their property burn I ed or drenched by water, even if 1t is in- sured Fire patrols go to all fires and save | what they can, not stopping to find out I whether the property endangered is insured ] or not Therefore all are to certain extent interested in their work. l The COURIER on @ number of different oc- casions has advocated the formation of such an organization, and in an editorial headed
 'sWhy Cannot New Haven Have a Fire Pa I trol" Gin the issue of March 24, 18S2), says
 in conclusion:
 | we should be glad to see the insurance men of
 this city and the citizens generally moving to form
 It is estimated that if New Haven had had an eff | ! port it for at least ten years.
 The same can be said and holds good now and the insurance men in this city as far as seen all agree that New Haven is in need of just such an organization. Public sentiment in favor of such a corps is very strong direct ly after very large fire in which it could have been of service, but when the matter has been well ventilated the excitement re- ] Iaxes and thus proves the end of the subject 1 until the next fire. when the agitation is I again renewed. There are number of cities 1 no larger than New Haven which have had ! salvage corps in existence for 6 number of years, and it is safe to say that whenever such l organizations exist they have all done excel- | lent service and much more than was claimed 1 for them at the start. There are very few large cities in the United States which
 do not have them, and a great deal ! of property is saved by them and ! they all pay for themselves many times over l each year. If such an organization was star | ted in this city it would necessarily have to | be located in the business section, or heart | Of the city and would be under the direct | control of the Chief Engineer of the Fire department and the Board of Underwriters. A number of available sites could be obtain ed or as is done to start with in other cities store is leased and fitted up until more ! permanent quarters are obtained. There seems to be no doubt that trial would fully demonstrate the necessity and efficiency of such 8 service. A two horse wagon supplied with tarpaulins, and tools of all kinds with which to enter stores and move to one side or cover up, as the occasion required, all nova ble property endangered by water would have to be provided aud also tools for boring holes through floors and letting surplus water run off to places more remote than where the most valuable articles of merohan- disc are located. There should be men enough to properly man the apparatus. It is safe to say that with little energy on ho rt of r1fl and in this city, such an adjunct cannot fail to be an unqualified success and win the hearty approval of the board of fire commissioners and Chief Hendricks. The expense of main taining such organization it is claimed should not deter a trial of the system. as the amount that could be saved if one of our large dry goods houses were afre would amount to much more than the cost for 8 number of years to come. New Haven is rapidly growing, and increasing in wealth 10 such an extent that public necessity will re- quire it at no distant day. In three-quar- been done by water than fire.
 Another thing this city needs is 8 chemical engine which will be spoken of at another time. Large water damage could be saved a beyond control, and would render the fire department still more efficient. All could then work for one thing, viz, the saving of life and property endangered.
 Insurance adjusters when having occasion to visit this city express themselves as strong ly in favor of this measure, and are some- what surprised that it has not already been inaugurated. Any number of fires could be mentioned in addition to what has been noted at which, after the fire had been put out, a large amount of stock could have been saved from pilferers who always infest places where fires have occurred for the purpose of theft. The fire insurance patrol have charge and guard over property until the insurance is adjusted, matter of no small moment in O great many instances. It is probable that the business men of this city will be awak- ened to the importance of this much needed addition to an already we'll regulated and efficient fire department and will cooperate with the insurance companies in obtaining it.
 Erst or Patents.
 List of patents issued from the U. s. Patent of.