The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1889-11-01

aEMPEH PAEATUs.
The GRAPHIC desires to impress
upon Mayor Richards, Chief of Fire
Department Wilson, Marshal Free.
land, and all citizens as well. the
above Latin motto, always Ready
The GRAPHIC has positive knowledge
from interviews with the above
named officers hat Kimball has not
been in The shape to fight fire that the
business men and other heavy tax
payers have the right to expect. 1t
is only a few days since that Mar
shall Freeland was unable to find a
key to the well house and was
obliged to remove the screws which
secures the lock before he could enter
and shut off the we'll. This in itself
may be a trifilng matter; but at mid.
night, with a fire underway, it would
perhaps amount to something serious,
aud when taken with other things
goes to make a bad state of affairs.
Chief Wilson when interviewed on
the subject said he had a key to the
well house but let +. p. Ochsner take
it--at that time MIR. Ocbsner was in
Wisconsin. MIR. Wilson freely adj
mitted that things were not in the
shape they ought to be, but felt dis
eontagcd in trying to remedy mat
tars. He complained that the mem,
bers Of tie fire department did not
attend the meetings As they should;
chat a few weeks since when he had
the hand-engine ont aud worked it it
was necessary to call ontside MD to
get it back into the house, aud that
Tom, Dick and Harry were allowed
TO go into the engine room and help
themselves 10 wrenches, lanterns,
hose or anything else that was there.
The result was that nothing could he
found IN IT: place aud when wanted.
When asked il he knew where the
wrench was that shut pif the outlet
at Smith lumber yard he said he sup
posed it was in G. S. Blodgett's coal
office. AS a matter of fact the wrench
was only found that day aftera dill
gent search by Mayor Richards and
Marshall Free!and and III Smiths
lumber ward. IN Tho middle Of the
night, under die cXeitenenJof 3 ire
alarm, ii might have been stlll more
difficult to have found ii. The
GRAPHIC believes that Chief Wilson
has just cause for fault finding. In
the case OF the wrench mentioned a
place was fixed FOR it in Blodgett's
Office, but of COURSE somebody had to
get it and when through with it leave
it in the most convenient place. SO
it goes with everything else.
~ the time of the false alarm of
freIn the Dakopolis some weeks
since the writer stood at Bioeser's
corner as the hose was coupled to the
hydranr, hut there WAS no wrench
handy to turn on the hylrant and
there was no II to shut off the well.
The fire company got out the hose
cart in an incredible short space of
time, the hose was coupled to the
hydrant, laid and nozzle coupling
made in a momcnt-bnt the water,
oh, where was it? One of the most
convenient things in the case of fire
is water, but even that is not of much
use unless handy or the instant.
Give a fire thirty minutes start in n
of the four business blocks north of
Second street and the business por-
ton of the city would undoubtedly
be laid in ashes. The only hope
that our fire department can have in
quelIing a fire is to catch it quick.
The best fire department in the world
could not check a fire that had Il good
start. IN II Of our closely built bust
ness blocks. Twenty steamers and
all the water they could use would
not stop it until the entire block was
consumed. 1t must be remembered,
also, that the artesian well has not
force enough to rely on alone in case
of a big fire aud that the engine
would have to be depended on % do
most OF the work. It is highly i'm
p%ortant, therefore, that this apparatus
should be kept in perfect working
order and ready on an instant's no
tlce.
"Too many cooks spoil the broth"
Too many persons monkeylng with
the fire apparatus and water-works
plays the mischief and will undoubt-
edly result disastrous!v sometime if
not stopped. 1t is nc uncommon
sight to see the door Of the engine
room wide open, left 81 by some care
less, thoughtless individual. Every
1lIur nertaInlnm 10 lhn nrlnSinn rnli