Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1890-05-09
COMMUNICATED.
SHEPHKRDsTowN, w. VA,
H. aonn

May 6, 1890.
EDITOR REGIsTER-In your issue Of
May I'd you criticize rather severely
the members Of the Fire Department
i'm not getting up steam rapidly
enough, or rather being dilatory In
getting into action in times OF emer-
gency, and even go so far as to rec
ommend to the Council the repairs OF
the old hand engine to come out In
advance of our grand old steamer,
which has been the means OF saving
so much valuable property in the few
wears alluded to in said issue.
In proof of the assertion as to prop
erty saved you are referred to
Mrs. Hunters fire, where steam was
gotten up i'm nine or ten minutes, fire
soon extinguished and adjoining
property saved. -
Steam was gotten up at the Hoff-
man fire in eleven minutes, fire soon
extinguished and adjoining property
saved.
At the Snyder stable fire, steamer
was ready for work in ten minutes,
but a delay of five or six minutes
was caused by not knowing where to
find reducer with which to couple
hose, said reducer being called by one
of the honorary members "thlng-a-
ma-jig." There was another delay OF
about the same length of time, caused
by having to dig under Shenandoah
Valley Railroad, so as to lay hose
under the track of said road. AT the
fire of Mr.. George Adams stable, OF
which so much has been said, steam
was gotten up in twelve minutes, but
the engine was brought TO a halt In
order to attach a Y so as to be en-
abled to throw double stream. The
fire was soon quenched and surround
ing buildings unhurt. | hope that
the reasons here given will assist
materially in explaining at least part
of the delays at these fires. and 1t Ii
nv opinion that the engineers, assist
ants and the members of the depart
ment are as efficient as they have
been at any former time, and have
done their work nobly for new or
ganization, for every one knows that
they are not regularly trained fire
men, Every minute at fire seems
to an excited populace like ten, as
they are very anxious to get the en-
CINE ut work as soon as possible.
This fact, however, is greatly over
looked when the excitement subsidies.
In the years previous to which you
speak, when the mattress factory was
on fire, the fire in the engine was
smothered by an over dose of coal,
and had TO be rebuilt, which caused
a delay of three-quarters OF an hour
and at the mill fire there was delay
of eighteen or twenty minutes, and
don't remember of any criticisms
through the columns of the REGISTER.
At the time of last named fire l was
not a member of the Department,
but relieved the engineer at the mill
fire, whilst he saw after his own prop
erty which WAS close by. In a word,
the action of the engine in the last
few wears will compare very favora-
bly with its record in former years.
In reply to outside remarks about the
fire CRATE, would say that it was the
fault of the manufacturers in placing
bars too far apart.
NJ. J. FITZGERALD,
Late Engineer.
The REGISTER has not the slightest
intention of provoking any hostil-
ity to our fire company, nor does 1t
desire to cast single reflection on
any of its members. But it is mat
ter OF common remark that at nearly
every fire there is time lost in getting
a stream Of water on the flames. We
do not blame any particular member,
but surely the fire department as a
whole is responsible. Our criticism is
not intended unkindly, but simply to
lead to some action that will result in
improvement. Our steamer has been
known to start in six minutes from
the time its fire was lighted, with 80
pounds of steam. We believe that
this record could again be reached if
every possible effort was made.
We are still of the opinion that the
Council could make no wiser invest
nent than to have our hand engine
put in order for use in cGse Of emer-