The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-06-07

afe alarm Telegraph. thirty -sAree b. seisphcne
end eixhfby peroual sexslce. bffuKfnx alarms .
hsedQuaxfefA Four sccond alarms hare heen
tsxned u during this time Numbers Of miica
Gasesed IN respondfnx . alarms. rs &sx ne
hos team hun Moth eeassis has travesca ne
longest dfstanee-ss So milea rorty-iour
sno1sand ieet Ut hcss has bean laid. making IN
eFe1age 1os each company Of loo feet The
Book snd ladder company has nssed Ism seee az
iAddcfs md dsxchsrRkd twerty-o0s small cAcrri-
calx The chemical engine has Travelled 81 aas
nilss and discharxsd 7-so gallons from three
tankA Companies hare ayessged 81 IS
ho1s eaeh on duty q Era.
The lon&ess time ip getting water IN the water
district ~ four and three-foursh minutes. and
tie shortssf two and one-half minufes
tne chief and ass,szant have eoch Travelled
rs SIS niles In going 70 area
There comes time IN the history Of all esties
wnen great nrss occur and In consequence lives
efe toss and property amounting 10 miliiors is
swept away. In the great IRE III June q. lss9
property valued u nearly $s5.golo1 was, in .
ew h0urss re<1uced % axhce Hundreds Of csff-
xens weve rendered homeless and the success
M hussnees man saw the accumulatiens OF
yean deAkroyed Human sngeauIfy has fsiled
20 devise any plan Of action apparatus for ire
departments that win. WITH absolute certainty.
prevent sach disasterA There ere too many
factors enfering into such circumstances which
are beycud human control when such calam-
ny hefalls community. invariably the fre de-
partment Is censurcd and held responsible fof
the m1sfoFtnne. The conclusions cannot a.
vays be sustained In the light Of attending err
cumstaucea II cannot Be denied thst every
man Of the volunteer force On that event
fui day. and every good citizen. de-
ssre1 ana in every way contributed his
utmost to stop the Gre in il incipieucy. ana q
IN early stage Of the Ore, and Until oil Vas con-
summed That their efforts were futile We know
too we'll Anathemas and adverse criticisms
were showered upon the heads Of tie o6scers in
charge. Generally there are two factions TO
judge Of the work that ID performed By the de-
pArtmenf-the man that losss HIS property de-
nouncea the department. while the party whose
property u saved has nothing bat admiration
and good words for the nremen. Unfortunately
for the volunteer, on that day nothing uas
saved, ana therc Ii no faction 10 sing pseAns Of
praise Tor their vaior on that day. That there
was an absence Of the discipline which generally
characterized the actions 81 the old volunteer
force was painfully apparen Had the beat
disciplined paid department been ut the front
the result might have been the same Let Us be
charitable In our conclusions
Since the organization OF the paid department
Seattle has not escaped uns .athed The re-
then utmost Property 10 the value OF many
thousands Of dclia has been consumed and
human ives have been lost AZ usual, Ia such
essea the sections Of the department have been
criticised pro and con. In order to best Judge OF
the qualifications Of . bookkeeper or m engin-
Ger, the person judging must have the quaIi6ca-
lions OF both. otherwise the criticisms have no
weight and his opinion IL cheap ct any price
All the conditions - 70 construction Of the
building, location Of the nse. time consumed
In sending in the alarm to headquarters, and
the water supply, are to b considerd toyether
before fair conclusion can be reached For
funafely those VINO were 70 loud in their de-
nunciafion Of the department sed
none OF the qualifications or experienc 8
that would give their opinions weisht bss
we're apparently urged by N unmanly desire for
perso1al revenge OF political capital. Those
Who from knowledge and experience or Opin-
ion would have had weight, were unanimous
IN their expressions of good work performed by
the departmsct
There have bean seveuty.three alarms. entail
ing . los Of sS2sl4 on which there was an in
surance Of @l5l.50Q Amount Of Insurance paid
&S7,60. That = number Of these hros were Of
tncendiaEy origin cannot Be doubted. Ia many
OF the reports the amount d lcas has hen
kfcatIy exaggeEaae6 This = : psrnicious pol
icy, and should be carefully guarded against
The city - equspping department Of heavy
EXPENSE, with the expectation OF getting lower
rate Of tnsurAnce. In order b obtain this .
truthful statement must be NADIA No Insurance
company will tor moment entertain pgop0-
sition 70 lower the rates II every sma Are
where the loss n computed by hundreds Il ox-
agserased Into thousands
KEcoMnENDArioNA
Aside from the matter OF repairs 70 hydrants
and tho system Of hydrants already alluded to,
and the purchase oi hose, would urge the par
chase Of two more chemical engines Of light
weight for the residencs portion Of the city.
The purchase Of relief valves and shut-O6 nor
xlss d also urged. Theoo last two are indispens-
tble In the saving OF property from damage by
water. and win many times pay for their cost
would also. ~ soon - the city 10 possessed Of
iss own water supply, urge the location Of many
additional hydrautA supply wagon IL . ne
cessity that cannot be ignored. Al the present
time, when IRE requires the work Of the en-
gines portion of the department 10 kept ct
work securing the neighborhood and levying
contributions on the coal boxes OF private fam
lilies for fuel for the engines This IL lsughable.
but true.
CONCLUSION.
Icannot TOO warmly express my gratitude to
his honor. the mayor. and to the chairman Of
the nfe and water committee. and to the city
council. aud b the city clerk and other city on
eials with whom have had 0flcia' dealin gs. for
their uniform kindness and courteous attention
10 the numerous claims have had upon their
time and attention
To my aaaistant and to each ofsicer and mem
Der Of The department. have but words Of praise.
Our department ID new and. while not free from
OF discipline. Il II rapidly attaining pro-
hciencY thai viii not disappoinf it, frienda
Very respectfully submitted.
GARDNER KELLOGG.
Chief Fire Department
Accompanying the report are itemized
bills showing the cost Of maintaining the
department during the year to have been
$9i .42l.
FIRE ALARM SYSTEM.
Annual Report Of superintendent George
d. snow-Recommendsti
The annual report Of George ID. Snow, SUI
perintendent Of the FIRE alarm telegraph, is
IS follows:
SEATTLE. May 81. 1890
To the Honorable Mayor and Common Coun-
ell Of the City Of Seatfle--s;<ntEfnasa: