St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-09-21

r. jenkins entered his branch of the
service seven years ago, previously be-
ing in the Chicago department for sew
enteen years, and 1t is Oh account of his
energetic work that the fire laddieS are
SO quickly notified of an outbreak, for
he has covered the city with a net work
of alarm boxes.
The number of uniformed men in the
department is 1856. These constitute the
sire fighters" and includes all officers.
There are two DlackSmithS. six fre-alarm
men, three telegraph operators. two
llnemen. II superintendent of lire
alarm and a master mechanic. The
number of steam engine houses is
eleven, many of which also are the
houses of the hook and ladder COM
panies, together with eight chemical
companies. A new engine house for the
protection of the wholesale district will
be opened next month on ROsabel street,
between Fourth and Fifth streets. A
life-saving and salvage corps will soon
be formed, which will necessitate more
houses being built. The number of
pieces of apparatus is as follows: Eleven
steam engines in service, and IL in re-
serve, having a capacity OF 700 to 1000
gallons per minute, and throwing
streams of rs to II inches
each. The w aterous engines made
in st. Paul compare %favorably with
those made in the East. A pressure of
five to ten pounds of steam is always
kept on the engines when in the houses,
by means of heaters in the easements,
and a pressure of fifty pounds is raised
before the engine can tra?el two blocks.
There are IA hose carts and s hook and
ladder trucks, the largest weighing
IN 0O0 noppIc and fbrnujnr l,NJarc az
feet. six men raise the ladders by
winches in one and a half minutes, and
it requires four horses to take the truck
out. The smaller trucks throw ladders
from Is to IS feet. Eight chemical
engines and II in reserve are used for
small fires. Nineteen supply wagons,
l fire alarm wagon and 5 buggieS for the
officers are also used by the department.
One piece of apparatus that appeared
in last Tuesdays parade was the cause
of many questions being asked by the
spectators as to what it was and for
what purpose it was used. 1t was the
famous "Geyser" water tower, which
was purchased last year for the protec-
ton of the wholesale district. 1t is sta
toned in the house of Engine Company
No. 2, on WacOuta street, near Seventh.
1t is a four-wheeled machine. about
twenty feet long, and when not in use,
the tower, which is on the principle of
a fo%nr-joint telescope, tests along the
length of the truck, which is built of
iron. The tower is raised by a water
pressure of forty pounds. secured from
an engine or hydrant. The main joint
of the tower first swings into an upright
position. and by opening valves the re-
mainder of the joints shoot upwards. 1t
raises to a height of seventy-five feet,
and the time taken to do it is
two minutes. 1t throws a twO-inch
stream of water, and the nozzle is
worked in all directions by means of
screw levers near the ground. The pur-
pose of the tower is to fight a fire in the
upper portions of very high buildings,
which could not be reached with the
hose attached to the steam engines.
The tower is the only one of the kind in
the country. and it is very interesting
to watch the machine at work Oh Satur-
day afternoons III Smith park. when the
men of Chemical Engine No. l practice
with it.
One of the most interesting sights
that can be witnessed at a fire is when
the men use the Pompier scaling lad
ders to reach the top of a high building,
either for the purpose of dragging up
hose, OF, as is generally the case, to
save the lives of persons who cannot
reach the streets, owing to their retreat
by the stairs being cut off. The Pom
pier ladders are carried on all the trucks
and are fourteen feet long. The main
body is a stout ash pole, across
which iron rungs are placed. At the
top of the ladder is a large
steel hook. with jagged teeth on the in
side. The name in which the men
reach the top of a building is as follows:
Each mai has a ladder under his
charge. The first man lifts his ladder,
and the steel hook grasps firmly across