, 1890-03-27

pounds pressure obtained In very
short time.
APPARATUS.
On the first floor ARE stationed the
hose reel, just inside the big doors,
with the swinging harness all
ready to be dropped on the
well trained team of bays,
which run out from the stalls in the
rear of the hall at the first stroke Of
the alarm.
Just behind the reel stands
he chemical engine, already
charged with 100 gallons OF water,
ready for any call. The patent
swinging harness for this machine
has not yet arrived and the horses
arc kept constantly harnessed In
their respective stalls.
The steamer for lack of room,
stands Ia the right Of the hose reel
/ from the entrance, In the corner,
but can bo "limbcrcd upn and
steam raised in very few moments.
In case OF fire, the hose reel and
chemical engine go first, and II
/ needed, one of the teams returns
and takes the steamer
About 4, 700 feet of cotton and
rubber hose are kept here, 1900
feet of which are rceled OH the hose
cart really for immediate use,
There Is also II large assortment OF
the latest improved minor acces-or-
les, aud noz2le- of all alzes and
patterns; $500 feet more of the best
maltese cross hose lrubDer and
cotton are now on the way and are
expected very soon.
The larger portion Of the second
tioOr of the station is taken up with
the mems cots, muking the room
somewhat crowded at present, hHV-
ing been designed for only nine
mon. The Niicf and his assistant
have separate room, which Is also
used ~ an office. Quarters for the
new sevcnty-iiVC-foot ladder, recent
~ received, have not yet been de-
cidcd upon. Temporary quarters
will probably be located near the
Commercial hotel, that being near
~ central ut present.
The best team at the disposal Of
the department has been assigned To
his important branch of the service.
They weigh about $500 pounds and
are at present IN one OF the city sta-
blcs awaiting action Of tho council
for permanent quarters.
TuE DEPARTMENT
consists Of some twcnty-clght paid
men, tweuty-four Ol whom are al
ways on duty, besides twenty
"call" men, also under pay, whose
duty Is To answer and report at all
fires and who are subject to fines for
nOn-attendauce. All of the regular
men are quartcrcd for the present at
the station on First street pending
the erection OF other stations which
are under contemplation by the city
council.
OF this force, which includes chief,
assistant and engineer six mon 20
with the hose reel, four with the
chemical engine, three with the
steamer and eight with the hook
and ladder track. This leaves four
men to form an extra hose team,
and one man on duty on the station.
Two men arr on watch all nipht
after o O'Clock, being relieved every
three houn4. One of these Is ut the
station and one patrols the city, be-
ing provided with a. key to the
alarm boxes, "popn and knowing
the location of all telephones; they
relieve each other every hour during
their watch.
THE ELECTRIC ALARM SYSTEM.
The celebrated Stevens electric
alarm system has lately been added
la the city's improved fire fighting
apparatus. Forty-eight jars stored
In the basement Ol the station sup
ply the force for the fourteen alarm
boxes which have been put in.
These boxes have been judiciously
scattered over the city, butsti.l leave
several wide gaps to I'LL. In
placing them, due attention was
given to the water supply system
~ well as the liie hazard Of the sec
tion selected, some four dozen keys
to these boxes have been distributed,
principally among the policemen
and places near Che boxes which arc
open all NIGHT
One hundred and fifty moro keys
are now ON the way ANA as soon as
they arrive will bc placed In busl-
noss houses aud residences In the
immediate vicinity of each box,
Two or three keys win bc left at
each box and the place Of deposit
for each key painted ON n tin card
and nailed To the post Immediately
above the box. ANY of the keys
viii open all the boxes. All keys
are numbered and can not be- with
drawn from the hoN after turning IN
an alarm until the arrival of the
chief, who carries the "reloasch key,
The number of each key, aud the
name of the person In whose charge
II is left are taken, and the rcsponsl
bllity for any false alarm II thus in-
mediately placed.
The large alarm bell, weighing
1000 pounds, has been placed In
position In the tower over the stu-
ton, the striker connected with the
apparatus, and the whole
system thuruug hly tested everything
working satisfactorily.
ON riE NORTH SIDE.
a two-story frame building has
been erected ON the north side of
the river, just south of the court
house, In which Is kept the old
volunteer apparatus, which was In
use ut the time of the fire.
This consists of hook and ladder
truck and hand-hosc reel, mounting
some 700 feet of hose. About 100
feet of hose are kept here. The
North Sidors are quite proud of
their new volunteer department,