St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-03-01
FIRE GOSSIP.
Another Blaze in the Exchange
Fire CantainS Criticised.

Another Blaze in the Exchange
Fire Captains Criticised.
The Lumber Exchange fire has not
yet dropped entirely out of notice. Yes
terday forenoon little blaze started up
between the sixth and seventh floors.
1t didn't last long, however. A little
water sufficed to put it out.
Building Inspector Hazen again took
a look at the walls yesterday and re-
lterated the opinion expressed by him III
the GLOBE yesterday morning. He says
the walls are all right and will not have
to be taken down. The walls of the
three upper stories are little weak and
may have to be rebuilt. All the remain
ing portions of the walls are all right.
The tiremen are NOW taking a punch
at the people who criticised the action
OIL the fire department at the fire. Some
of them are inclined to stand by Assist
ant Kenney to the last. No. 1875, one OF
the men who worked on the fire, has
prepared an OutburSt of opinion on the
subject, directed principally at a couple
OF captains. 1t is very outSpOken, as,
well as ungrammatical. Here it is:
81 will answer the question that few
insurance men asked in regard to the
management of the fire department at
the Lumber Exchange. | will say that
ii the leading officers of few of the
companies would have Obeyed the or
derS OF the chief at the commencement
OF the fire they might have been able
to have kept the fire out of the
Exchange. But it seems as though
they did not care If the whole town
burned up, and these are like the ill
surance men that stuck up for Stetson.
Iney are StetSOn'S pets, and they would
be glad to have something of the kind
to happen, and it wouldn't make any
difference TO them if the town would
burn up if they could get Stetson back
again, for they are afraid that they will
lose their snap.
I'm regard to political matters remov-
Ing Stetson, it is not the fact; it was be-
cause the citizens and our honorable
city council wells knows that A. ii.
Runge is far superior 10 Stetson, and Is
far the best leader and fire fighter,
and IN short time he will have the
companies led by the best and bravest
men in the department, and that is
something that StetsOn never did. He
promoted men as leaders of companies
that were his pets and great fighters ia
the house, and as soon as Chief Runge
gets the men in the most depending
positions and men that will obey and
men that are the wilingest TO take right
hold and go ahead and do their duty
as liremen should at all times, and as far
as Chief Kenny and Chief Cauntberry
have seen them all work. Either one of
the two would make as good or better
leader than Chief Stetson, and as
to the work done OH their part was all
that Chief StetsOn or any other man IN
the world could have done. You well
know that the city is not fully prepared
L nf
start i'll those large buildings. and the
honorable city council are trying to
get an apparatus to help the chief to
protect the large buildings, and it was
asked for by Chief Stetson long be-
fore he was let out, and now who do
you think was really to blame for the
losses on those large buildings? Can
you lay it on the chiefs. or do you think
that Chief StetSOn could throw water
any higher than any other chief with
the same steamers and engineers that
had charge of The engines when StetsOn
led the department? Such ideas are
all humbug, and to place the depart
ment with apparatus, such as water
tower and Chief Runge at his post,
and inside of six months he will com
pei the people by the workings of tina
fire department to acknowledge that be
Will prove himself to be the best leader
that the city has ever had. and | hope
that the honorable city council will not
pay any attention to the cranks that
really blame chief of the fire depart
ment for something that he IS not
guilty of. Why don't they advocate
some way to protect those high build
ingS instead of abusing and criticising
the department
LAS to the last fire. claim that the
men fought manfuly, and suffered
more from the cold and water than
human tongue can express. They
fought bravely until the end, with the
exception of a few Of Stetson'S pets,
and do hope that the city council and
the insurance companies will look at
the right side Of the question and see
it they can equip the department with
apparatus so that they can handle fires
in such large Duildings.'
The sentiment in favor OF water
tower grows apace. StetSon long wanted
the city to purchase one, but his petit
tiOns were unheeded by the council. 1t
is next to impossible to fight fire in a
twelve-stOry building without water
tower. The same feeling for salvage
corps exists. also frequently recon-
mended by Stetson. Jacob Stone, sec
rotary of the Syndicate Insurance COM
pany, says that he understands the
Underwriters association is taking
steps to establish one in this
city. He said it was customary
to have the expense borne partly by the
municipality and partly by the insur-
ance companies. John De I.aittre said
that he considered this city big enough
to warrant the establishment of a
salvage corps. They were in existence
in all the large cities, and they saved q