Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-02-01
Tho Life Of the Fireman.

The life OF the fireman II AKIN w 'ho 70.
dier's In that it is exciting. exactinR, peril
Gus, and poorly paid. II is not that walk
in life which one would choose VINO wisneo
TO grow rich or enjoy ease. de has 10 drop
his half-raised hammer, or end ms mea'
summarily. or leap from his bed into ms
boots. according as the alarm mas nun
employed or unemployed. A run as II ior
dear life brings him 10 the'fre and then
commences the battle in which his oppo-
nents are fame and smoke. and the prizes
which he seeks to wrest from the struggle
are life and property.
While he ascends trembling ladders OF
makes bis way through doubtful dops
and windows. or gropes along dafk STAR
ways-while he Is in the midst OF danger
the spectators in the streets stand on,
sometimes admiring. often criticising out
ever watchful Of falling walls and sudoen
twists of the hose which may send down
upon them something more powerful than
an April shower.
People do not rush TO the help OF the
firemen as they used to do in the DAYS
of the volunteer department. Then each
company had its friends and partisans ana
what force il lacked for the work before 1t
was generally made up ont OF the crowd.
Now when all fremen arc paid "-more
in name than in money-few men spring
forward from the ranks of the general pub
lie with offers of assistance. Perhaps u
NAV be from a conviction that the trained
hands need no help and that amateurs
would only be in the way. Perhaps 1t may
be from on idea that those who are paid Tor
the work should do il without outside aid.
The fighting of the fire, important as 1t
is. is not the matter of first consequence.
The location OF IT and the planning to
overcome il are superior considerations.
Here is where one clear head is worth
dozen brawny arms where generalship
is of more account than mere valor; where
the thinker is worth more than the mere
worker.
In Richmond we have been exceedingly
fortunate with fires for the past quarter OF
O century. The great contiagration OF the
evacuation was the result of the retreating
troops firing the tobacco warehouses and
the bridges. and the result was the de-
struction Of most OF the houses from
Eighth to Fourteenth streets and from
Main street 10 the river. The first thing
our enemies, the captors OF the city. had
to do upon entering Richmond was to go
to work and save it from the fate of Mos
COW.
The next most serious fire was the de-
struction Of the Spotswood Hotel, Decem-
Der rs. 1870. Here eight lives were lost.
There was not fre-escape on the build
ing. Next in importance to this, ano OF
far greater consequence monetarilV con-
sidered. was the loss of the Petersburg
railroad-bridge and much other property,
March &c. 1882.
Generally speaking, the small sizes of
our squares or blocks and the alleys that
are 10 be found in rear of nearly all houses,
giving to the fre-engines easy approach,
the absence of very tall buildings, and an
abundant supply of water, have combined
to render our losses small.
And we have an excellent fire de-
partment. The officers are experienced
and discreet, and the men work with as
much heartiness as if they were saving
their own property. We would like to see
them better paid and their lives made moro
comfortable. The time must come within
few years when all the members of the de-
partment will be required to live in the
engine-houses. Such is the case now with
tho nucleus of each company, while the
runners or additional men are men en-
gagged in business employments through
out the city and only present themselves
when the bells ring.
The management Of the department by
the Board of Commissioners has been very
successful The fremen hold their places
by better tenure, while on the other
hand they are held to o stricter account
ability TO departmental rules, and the i'm
provement in discipline has been very
noticeable.
1t is department upon which we can
we'll afford to spend our money and lavish
our affections.