Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-08-14
WATT TAYLOR IN SPRINGFIELD.
"e Makes Speech to the Fire Chiefs
One Of the Fighters

:, convention Of Ere chiefs Of the United
,.atos ~ now IN session in Springfield.
Mass. Among those present is Mr.. G.
watt Taylor, former chief of tho Rich
mona IRE department and now mem
Ter of the City Board of Fire Comms-
slonerS. The Springfield R,1Rbicml of the
l2th gives picture Of Mr.. Taylor and the
loIowing report Of a short address he
made:
" He desired, he said, to be listener;
put among the many things he learned
curing ma war experience was TO obey or
ders. All the fault he could find with the
welcome extended was the state Of the at
mosphere. He had told his friends at
hcnmond. where the thermometer was %
IN the shade, that he was going to spend n
lew pleasant days IN cold CLIMATE. and
ne fully expected to find icicles hanging
ali around. Here. however. fans seemed
To be "a popular a in his own State.
FLAMES FlEKMTN CANNOT EXTINGUIsH.
referring TO the presence Of tho fair
visitors. the speaker SAID il was their dis
tinguisLcd privilege for their cyes TO kin
die flame which fireman cannot extin-
gulsh and insurance cannot protect
against. Then, said Mr.. Taylor. despite
the late unpieasantncss, "A II has been
called. desire TO say there Is the best Of
feeling toward tho North among our
southern brethren. We acknowledge only
one flag and one country. Our feeling IL
best expressed in tha words: Whittier
thou cOcst J Will go. and where thou
lodgest will lodge; thy people shall be
my people. and thy God my God where
thou dicst viii | die and there Will be
buried.
ASoTTD TIBK-TIGHTER.
The same pauer under. the caption Of
Three Noted FIrc-FIohters, has also this
to say of Mr. Taylor
George ". Taylor. of Richmond. Va,
whose speech at the Opera House yester-
day afternoon was one of the happy fea-
lures of the convention. Is not Onlya good
speaker and one Of the most genial of
men, bat IL thorough fireman. having
seen iWcniy-tnrce years Of service and
passed through all the grades Of the de-
parimcnt. lie was born IN 1916, and is
therefore foT'v-fve. At the breaking out
Of the war be Joined the Confederate army
and fought till It's close, surrenderlne with
lee at ADpomattOX IN 1865. Two years
after he began fighting fires as call-man,
aud passed through the grades OF assistant
foreman and foreman, until N $3.50 he was
elected Chief Engineer hv the board of
control of the CITY Council. I'm that CT
pacity he served until four years ago. when
70 reform party getting control of me
clty government. made general change III
the officers under lts appointment.
TIE BOARD or COMMISSIONERS.
Not content with dropping ms connec-
ti0u with he + re Depart mcnt ~ this way,
tho cN- Chief went to WORK ana two wears
ago secured an act of the Legislature
placing the Fire Department in the hands
%. a board of ire commissioners, only one
Of whom can be changed each wear. Mr..
Taylor Is now Il member Ct this board.
During his active service ne of course has
had his share of thrilling experiences.
though there has been 40 loss OF HE at any
fire during his connection with the depart
meut except al the Peters burg bridge TIRE
~ l-oI. when small boy among the spec
tator. was killed bv falling wall IN one of
the four blocks If buildings over winch
the flames had spread.
HIS NAEROwrsr EsC'TE.
HIS narrowest escape was also at this
fire. when Ire jumped thirty feet IN the
shaft Of tohacco-iactOrv 10 rescue
uartv OF workmen who were caught IN the
lower part OF tie bulldluG and nearly
,unocatcd by The fumes of the burning
tobacco. The men were saved, but the
Chief wa disabled for two Wech, from the
effects of ms Jump. Mr.. Taylor has seen
tine Richmond fire Department develop
from force of "a :ew call-Men, with no llte-
saving gapraratUs beside the ordinary truck
ladders. To force numbering ll0. halt OF
whom are regular paid men, equippen with
the lGtost improved apparatus, lucluding
two aerial ladders