Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-07
Pittsburg'S MOnied Men Make a IMAM
imOuS Demand for Better Fire
and Police Protection.
CHIEF BROWNS DREAM REALIZED.
The Gas City Practically Promised Fire
Boat Which Shall Also Do
Patrol Duty,
PLAINTIrE CRIES FROM THE RIVER.
BOatmen and Coal Operators Claim:They Are 0verrun
by Skir Pirates

1lIISDuTS hIt anu poAICV DOab 'S nv" ="
certainty, or it will be after the meeting of
Councils tomorrow. The recent fires, and
csneciallv the great ones on Seventh street
and on the Monongahela river, have pre-
cipitated matters. Almost 800 property
holders, representing at least two-thirds of
the wealth of the city, have put in de-
mand for this improved method of protec-
ton. Ever since the shipping in the Pitts
burg harbor burned the river men have been
at work, and Yesterday petition was pre-
sented to Chief Brown asking for the pur-
chase of fireboat, which shall also serve as
police patrol. The petition is signed by
all the river men, coal operators, bankers,
members of the Board of Underwriters,
railroad officials and iron manufacturers
Chief Brown and Mayor Gourley both
favor the plan, and its passagein Councils is
almost assured The only question is where
the money is to come from. Mr.. Browns
plan is to sell No. / engine house and use
the money obtained from that to build the
boat. Mayor Gourley agrees with him on
this, as he believes a fire engine there would
be unnecessary if there was a boat at-the
Point.
Arguments Oh the cllbOHcTss
The only objection so far TO the plan is
that the coal and river men do not pay
enough taxes Everything below the high
water mark is exempt from taxation, and a
few people hold that the proper thing would
be for the boat owners and coal operators to
present the city with a freboat. The peti-
tion is as follows:
To Councfls I d Brown Chief of the Denart-
nent of Public Safety and others interested of the
city of Pittsburg. in managing and controlling
the Fire Department and Police Force of the
city.
GENTLEMEN-We, the subscribers citizens,
taxpayers and interested corporations and
individuals do petition and appeal to Your
Honors to give US further protection to our
property along the river fronts, by authoriZ-
ing and having placed, in connection with
the Fire and Police departments at least one
fire patrol and police boat combined, that
would give US further and better protection
from fire and thieves than now prevails
The time has come since the Davis Island
Dam has given the city good harbor, that
this addition TO the department is required.
Among the 800 representative citizens
whose names are attached TO this document
are the following:
Names That Represent Millions.
Moorhead, McCleane & Co., Monongahela
Navigation Company, Max Il. Moorhead.
John Robson & Son. Pennsylvania Tube
Works, Linden Steel Company, W illiam Rea,
Chess, Cook & Co., f. Holbrook, James j.
Shipeley, John R. Roberts, j. NJ. McIlvane,
q. Z. Campbell, f. r. Balsley, Will
burn, WeileC Bros, James ID. McIlroy,
Heinz Bros Co, John NJ: Gill, r. G. Emery
& Co. W. NJ. Burker, W: g. McCandless,
Fire Insurance. Company, Lockhart Il
Flanegin, George Ogden, Boatmens Insur-
ance Company, John ID, Biggert, Chas: ?.
John II. Clancy. Joseph Walton &
Co, I. NJ Jenkins Co, Daniel
Phillips, Neal AUsburn, Clement V.
Allen, Kay Brothers, J. b. sheriff, Son & Co.,
:. Severance, james Dalzell & Son Company,
Captain Herbert, l. NJ. Pennock & Co., Rob-
ert \. Reed, American Tube and Iron Com
pa%y, W. ID. Slack, J. Kaufman & Brothers,
s. Hamilton, W. J. McClurg & Co., J. X.
Weldin & CO., Frank I. Kennedy, August
AmmOn, John Ogden, W. Z. Won Bon
horst, W. 4. Heron 4 Sons, Henry Sproull,
Black a Baird William X. Thompson & Co.,
Charles ". Bachelor, John +. bravo, John
I. Patterson, W. X. PorterS Co, Samuel 5.
Roberts, SnOwdon Hogg W. II. Browns
Sons Simpson HOrner, estate of j. X. Moor
head, T. F: Jones, Harry Lyons, A.. Jutte,
George c. Pen, z. J. Forsyth, Theodore +.
Anshutz, oliver Iron and Steel Company,
Thomas Wightman & Co, j. Il. Sneathen,
Singer, NimicE : Co, George A. Kelly & Co.
Necessity of Such Protector.
The whole matter was largely gotten up
by J. B. Sneathen. the coal operator, and
his son, W. B. Sneathen. The latter gen.
tIemen yesterday said: ''The great fires
that have visited Pittsburg recently have
made hrebOat a necessity. Every owner
of property is interested, and $50 900 in
vested in a tireboat would have saved over
half million of dollars in Pittsburg in the
last six months The boat fire proved the
inability of the city to handle river
fire, and yet every day the boats and
coal in the Pittsburg harbor rep
resent a money value of from S3,006,-
600 TO S5,00O,O00. Besides this there arc
the mills and railroads all along the
river that are practically shut off from the
city fire department. More than this, there
is a great need of police patrol boat, and
one would answer for both purposes. The
river is infected with skiff pirates that dart
around at night and annually steal thou
sands of dollars worth of stuff from
steamboats,, railroads and mills. 1t
is impossible for the police to follow them.
of course there is watchinan on each beat,
but in the darkness they can steal aboard
and carry of rigging, ropes, chains, carpen-
ter'S TOOLS and a variety of other articles.
This boat could patrol the river from Hazel
wood to CHARTERS and up to Herr's Island,
and with powerful light could pick up
every one of these thieves. The value of
the boat as a protection against fire hardly
needto be spoken of. These boats are in
use in Cleveland, Erie, Buffalo, Boston,
Philadelphia, Baltimore and st. Louis and
are deemed indispensable
Expected to Settle the Matter.
When the matter was presented to Chief
Brown he said he would introduce II into
Councils on Monday. Said he: 81 think
this petition will settle the question, and
Pittsburg will have its freboat. The boat
can be built for about $50, 900, and the
money can be raised by selling No engine
house. The men who ask for the boat are
the heaviest taxpayers in the city and can
not be overlooked. Everybody recognizes
the need. Why, a fireboat would cover all
the territory from Grant street to the Point
and the mills on all the wharves The de-
lnands of the mills for space have caused
the closing up of many of the minor streets,
that it is almost impossible for the fire
department to handle fire in one of these
great manufactures, while with a boat
everyone could be reached. AT the Oliver
fire we were powerless, and at the more re-
cent fire at Jones & Laughlin's mills a fire.
boat would have saved the property
Mayor Gourley Will Aid the Plan.
Mayor Gourley is heartily in sympathy
with the movement, and so far as he has |
been informed is willing to work for the |
passage of such an ordinance. Yesterday he |
said:
80 far as can learn a freboat is an ab- |
solute necessity in Pittsburg. The only |
trouble will be to raise the money at present, |
but this can be done by taking Mr.. Browns |