Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-25
A Country Fireman Talks Plain.

10 the Editor OF The Dispatch:
What is the matter with city fire depart
menUsf We read in all the papers in regard to
city fires that the departments were on hand in
very few seconds, fought the fire nobly. loss
$500 600. loss 81 0OO, 600 etc was at the fire on
the SOuthside in your city, last Thursday, and
will say that if the management of that fire
was a sample of the management of all city
fires it is no wonder they SO disastrous, and
the inhabitants of the city ought to be very
thankful they are not burned out of house and
home. v hen arrived at the fire noticed
man with white hat on. Five or six fremen
were standing on a shed on the side hill near a
stone wall. another lot opposite them pouring
water into the rear eEd of the building, the
water running down through the grain sacks
and coming out at the bottom floor and run
ming down the alley in a stream nearly large
enough TO supply your ship canal, when you get
it finished, and not doing bit of good. On top
of the building in front were a number of fire.
men chopping through the roof. At The same
time there was solid mass of fire and flame
under the roof working down into the straw
aud feed
I asked policeman-who. had he been as big
as he seemed to feel would have weighed five
tOns-wny they did not get up there and throw
a stream under the roof on the freand put it
out
He said: You fool, that's Just what those
men on top are doing-cuttng the roof of SO
they can get at the fire." He intimated L had
better keep my mouth shut This nearly took
my bIessh, for could have taken a nozzle and
hose up Under that roof and put that fire out in
short order. If any country fire department
had not done better than your city department
at thst fire the boys would have guyed us, But
finally the roof was chopped off and the man
with the white hat came around and directed
stream of water on the totally destroyed roof
and building. There were, l believe, 10000
gallons of water thrown to one that did any
good
While telling this to a friend a nicely-dressed
little man came along. My friend said 1 had
better not let him hear me say anything about
Inc IRE. he tried to keep order at fires, said
my friend, and man might get fine or 80
days for telling how to put a fire out especially
man from the country, and right ont loud be-
fore any person | watched the little man
awhile, and soon saw that the more he tried to
keep the street cars moving the less they
moved, and the more he tried to keep the teams
from getting mixed up the worse they got
mixed.
sl-o noticed that on the street crossing, COM
lnT out from the railroad TO go over the bridge
solid mass OF teams on each side were de-
tanned 1Or over an hour, because they dare not
drive over a hose. Now, if these officials will
each leave a good cigar at your office
Tor the editor and for the writer,
l Will tell them how, at an expense
of nos more than $40 they can make a little
bridge of plank carry it with tue fire depart
ment, and put it over the hose when laid down.
Then they will not have any trouble with teams
or teamsters, for they can drive over hose anu
not hurt it. 1 also intimated this To my friend.
but he said there was nothing in it or the Off
cial would have had it long ago, for he was a
very smart man. 1 asked my friend il he was
the same man who ordered one of his men TO
pull high brick wall down on top of another
building after the Weldin fire. He said it was
but as no person was killed there was nothing
wrong about that. He then wanted to ascer-
tain how happened to know so much about
city affairs, ana told him read THE DIS
PATCH l think, as the old lady SAID some
thing ought to be done.
COUNTRY FIREMAN.
LEEToNIA, O., April %.