Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-05-13
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
The New System the City has De.
cided Upon.
The Eliminated Number of Alarm
Boxes-rhe Ordinance Likely
to be Passed at the Next
Council Meeting.

project was advanced another step at
Monday nights council meeting. The
ordinance providing for its establishment
was read second time and referred to
the fire and light committee and the
mayor. The ordinance will. it is very
likely, be represented at the next council
meeting, when it will no doubt be passed,
as the new council is believed TO be prac>
tically unanimous for a reliable system,
The council also adopted Aid. Corkens
resolution that the city clerk be instructed
to advertise for bids to be received by the
first meeting in June for an electric fire
and police alarm. The consequence will
be that we may expect the Gam ewell and
other companies to have wires up at
most any time in order that the alder
men may have an idea of the working
at the respective systems. The fire and
light committee will recommend the es-
tablishing of 81 alarm boxes at the out
set, which will average three for each
ward. Additions will be made to this
number as the requirements of the city
demand.
The plan is to start the department
with two companies in the new quarters
| on Flat iron square. One of these will be
hose company, the other hook ana lad
der. They will require four men each
with the addition of chief. A man in
each company will be made captain of
that company, and one of the captains
will be vested with the powers of assis-
tant chief; thus nine men will compose
the entire paid service and with proper
discipline and training will give the city
system TO Be relied upon. 1t is the pur-
pose to buy new two horse cart, and
have the present hook and ladder truck
improved as far as necessary and to use
it. Four horses will thus be needed.
One volunteer company will be retained
at each end of the city, the Franklns
with their horse cart in the lowerend and
company similarly equipped in the east
end being sufficient. The city will offer
some Involvement TO a member of each of
these companies to sleep in the hose house
so that the cart can be gotten out prompts
~ in case of night alarm in the i'm
mediate neighborhood, or in case the paid
service should require help in bad fire
in other parts of the city.
Of course one of the first duties will be
the appointment of chief, and William
Ramskill is conceded to be the man whom
the mayor has in mind for the position.
Mr.. Ramskill bases his claims to
the position on having been a fire.
man since 1852. He served as
paid member of the Elgiu department be-
fore coming here, and is now an honorary
member of the department of that city.
James st. Clair is spoken OF as foreman
of one of the companies, and assistant
chief. or course this matter will rest
with the chief whoever he may be, as
should the appointment of all his subordi.
ETC., this, of course, being subject to the
confirmation of the mayor and fire and
light committee.
1t would be wise move for the city to
establish the precedent at the outset of
keeping the fire department clear of poll.
tics. The chief should be appointed
with reference only to his qualifications.
and kept as long as his service is satisfsc-
tory. and removed only because of failure
to properly discharge his duties. Neither
he nor any of his men should be allowed
to take any part in politics whatever. In
order to preserve discipline the chief
should have full authority to discharge
any of his men whenever he sees fit and
to have the choice of his men subject to
the approval of the mayor and fire and
light committee. The chief should be
the right kind of q man, and he should
have absolute and complete control over
his men.