Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-03
FIRE BUREAU IMPROVEMENTS
Suggested by Chief Engineer Humphries-
Chief Brown Says They Arc All Good
and Will Be Acted Upon-Safery Meas

Suggested by Chief Engineer Humphries-
Chief Brown Says They Arc All Good
and Will Be Acted Upon-Safety Meas
ures for Firemen.
Chief Engineer Miles Humphries yester-
day filed with Chief Brown report of the
operation of the Bureau of Fire for the two
months it has been under his control He
makes some interesting suggestions. One
of the new chiefs duties is monthly report
to his superior officer, but the first month
was for various reasons overlooked and the
two months are combined in the one docu-
ment.
The suggestions offered include the altera-
tion and use of a discarded ladder truck,
the preparation Of charts showing the loca-
tion of freplugs which the fremen are to
be required to memorize, and requirement
that the Building Inspectors furnish to the
department list of all unsafe buildings in
the city, as we'll as those wherein heavy
machinery is stored or used on the upper
floors.
Chief Brown says all these recommends
tions are pertinent and will be acted upon
Immediately Controller Morrow also in
dorses them, and will aid in their adoption.
Chief Humphries, in an interview last
night, said 'The truck H. I. Gourley' at
Hazelwood can be made lighter and pro-
vided with wide ladders capable of allow
ing two or three men to pass on them, at
small expense. I want these ladders made
20, 80, 40 and so feet long, and of light con-
struction, so that they can be handled easily
and quickly. This truck should respond to
all fires in the First district on first alarm.
hria n
me that such a truck will be available at
nearly every fire in the lower part. of the
city, and. at times when the other trucks
cannot be used at all. We want to get water
directly on the fire, and by the use of the
short, light ladders, and by reason of the
variation in the height of the buildings, a
wonderful amount of good can be accom-
plished if we have these ladders quickly.
'My idea of charts is to provide each
company with one and require the members
to study it so that they can tell exactly
where every plug in the First district is 10
Gated, so that when an alarm comes in the
to certain plug for action. AS to my third
suggestion, it explains itself. Everybody
knows the danger to iremen in an unsafe
building or in one in which heavy ma
chinery is located on upper floors. The
death of that brave fireman in Cleveland
two weeks ago was from ignorance of heavy
machinery over his head, and at several
fires in this city recently the same danger
has been apparent"
The report shows the companies of the
department in good condition as to dis
cipline and duty at fires. There were 81
regular and % still alarms in October and
80 regular alarms in November The loss
by fire in October was S37, ,112 November's
loss was S1O6,325. Relative to the fire in
the Second Avenue Railway Company's
building, the chief calls attention to the
fact that six-inch main furnishes the
water supply in the Twenty-third ward,
scarcely enough to supply two fire engines,
and gives that as reason for the loss, which
would have been but a trife had there been
a good water supply.
During the two months three firemen,
Otto Hauch, James Dickson and Thomas
Keenan,, were injured while on duty. One
man, Isaac Craig, withdrew permanently
from the service and drew his allowance
from the disability fund.