The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-05-25

A FIRE TOWER, TOXIC.
throughout all the country, with some
exceptions in cities like Toxic, IRE
built of wood, or of bamboo and paper,
and matched with dried grass, or shin
gled, are exceedingly light and inflam-
mablc, and offer great opportunity for
the outbreak of fire and no protection
whatever against it. Very frequently
whole villages and towns are swept
away and completely destroyed by fire
in single day.
In Toxic and other cities, and in fact
in all towns of any size, are tall watch
towers where II man is constantly on
the lookout to discover the first signs of
fire. The towers in Toxic have been
erected in localities short distances
apart. They were instituted there as
far back as 1925. They are simply i'm
mcnse ladders, often of great height,
with bell ut the top and place for
the Waterman to stand or sit. BY q
code of taps on the bell the Waterman
can indicate the part of the city in
which a fire breaks ont. When an
alarm is sounded from one tower all the
others take it up and continue to an
fire. The system is very like our own
fire bell system. Fire watchmen patrol
the streets, carrying lantern in the
left hand and in the right an iron staff
with bunch of rings at the top. AS
the Waterman goes along he thumps
the ground and calls out: Look out for
fire"
In Temple Bar q writer gives an in
fnrn Il
firemen fought Il fire in the town where
he was sojourning. He turned out as
the guest of the fire brigade. The bri-
gade was equipped with only three hand
engines, "squirts," and it had the as
sistancc of hook and ladder company.
The officers horses were kept ready for
call. When the alarm was heard from
one of the fire lookouts the man at the
station tower hammered loudly on his
bell, the men turned out, the officers
hustled into their uniforms, jumped on
their horses and ordered things for a
start. The captain armed himself with
a huge wisp of horsehair, kind of sub
stitute for baton of authority, and the
lieutenant waved IL long spear from
which hung horsctail, the standard of
the brigade. The brigade harnessed
itself to the engines and the procession
started, officers first and visitors bring
ing up the rear.
When the brigade reached the fire
half dozen houses had been Quilted,
and others were going up like paper
lanterns. Hundreds of people were
rushing wildly around, trying to save
their household goods, and there was
the usual panic, only greatly intensi-
fed because the danger was great and
near to every inhabitant. The engines
had lots of water, but they did little
good The hook and ladder company
worked like monkeys, swinging about
from beam to beam, and climbing over
the burning houses with the greatest
pluck. They worked well, too, but
worked only at the burning houses,
and, like the men with the engines,
they could hardly get from house to
house as fast as the fire. There was I'M
bounded enthusiasm and pluck, but no
common sense. The captain and lieu
tenant waved their horsctails and
shouted, but they knew nothing of
fighting Il fire. The writer saws one
American engine company would have
put out the fire, or stopped it's progress
- "ii ho'u. lJoHeilS anu QOZcnS OF
houses were burning like paper.
The visitors could stand it no longer
and they suggested to the captain that
he turn the work of the hook and lad
der company on group of untouched
houses in the direct path of the fire,
and try to make gap that the fire
could not cross. The captain looked on
with amazement and ordered them
back. But after few more houses
had gone up he took their advice. The
people were aghast at the brigade's
leaving the fire and tearing down I'M
touched houses, and there were strong
protests. But number of the houses
were torn down and the course of the
fire was stopped.