The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1892-10-08
HOW A FIRE IS FOUGHT.
ABOUT THE FIRE LADIES OF
A GREAT CITY.
Interesting Details Concerning the Loca-
tion of Engines, Lines os Hose, Etc.
Chicago's Method or Keep
Ing - Record.

MS naming iOe invites onttle ne en-
ploys all the arts OF war to gain the
victory. Sometimes he begins the
battle by raassing his forces at one
point and charging directly on the
enemy. Again he throws out a skir-
mish line or shifts his position SO as
70 take his opponent upon the flank.
| il necessary he calls up his reserves
and at all times is In constant COM
munication with his chiefs OF battal-
ions and captains OF companies.
There Is this difference however.
between fighting fire and fight ng
armies: Commanders OF opposing
armies are fully informed of each
others movements days before the
meeting and draw up their plans OF
battle accordingly. Not so with Chief
Swenie. Fires advance under cover.
every move hid from view. until they
are ready for the fight; then comes tn o
burst of smoke. the volley of flame.
and the chief is suddenly called upon
to give battle.
Plan and execution with him must
be Simultaneous he must think and
oct while thinking. Yet he has his
plan OF battle complete in every de-
tail though 1T Is made up and placed
on paper after tho battle has been
fought
The captain of every engine COM
pany makes report OF the lire-as
far as his company is concerned-to
his chief OF battalion. to be forwarded
to Chief Swenie. That report gives
the time the alarm was received the
fre-plug to which the engine was con-
nected. the direction and the lead OF
the line OF hose and any changes in
the position OF the engine. together
with other information. such as
amount OF water pressure secured. ac-
cldents, incidents. otc. All these data
are handed an expert draughtsman.
plan OF the fire. He first obtains from
the map department an authentic
plan OF the locality giving the streets
alleys courts. building or buildings
affected by the flames whether de-
stroyed or merely scorched. and ad.
jacent buildings. The water de-
partment furnishes maps showing To-
cation of fire-plugs and cisterns and
size OF water-plpe. mains or branches.
in the streets. If necessary the scene
OF the fire is visited and personal in
vestigation gives him still further in
formation.
With all this material the plan OF
battle Is depicted. Every piece of
apparatus which had anything to do
with the fire is located and the lines
OF hose leading to the fire are shown
by lines reaching from the engine to
the place occupied by the pipemen.
Where the limo runs through u build
ing the floor to which the lead was
carried and from which the stream was
tnroxn is properly designated.
At the Siegel-C cooper fire there
were twenty-five engines five hook
and ladder companies and six chemi-
Gals. and the concentration OF this
force OF -quenchers upon COM
paratively small area is most gruphi-
cally demonstrated by the plan which
was made of that memorable confag-
ration. Even a casual examination
of the diagram is interesting. 1t is
curious 10 note that the hose from en-
CINE 25. which stood at the corner of
jackson street and Plymouth place.
and the hose from engine 16 at the
corner OF Wabash avenue and Jack
son street. met on the roof of Berry's
candy store and were there connected
by Siamese coupling so that tho
or nh Of he
water to the seat of the fire.
To Chief Swcnie the diagram is of
great valuo. and he sudies each ono
long and earnestly. The plan places
before him in compact and legible
form the story OF the fight and he en-
amines every point to see wherein he
might have made his line OF battle
stronger II any engine did slack
work he notes its relative and abso-
lutte position. its distance from the
fire. the size OF the water main to
which the frc-plug was connected.
and draws his conclusions according
ly. To him and his officers these dia-
grams are full Of meaning, and the
system OF having them made up after
every fire OF any considerable size is
proving OF great value besides sccur-
ing to the city u unique collection
which might be named "a graphic
history OF the fire department.
A tabulatcd statement which is at
tached 10 every diagram. gives the
names. numbers and stations OF all
the apparatus which responded to the
alarm the time the alarm was turned
e. whether the response was made 10
irst second. third or special call the
officers in command. the direction OF
The wind and any Information which
cannot well be told by diagram
Thus the diagram and statement give
D description OF the complete line OF
battle, and Chicago is the only city
whose fire chief is able to tell the
story OF fight with fire with war
map before him.
As Enterprfsing as a NeWspaper.