Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-12-01
WHO is At FAuI.Te

The writer had occasion early Tuesday morning
to notice the management and working of our fire
department at the alarm of fire caused by the
burning Of the Moran house on the Brook road
The result Of such observations was that we have
in some respects one Of the finest fire DEPARTMENTS
in New England. At the same time there are rad
zeal faults which should be overcome or remedied
at once. In this alarm the department responded
very quickly, and steamer company No 3 arrived
at the fire ready for action in a very short time
with plenty Of steam, but the engine failed 10
work. In other words, from the time the engine
arrived at point near the fire and was ready for
work, 1t was fully eleven minutes before the
steamer could b. made to draw water Some.
thing Is radically wrong with the care of the ma.
culne or the machine itself which would permit
such an engine to be taken to the fire
There are some other points that should be crit
lclsed ana one point is that after the hose was at
tached to the hydrant, there were no hoseman
seen on the length of the hose, all seeming 10 ba
anxious 10 get near the fire. The result was Thar
one length OF the hursted hose was allowed to be-,
IN the line long time without being removed
and more than half the water from the HYDRA M
never reached the scene of the fire lam sarisfiaj
that the members Of the department are ready
ana Wiling and generally obey orders cheerfuIly
but from my observation there was no one MAJ
seemed to have the hose COMPANY in CHARGE ami
no one 10 see whether the lines of hose We're in
perfect condition or not. 1t would seem as though
some one was IN fault in not giving orders To t6e
hoSemen 10 inspect the line 10 If il was broken
anu al couplings screwed up tightly, To be- SIRE
we can say delay of ten or eleven minutes in
TINS case uid not amount To much, but what would
De tue result OF the same delay in getting water
suppoSlng the fire was in some of the larger build
iugS Of the village? 49, ''
Now the property holders and taxpayers have
peeh very willing 10 support the fire Department
ana nave been told the fire department Was m
perfect condition. In the tight Of latest devotion
Iuvhts, Is THIS the case; II should be the utv ~
some one TO know that an engine is in working
condition. From common report learn thai in
The past two years there has been more or less
Trouble with engine No. in taking water easily or
working satisfactorily. If this is the case who 10
az Iauitf Springfield of late has paid dearly for
having apparatus that was not in perfect WORKING,
order Would ii not be well to have some exnaT9
examine steamer No. and if il is fact that h is
oul OF condition, have it put in condition at once
OF II Is radically wrong and out of date have a
new machine purchased? ~
-, merely throw out these suggestions and
thoughts that the tax payers may have their eyes
opened and know the condition Of our Department
as regards some OF its apparatus. While the men
are wiling to work, they should be given first
class apparatus and such series of rules thar The
oIncers IN command, instead of giving ali their
attention 70 point where they are not needed
may give attention to the gifferent lines of hoSs
that they may be perfect aud deliver ali the water
at the nre which is sent from the bydrant or
S'eNer' EDWARD c. CROSBY