The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-07-31
THE FIREBOAT CREW.
KlOebef's Plan to Abolish the
ONCE Of Fire Captain
wRAxol,mo OVER AUTHORITY.
Rsopoeol - 1sve . Marine Capsaio 80
Rnse We shall ss Fire Fighters
-Cosa ee uaanssnsneo.

It 10 impossible 20 tell What the fireboat
Snoquaimie costs the city. The system OF
bookkeeping is such that the annual re-
port Of the IRE department 10 entirely
silent on the subject. Comptroller Car
sons report, however. shows that the
salaries for 1892 were &l0.S2o IS and the
general expenses $i.3750s. but these are
mainly for repairs and do not include
coal, oil and engine supplies, 20 that -
these amount to $l2. 1852. the cost may
safely Be pat ~ 81. 100 month. The COM
pany consists Of one marine captain, one
pilot. two engineers. two deck hands. two
stokers, q re captain and driver.
During the discus sions in the city
council last week over the proposed re-
duction al salaries in city departments.
DR.. J. s. Kloeher. president 0f the house
OF delegates. threw out the suggestion that
as there was constant friction in the
fireboat company. owing to . conflict Of
authority, il might be as well TO drop the
fire captain entirely. The suggestion was
concurred in to the extent Of leaving no
salary for that Office on the schedule. but
the matter was not discussed 1t length.
Dr.. Kloeber was subsequently, inter-
viewed BY Posr-INTELLIGEScER reporter
and in reply 20 questions. more fully ex-
planned his views.
There il constant wrangling on the
fireboat. he said. land the commissioners
have made several changes in an inefJect-
ual attempt to reconcile apparently ir-
rsconciiiabie conditions. There are two
captains. one the marine captain and the
other the FIRE captain. If marlin spike
lies on the deck the marine captain may
order man as . deckhand to take il up
and the fire captain order the same man
as fireman to put it down. The marine
captain il in charge when the boat il in
motion. the fire captain when she is
still. Tho United States marine
regulations require that she shall
carry . captain and licensed
pilot. This Is . law which cannot 30
modified by local authorities. and my plan
Is to select as marine captain and as pilot
men who are able to fight fires. The or
ders must b given from the pilot house
and this arrangement would avert the two
headed authority.
1.-THE fireboat moves slowly and it rarely
happens that she can arrive near fire be-
fore tho department. arrives and there is
no reason why the chief cannot assume
the entire direction of her as Of the other
engines. Meantime one OF the fircmen
should be lieutenant % that he NAV
carry out the chiefs orders or the cap
tain's orders in fighting fires, but always
be subordinate to the authority of the cap
tain.
Unfortunately. precedent Is not in my
favor. The burning of the Flyer was due
to the inexperience Of Soper, who was
then pilot. The captain was absent, and
the pilot attempted to throw stream in
still water, without casting q line. The
result was that the force of the water
from the nozzle turned the boat back, and
her rudder was insufficient to keep her on.
When her screw is in motion, that over.
comes the force of the stream, but when
she 10 still there is no backing. A very
ordinary line is sufficient to hold her.
1T would take very little practice to
enable marine captain to acquire all the
knowledge necessary to regulate the pres
sure and direct the streams. The fireboat
Is splendid piece OF machinery. She
can throw the enormous quantity of
ZOO gallons Of water q minute, and the
department cannot put enough men on
her to exhaust her power. She can throw
fourteen streams without the nozzles, and
expensive rs she is, the city cannot now
afford to give her up.
II do not pretend that my plan will eff
feet very much of a saving. 1t seems al
most impossible to keep her in a condi-
ton Of ever-ready efficiency without main
tanning almost all of her present crew. It
would be folly to attempt half-meas-
ures, because her sole value consists in her
being ready to be put to full service at
moments notice.
II do claim. however, that the present
unsatisfactory condition might be greatly
improved by having an undivided au-
thority."