The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1893-02-17


TO THE HONORABLE MAYon AND CITY
COUNCIL OF LEBANON, GENTLEMEN,
We the un.'ersignel, being committee
appointed by the Lebanon Fire Department
at their last regular meeting, to report to
the council the needs Of the fire depart
ment, submit the following report:
We have given much attention to the
practical working of the fire apparatus Of the
city Of Lebanon, and we find that it is al
most useless to the majority Of the property
owners. large nuGlber of additions have
been added to the city Some of the finest
residences are in these additions, with abso-
lutely no fire protection. There is only ene
cistesn on Second street, and only four on
First street. People generally are slow to
realize that fire loss is a public loss; that
1t falls directly upon the people, and not
upon insurance companies, as tits gener-
ally supposed that insurance companies
are organizations perfected for the purpose
Of making money They base their .calcu-
lations on the amount of losses they are
compelled to pay, and charge the public for
insurance III proportion to the risks they
carry They are quick to see to their own
interests, and principally do they critieise
the condition of the fire department. The
experience Of our own city is unqualified
prootof this statement
And while inlhued widh the necessities Of
an economical administration of depart.
ment affairs, sight must not be lost of the
fact that the continued additions to Leba-
hon should mean additions to the equip
ment Of the fire department. We must
keep pace else disaster must follow In event
of fire.
In this endeavor we alone are powerless,
but withsuitable Legislation by your honor
able body and rigid endorsements by the
insurance companies much can be accom-
pllshed and the risks reduced to mini
mum.
These matters will appear under The
head oil suggestions later in this report.
IT tispoor statesmanship that in order 20
save the city treasurya certain sum, com |
pels the property owners to pay into the
insurance companies sum more than
equivalent to the sum proposed to be saved,
1t isan erroneous impression that prevails,
that outlying districts are compelled to nav
Tor a fire department that reduces the rates
u the business portion of the city, whileno
making the same substantial reduction in
,he suburbs. We are frequently told that
tbs an injustice to be taxed to pay for
department. when that department cannot i
ender any assistance to the party taxed. |
ripple your business interests and the /
'rass will grow in your streets. The wealth
md prosperity Of a city and the value Of its I
cal estate and its homes are measured by
IS business prosperity.
Ahead in nearly every enterprise Leba-
ION is certainly away ahead in death deal.
ng electric Light wires on Main street, size
fcity considered, but Lebanon is away be-
ind in its restrictions governing these
angerous necessities. Few appreciate the
anger attending contact with the electric
ght wires on the conditions that create
ontaet' 70 come into contact with an
ectrie light wire 1t is not necessary for any
lember Of the body to come into contact
nth the wires. Simply raising a pole
,uchlng II wire will shock and kill the
Older, condition being perfect. Throwing
solid stream Of water from pipe even if
be a hundred feet from the wire kills the Il
Ien at the pipe Rasinga ladder to enter
building on fire the ladder touching the
Ire, conditions being perfect, kills men ON
le ladder, II is well established fact
lat electricity takes Che shortest route to c
'e ground that route is created when any 4
matter touches il, whether wet q
ood, iron on a solid stream of water. +
These Wlresat'eo OF streets where the depart. /
cnt may be called at any moment to raise
aders or throw streams of water. DO not
" until death occurs before remedyiug
is evil.
SUGGESTIONS.
We suggest that the honorable council
y q new suctioi, hose Anyone that nm
hSdraulics sthatapump will
; work when the suction pipe leaks air, j,
q we have tested the present suction u J,
n and know that it does leak arr. So I
engine is almost useless.