St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-06-14
FIRE CORONER WANTED,
Owe RECOMMENDED Or RUNCE FOR
the INVESTIGATION or FIRES.
THE SECOND Days SESSION

OF the State Firemen's Assocta.
ton Develops a Number OF
Interesting Matters-Facts an
Figures showing the Number
OF Fires in the State Last Year
and Their Cause,
At the opening of the second days
session of the State Firemen's associa-
ton yesterday Secretary Strong read
number of congratulatory kilograms
from other similar associations now i'll
session. notably from the North and
South Dakota associations and the
Montreal convention.
The annual reports were then sub
mitted, the report OF the treasurer being
fils read. and 1t showed very crafty
ing and f1ourishing state of affairs.
The report of the sta,istician was
read by Secretary Strong in the alb
sence of o. l.. Gutter, the regular Of
Ger.
In the ninety-siX towns included in
the report it cost last year ,Si54. $40 to
run the fire departments; the amount
of money invested i'll fire apparatus and
other property connected with fire de-
partmentS. exclusive of water supply, ia
$l.S9S. $40. There are in service So steam
fire engines, Al hand engines. A chem
zeal engines, 225 hose carts and l03 hook
and ladder trucks. These machines are
manned by 665 paid men and 3,713 vol
unteerS.
There were 2,O75 fires reported from
causes given as follows: 1ncendiary.
l46; defective chimneyS, 173: lamp eX-
plosions, 81; other explosions, l16;
matches. 81; spontaneous combustion,
70; accidental, los; carelessneSs, 2S4;
overheating. 1876; electric wires. 35;
lightning. Is; other causes known, AIS;
unknown. 405.
Total loss reported sS,455. 573, nearly
double that of any previous year. The
great lumber fires In Minneapolis and
the contiagrations in the iron district in
the northern part of the state make up
large part of this enormous loss. All
over the country the fire loss has been
in the same proportion, and the year
1885 will 20 down into history as one of
the most disastrous every known.
The report was accepted. The report
of the committee ON topics was received
and placed on file.
FIRE DRILL IN SCHOOLS.
The report of the committee ON legls-
lation was read by Chief Gillenbach, of
ShakOpee, and mong other things it
recommended fire drills in public
schools.
In reference to the recommendation
of the report regarding ire drill in pub
lie schools, Chief Runge recited his ex-
perience in drilling children of the Min
heapoliS schools, stating with what eff
hciency scholars are marched out of the
building and how valuable an acQuisi-
tlon it is to the school system in the
way of preventing panlcS and preServ-
ing life. Chief Runge expressed his
wish of having the drill introduced into
every school of the state.
The report of the legislative commit
tee was accepted. ordered published
and copies sent to every company in
the state belonging to the association.
The committee on obituary reported
on the death of Thomas Mclean New
son, one of the first honorary life mem
bers and recent United States consul
at Malaga, Spain, where he died Marah
80, 1893. Resolutions lamenting his de-
mise were unanimously adopted by
rising vote, and an engrossed and
framed copy of the resolutions was
ordered sent to the family OF the de-
ceased.
An invitation was extended the dele
gates by the Twin City Rapid transit
company to visit Lake Harriet and the
falls after 2 p. m. yesterday. free of
charge. The announcement was re-
ceived with applause, and many Of the
members availed themselves Of the op-
pOrtunity:
The reading OF topics as assigned by
the committee appointed for that pur-
pose was then proceeded with. 1t is
the custom each year to select twelve
topics to he discussed at the annual
convention. a single topic being as
signed to certain town OF city. from
which five papers are expected. making
sixty papers when all towns are prop.
erly represented.
Only few of the topics arranged for
consideration could be disposed of this
morning, those cities heard from being
Red Wing, Brandon, st. Paul and
Alexandria. A fine of 50 is imposed if
papers are not presented.
At noon adjournment was taken till
1880 p. III.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
At the afternoon session a motion to
dispense with the reading of topics and
submit them to the secretary for pub
LEGATION precipitated the convention
into lively debate. There were evil
dently number of delegates who were
anxious TO test the efficiency of Mr..
Lowry's trolley cars by enjoying spin
to the lakes and falls, and holding
meeting after returning to the city.
But others would not have 1t that way,
aud it was finally decided to proceed
with the reading of the topics. Austin
responded, as did q. n. Phillips for
MaEkato, Charles B. Kellogg for Clo-
quet. j. r. Stratton for Montgomery. j.
l.. Birthold represented Perham. w.
A. KNAPP spoke for Warren.
Topic No. was introduced by Chief
Runge, of Minneapolis, with lengthy
and interesting paper. in which special
reference was made to the matter of CO.
operation between firemen and insur-
ance writer's, it being suggested that
fire coroner might be appointed for the
purpose Of empaneling jurors and hold
ing formal investigations as to the
causes of fires.
The paper was further discussed by
A. ID. Brown, of Pipestone, ond Others.
1t was decided to dispense with fur
ther reading OF topics, and to hand them
IN to the secretary for publication. Ad-
Journment was then taken until 10
O'clock this morning.
THE BANQUET.