The Portland daily press., 1894-11-13
cent
MR.. HENRY FOX

water boat would be useful also if the
Sebago should happen to fail suddenly. as
it well might do since two reservoirs have
burst within our memory.
CAPTAIN CHARLES H. CHASE
recalled that several lives were lost in the
fire of August .. 1878. The engines were
long in getting to the wharves. which were
more or less bIockaded. the tow boats could
not be found. and three steamers. the
Carlotta. Dirigo and Montreal were burned.
The loss of property that day was about
500, 1000. That would supply boat about a
century at least. good safe fireboat
should be owned and operated by the city.
MR. J. H. HAMLEN
was very strongly in favor of a fire boat.
He explained how in the lumber district
great lumber warehouses had been erected,
hich covered the wharves in such a way
that no engines could reach a fire at the
lower ends of the wharves. Commercial
street was not properly protected. as COM
pared with other property in the city. The
best way is for the city to buy fire boat,
and few dollars should not stand in the
way.
letter was next read from
HON. CHARLES F. LIBBY,
strongly advocating he purchase of fire
boat, which he considered necessary for the
projection of the city front. and for pre-
venting insurance rates becoming too
onerous.
Mayor Baxter said that as a large
property owner on Commercial street he
was much interested in the subject, and be-
lieved there should be fire boat.
At this point
ALDERMAN RANDALL
said that the gentlemen were evidently
laboring under misapprehension. There
was no disposition to do away with fire boat
service. The city government had made a
contract, which the Mayor had vetoed. If
| there was any respon sibility, it rested upon
| His Honor.
| To this
MAYOR BAXTER
replied that he did veto that contract, and
| he gave his reasons therefor. He believed
| tina. those reasons we're ample. and he was
| willing to take all the responsibility there
| for. He would further express with empha-
sis. lis opinion that the city should own
| and operate it's own fire-boat.
MR.. CHARLES W. t. GoDING,
| being called on, said the city had been with
| out fire service on the water front since
October 1st. BE would not express an
| opinion since it was matter in which he
was personally interested.
MR.. ARTHUR K. HUNT
concurred in the general opinion which had
been expressed.
MR.. FRANCIS A.. SMITH
made ringing speech for fire boat. He
| said there was no more reason for hiring a
| fire boat than for hiring an engine. Il The
member of the city government who should
/ refuse to vote tor the new boat should not
be reelected. tApplause0
MIR. VIM. ALLEN, JR..
1 called TO mind that it took three hours yes
| terday afternoon to place $1,000 insurance
on Commercial street, SO reluctant were
companies to take more risks there.
At this point the
| HEARING ENDED
| and the two bodies of the city government
| separated.
| Then in the Com1$dn Go4ncil. Mr.. Kent's
order for the purchase of, the fire boat was
| brought up. This order'is as follows:
|
be and are hereby authorized to purchase
| from the Harpswell Steamboat company the
steamer 'Chebeague,' to be used for city
| fire boat, a1d other necessary municipal
| purposes, under the control of the dre de-
| partment, for sum not to exceed $500,
and in payment thereof, the city treasurer
be and he is hereby directed to issue city
notes, payable to said company. of SLIGO or
] n in, tI,r
| and five years respectively, bearing interest
| at the rate of four per cent per annum."
Pending the passage of this order Mr..
| Merrill, OF Quinn & Co.. was called on to
| describe the boiler Of the Chebeague, which
| had been called in question. He gave, a
thorough history of the boiler. which was
built by his company. and of which the
record as shown by repairs and inspection
was excellent. The boiler is in good con-
| dition. and the tubes are good for two years
| five or six years. 1t would cost about S2OC
| to put in new tubes. Mr.. Isiah Daniels,
agent of the HarpsweH line, also spoke OF
the good qualities of the boat.
The vote being taken the order passed,
the following being the yeas and nays:
Yeas-Messrs. Haskell. Ilsley. Anderson,
Lauehlin, Holland, Payson, Nash, Snow,
NaSs-O'Neil. Mannix, Winship, johnson.
Pagan, McDonald-6.
The order being for the creation of city
debt vote of two-thirds was required. Just
the two-thirds required was given.
The ord or then went to the Aldermen
where Mr.. Randall spoke against it. He
was interested ir the welfare of the city
but did not Iwant to enter into scheme
which ultimately would cost $4,000 or S6OO0 Z
wear. For $1,000 OF $500 year adequate
protection could be obtained. A fire boa1
that would be an ice boat and police boat
also. would be liable to accidents Thai
would iniurs her efficiency as fire boat
Mr.. Little said that Mr.. Randall's figure,
of cost were unreasonable
The vote being taken resulted as follows:
Yeas-Messrs.M MCGOWAN, Thompson, Little
| and Smith,.
3.
IT, seemed as if the fire boat had been de
feated. but Alderman Little presented a