The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-02-15

sciences, the circus aud the bargain
counters of great cities. 1t has popu-
lated Lonelyville, and has made it an
endurable place of residence by reason
of the possibility afforded of getting
away from it easily and quickly. 1t has
developed the vast resources of these
out of town districts, and has been OF
inestimable value for the domestic pur-
poses thereof as well.
A striking illustration of all this
is illustrated by the part the
trolley car has in the Pawtuxet Fire
Department. Pawtuxet is a populous
suburb subdivided into many populous
sub suburbs like Lakewood and Edge
wood and the rest. Out in Paw
tuxet when a barren 10-acre lot
is recovered to civilization and popula-
tion the inhabitants get together and
give their assemblage of residences a
sectional name and then try to acquire a
postoffice for it.
The Pawtuxct Fire Department is an
institution of no mean order. Modest
and unassuming, it is yet effective, pro-
viding fire is disposed to play fair and
not tryto get too big start. It's men,
bers are all volunteers, and they will
sacrifice everything but a yacht race or
grabbing party to go to fire. They
are prompt to the call of duty snd don't
take any back talk from any other sub
urban fire corps in the State of Rhode
Island--not even those famous fire
eaters, the Rough and Readys of Oiney-
vile and Greater Providence.
But the efficiency of the Pawtuxet
Fire Department, admirable as it has
ever been, has been vastly intensified
since the trolley car made its entrance
into Pawtuxet. We had occasion to
witness demonstration of this the
other day when fire broke out at Lake.
wood. AS the huge volumes of smoke
rolled heavenward and then settled
down over Tom RHODES boat house, as
The bells changed their cry Of
alarm and of terror, as the inhabitants
of the principal sub-suburbs and of the
Hawthorne House hurried, breathless, to
the scene, the Pawtuxet fire department
broke from its leashes and ratified down
to the footlights. A great sigh of relief
roared through the community at the
imposing spectacle, and strong men fell
on each others necks and wept with
joy.
The apparatus of the Pawtuxet Fire
Department is not pretentious to
look at, but 1t can offer an
invincible argument with a fire il the
fire will only give it half show. 1t
comprises hand engine that has "A
record of throwing stream from the
door of the postoffice at Pawtuxet to the
cupola of BLooMER's jewelry shop with
out dropping drop on the way over.
Properly set up, it would make tre-
mendous beer pump, and it has fire.
quently been utilized to sprinkle lawns
of vast area. In addition to this impos-
ing machine, there is attached to the de-
partment, four-wheeled piece Of appa-
ratus not unlike the ordinary milk cart
of commerce. The chief of the Paw
tuxet Fire Department avails himself Of
this apparatus. Sundays, to go down the
road with, using his own horse. When
the chief isn't using the apparatus, it Is
filled with red fire hats, axes, several
miles of hose and four Hayes extension
ladders capable OF reaching to the top of
the Baptist Church spire.
The Pawtuxet Fire Department does
not use horses. 1t never did, for that
matter, for the public spirited citizens
OF Pawtuxet were ever ready to run
with the machine except on occasions Of
early morning confagrations after they
had spent too long an evening in Provi-
dence. But today, neither horse nor
citizen power is necessary, for the trolley
car is always-almost always-on deck.
SO. as was the case on the occasion Of
the fire at Lakewood the other day, the
fire department pulled the fire apparatus
down the hill 10 the bridge, where a
trolley car was standing all ready. The
engine was made fast TO the stern OF the
trolley car, the other piece of apparatus
was secured TO tue engine, the fire de.
partment and the rest of the population
and newspaper representatives climbed
aboard car, engine and wagon, the con-
ductor rang two bells. and with rush
and snort the department started for
the scene OF the holocaust at Lakewood.
Above we present n picture, made
qudte, TO be sure. TO illustrate the new
method adopted by the Pawtuxet Fire
Department to reach fire expeditiously
The application OF this method depends,
of course. on the FIRE breaking out some.
where near the line Of the trolley, but
when conditions are right, the plan
works admirably and rebounds 20 the
credit OF the ingennity. the ability Ia