The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-11-20
NAMED rs REPUBLICANS
TWO DEMOCRATS. APPOINTED by
THE BOARD OF SAFETY.
Firemen Officially Placed ON Pension
marks-The Phoenix Contract.

Among the new firemen appointed by the
Board of Safety Tuesday and classed by the
board as Republicans were w. r. White
and II. X. Pruitt. Information comes to
the Journal that both men are Democrats
and have been intense partisans. White
was formerly a conductor on the Bright
wood line and Pruitt was foreman at the
Louisiana-street power station. The same
information has il that White talked
Democracy and free silver from the end of
his street-car platform to such an extent as
to make himself obnoxious to the passen-
gers.
The seven firemen retired and placed on
the pension list by the board were formally
entered on the list by the Pension Board
yesterday morning at meeting held In
the Mayors Office They are to receive
pension of $50 a month so long as they re-
main disabled. BY a provision of the law
the men may offer themselves for physical
examination and If found llt for the service
they may be taken back. Indeed, the law
provides that places shall be made for
them. There is now in the fund $i5,626.
with about $1,000 more that Will be avail
able by Jan. l, 1857. Under the law about
81 900 a year is added to the fund from
a special tax of cent on the 500. Besides
this there other sources of revenue.
including the deductions that are made
from the firemen's salaries. In the course
of a few years, the Mayor says, the fund
will become self-supporting--that is, that
the interest income viii equal expenditures.
Expenditures i'm the way of pensions TO
widows and orphans of dead firemen have
Iun about s., 800 q year. gThe law does not
prohibit firemen who are on the pension
fund from engaging in an occupation. Some
of them will thus have very comfortable
living, as they will be at liberty 10 accept
light employment. Two or three however,
are badly disabled that they cannot ex-
pect to get work and will have to depend
entirely on their pensions.
In regard to the recent changes in the
department Mr.. NJ. V. McGillard yesterday
said. when called on by a Journal re-
porter: ~
Il admit that it is much easier to criticse
than to suggest remedies for deficiencies
ana this l nave tried to keep in mind dur
ing the thirty years i have been engaged
In fire insurance business In this city, and
always insisted upon giving every man a
chance, but patience sometimes ceases to
be virtue, and the experience of the last
three years in indianapolis with our fire de-
partment has brought disappointment to
is, What Is the remedy? While our city
was small crude apparatus and undrilled
men answered the purpose fairly. The
great and sudden growth Of our city has
made II difficult for us to keep pace in
knowledge of large municipal affairs. 1t is
not strange that We should be a little slow
TO grasp all the reforms and advance
ments made, and means adopted for
tinguishing Iires in larger cities. l am told
that the records of the annual meetings OF
the fire chiefs OF the cities in the United
States show that indianapolis has been
represented but TWICE, This was owing to
the false economy Of the fal Board of Safety
We should be as proud of our chief as
we are of our Mayor, We should pay him
salary sufficient secure brains and
soldier who would command the respect
and obedience of every person connected
with the departments No more earnest or
sincere man than Chief Webster ever conn.,
manded our fire department, and L have
used all my efforts to retain him in that
position. and opposed the change to Mr..
Daugherty, but l am confident that, while
my estimate of Mr.. Webster as a good fire.
man and kind gentleman has always been
correct, yet l am convinced that he is not
a general and cannot control and discipline
men, and when, during the heat OF discus
sing this subject, | declared our fire de
partment to be rotten.I referred to the lack
of discipline and drill. the lack Of adopting
advanced ideas in preparing fremen for
their herculean duties. that while fighting
amidst destruction, they should save, not
only other lives, but their own; they are
''In the cities of Chicago, Newark. New
York, Denver, Omaha, Kansas City. Cleve-
land and Rochester there is not only
physical examination required, but. by use
of their department. gymnasiums:. they
must become athletes. They are drilled in
the erection and climbing of ladders and in
laying of three or four hundred feet of
hose a number of times each week. Many
of our men, I am informed are never
drilled Lately an account in one of our city
DaDartment
reports the captains of our department as
saying that the only drill their men nave
is the cleaning up of the apparatus hitch
ine up the horses three times day. Some
times when calls are few, they take out
the ladder trucks and water tower. but
that the remaining apparatus Is not prac-
ticaI 10 drill with. TINS as certainly mis-
take The hose carts. the promptness IN
laying a line of hose, the length OF tlme 10
throw a stream OF water Is consi9ereu py
the best departments In the worid as the
best test of the activity and usefulness OF a
department in extinguishing incipient nres
and the extinguishing of lnclpient nreS
covers nine-tenths Of the entire service Oh
the departments. If man IL not acuee'
coed muscle. supple. and In every way NJ
10 become fireman he shonio not De ac-
oe .iTbe Department of Public Safety has
appointed one of our own hremen 10 .ne
high position OF chiet. Goo LOO gram in the e right
place Let US try him faithfuliy ana not
critically but encourage him TO pring ereIt
credit TO our clty.N'll IA
drilled and well-disciplined department or
atbietic firemen which will stand at the
head of the fire departments OF the onlteu
States But can "a man of so little expert
ence do this? We lack pride in TINS depart
ment. In our military companies, our
buildings. our streets. our Pup4ic nl0rdfy,
our public schools. Indianapolis Is proud 10
stand at the head of the column. Let us
hone that Chief Barrett is to be the Joshua
of our fire department that snail place IL
also at the head. If ne cahnoI 40 So We
will hope that he viii be honest and ad-
NIT it. o.,, g., ,ho
department. There is a surplus some en-
gines are not used but two TO four times a
Year on an average. the hose carts answer,
inor ali purposes The water tower is good
for high buildings. and when our depart
ment becomes familiar with its use VIII ac-
complish good results. n driver ana TWO
horses is all that is necessary 10 care LOT
more. The very best hose only should be
purchased. and it should be tested once a
week during the year at high pressure. |
am informed that the Siamese connection
was not. used at the Schnuli- hf III zen a1,
fire. 1t is considered the best or all ap-
paratus TO fight large fires.
In conclusion. j deprecate any thougnt
of my having a personal feeling against
any individual member or the department.
| did hear Chief Webster talking with three
ridian street last December. urging the ne
cessity of their going on top or building
with their hose, and they declined to do so
and there was argument over IL. Chief
Webster may claim that was not an order
or a refusal / so understood IL then and
now 1t would be impossible for myself o,
any business man not in close touch with the
department TO specify the names of those
three men or the company they were mem
hers of and the editorial in the Journal or
he subj a = "a