The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-02-26
Early Beginning Of the
Present Department.
Its Development to the Best
in the World.
Roster of the Various Companies
and Description OF Apparatus.

With perhaps a single exception In the
equipment the city OF Ir)vidence has
the best fire department. ia this country,
IL not in the world. This statement is
made by The News with full under
standing of the force Of its words. there
is not a single praciicsl appliance OF any
value for exinguisnmont OF nre or pre-
servaiion Of property that is not in active
service or ready fur service should occs-
sion demand. The exception To slmost
perfection is he present system employed
in TIE fire sllrm service. That Is old
fashioned, dangerous and not in hsr-
mony with the general equipment. Tue
present fire alarm strvice went into oper-
alton in 1871. It was good en,ugh at
that time, because electricity was u new
step in the direction OF giving warning
quickly. II was a radical change from
anything heretofore used in communi-
eating Intelligence OF fir,. Electricity has
made remarkable progrtss since 1871 and
fire alarm systems have kept pace with
it TO large extent. but Providence has
the sans OH fashioned way Of telling Of
hanger that it had 20 years ago. There
is danger in the system as every fireman
OF intelligence knows.
A slight accident is capable of throwing
whole circuit out OF service and that
means a good jeol for some of the cir
cults are II mites long. he csnt-al office
system such as Is used in all the big
cities. should be employed here and then
the department would be peerless.
Another peculiar tbing in connection
with the department. is the attitude OF
the city in relation 10 the water supply.
I6cre /. nothing live 1t in the Uni,ed
States excepting % vtUcxet. Providence
chargss its bra department $50 y,ar for
every fire hydrant. That Is To say thst
the expense Of the department, which is
home by the payers, Is made to sp-
pear -xasy laran- Ihe- -apnrnpiiliinn- for
ths pres mt fiscsl year Is SajJ, 600. II that
is used tie uepf riment costs the city thal
amount. As matt of fact Ii doesn't.
The SUN OF sis,co0 should be deducted
because the city charges the department
SIS, $50 for water to rut cut is own fires.
II is sxsctiy like taking money out Of
one pocket and pl.tiEg il in another,
30 far as the city il concerned,
but IL DOESN'T seem like intelligent
treatment of the expense accoun, of the
most important municipal organization.
There are l,606 hydran,s in use In this
city, and the city charges $50 each, even II
a hose Is not attached once Ia 10 years.
This helps to make the water department
self supporting. With that queer feature
out Of the way the tax payers worlt be
safe to inyiie outsiders within their
borcers, and coy TO them "Match our frs
tghting strength, according to our size
and population IL you can.
II is not the purposs OF The News to
make q lingtby review of the develop
ment OF the fra lighting force in this
siace the irst great lire hap |
peneu in these plantations. That was on
March 30, 1876, during the King Phillip |
War. The records say that on that date
he Indians SET fire to the town snd nearly /
destroyed the settlement. Thirty HOUSES
we're burned In the north parf Of the town
IND one OF the chief lcsses was the par
isl destruction OF the town records.
leather buckets were the only means OF