The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-12-15
LONDON'S Big FIRE.
English Technical Journal Tells Tn
pleasant Truths About DE partment.

y
The outbreak commenced about l
O'Clock in warehouse 10 Wells street;
the usual calls reached 1.-THE fire brigade,
and were attended To in the ordinary
way, but before any considerable number
OF fremen could attend, the fire had
spread rapidly. and by the time about 300
men OF toe Metropolitan Fire Brigade
with forty five steam tire engines and the
whole of the Salvage Corps had got to
work its extent mad already involved sew
eral strests. the first workers To arrive
having been 5eaten back by tho flames.
1t was In fact, not until the whole of
the atove force had been also driven back
strong party walls, some open spaces,
and the shifting of the slight breeze
that was blowing, that the extent Of tile
coGflsgration could te stopped. The ex
tent of she damage Is tersely described
10y the insurance surveyor AS 80 build
Jugs absolutely gone, 10 buildings burned
out 20 buildings damaged, and 4 build
ings scorched." IL is interesting to note
that there was no nigh wind at the time
OF the fire, otherwise the loss would have
been certainly far greater one. Fur
ther, that the first call to the fire 6ppar-
entity came by telephone; that there are
several fire stations in close proximity to
the scene of the tire, but that the frog
ress OF the engine was much hampered by
the coEgested state Of the traffic. The
roads throughout the scene of the cou-
flagratlon were of the narrowest kind
common TO the city. large number OF
the buildings had common areas or
courts and though the structures were
in many cases by no means old ones, lit
tie OF nothing has been done in them to
prevent the spread OF fire. lhore have
been the usual complaints as TO the dearth
OF vater at the early stages OF the tirc,
dearth OF Goals for the fire engines the
difficulty in cutting off the gas; but these
complaints can now be taken as mat
ter of course ut every large London fire.
On the other hand experts have accorded
the Salvage Corps considerable amount
of praise for the businesslike manner in
which their work WAS done, while the
same experts certainly did not apparently
see anything like good tactics in the
handling OF the fire brigade, excepting.
perhaps. as regards a party on the lee
side, which was certainly WILL managed.
Those who attended the fire and have
sfterward examined the ruins. can only
tell the same tale. The lesson Is that We
seem to know but very little about fire
protection In Iondcn, aud that the
sooner we take up the m after tho better
for oil concerned, more particularly
if we remember the rate at which tie
metropolis is growing in extent. the
greater costliness Of our structures and
their contents.
We are not only too far behind other
countries in taking pre-, entive measures,
but we are certainly also not ahead of
other modernly equipped cities as re-
CARDS fire extinguishing, excepting, per-
haps in the ply sique and activity OF our
fremen, our borseilesh and driyi1g, our
new fire stations, some of our engines,
the cleanliness and brightness of our
brasswork, and red paint. Our fire brig
ade can also boast of being able to play
to the gallery better than mapy of thsir
colleagues elsewhere. Al regards orSani-
zation, general management. and ap-
pliances, tactics, and, what is perhaps
most serious, the principles on which our
fire service is based. we are not only worse
than many other cities but actually the
laughing stock Of the foreigner. whom
we are so apt 20 despise. There is not
the least doubt that Sir Eyre Massey
Shaw's brilliant conceptions when he
took up the reins OF our Fire Department
after Mr.. Braidwood's death could only
pe realized in part during the time he
held office. and that what was, however
already the model brigade of the world
In the seventies certainly no longer holds
that position. Other nations learned from
us at that time and adopted our methods,
improved and developed them, while we
have practically stood still IN everything
excepting numerical strength. And even
in numerical strength IL seems curious
that today. in 1897, we have only about 1000
men, while Sir Eyre Massey Shaw. rs far
back as 1879, officially recommended that
what has been the increase of area and
value In twenty-five yearsp We are afraid,
too. that, as with tho sase of the army,
we dislike to hear plain truths about our
ire Department, and when we want
remedy wo attempt to tinker instead
CT introducing thorough reform. We
are even under the impression that 1t will
he the policy of the department not TO
ask for any addition to its strength be-
cause Of course. there are great many
interests personal, political, and other
wise, TO consider from the departments
point of Wow, quite apart from the cues.
tion OF providing London with thor
oughly efficient fire service. .Wo also have
the misfortune TO have new fire chief,
who can, of course, scarcely yet DO able
To appreciats what fire protection means
for city ike London. lt would be dan
gerous for him TO attempt reorganization
at so early stage OF his new career. -
Engineering.
SV-l. laehs Derhaoe ,t'e