Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1897-02-24
TROUBLES or OLD FIREMEN.
Primitive Fire Fighting and the Many
Complications Attending 1t.


Complications Attending 1t.
In the days of the old volunteer
IRE department in New York mat
ters were not regulated and ordered
as they are today, but nearly every
thing depended upon the Judgment
and foresight of the individual, and
there was practically no public au-
thority to enforce compliance with
even the most reasonable regula-
lions.
A quite large item of domestic i'm
portation during the years proceed
ing the civil war was cotton, chiefly
from New Orleans, Mobile, Savan-
nah and Charleston This cotton
was stored in cotton warehouses,
and when fire occurred in one of
these it lasted usually not several
hours, but several days One such
eonflagration in the first year OF the
century at the corner of Roosevelt
and Front streets lasted three days,
at the end of which the walls stood
intact. Some years later, In another
FIRE in a cotton warehouse, it was
thought necessary to blow up an adj
sacent building in order to prevent
the flames from spreading, as the
water had frozen and there was a
high wind blowing. The owner of
the premises refused to give up the
KEYS, and as the firemen had no
right to demand them an interview
was arranged with the mayor to
talk the matter over. The mayor
recommended that the keys should
be demanded Sin the name of the
city." The owner continued to re
fuse, until finally the police were
called. Then he gave up the keys.
Another cotton warehouse fire oc-
Cured in New street. When it was
supposed that there would be no
further confagration, the fremen
were told that they might better go
home. They went home, leaving one
company only on the spot playing
on the cotton until daybreak. AS
the cotton continued to smolder
the proposition was made that time
might be saved by the adoption of a
new plan of fire fighting, and so the
originator of it, Zophar Mills, went
down to the wharf and hired some
laborers at SO cents an hour They
Commenced throwing the cotton out
OF the windows into the street and
pumping water on it through hose,
thus, as Mr.. Mills described the
method, bringing the water in con-
tact with every particle of fire. =
The kindly deeds of great public.
benefactors are seldom appreciated
by their contemporaries The next
day Mr.. Mills sought out the insur-
ance companies which had policies
on the cotton saved and presented
his bill for the money paid the
wharf laborers. It was about $45.
Mr.. Mills thought the companies
would pay it promptly, as by his
original method of cotton saving
fheythad been saved several thou
sand%dollars. The companies, how
ever,frefused to liquidate Mr. Mills
bill, and, as he added in his mem
oirs, 1T was with the greatest diff
cultyI got my money back, prom
ising myself not to do the like
again. -
Under the organized rule Of the
present New York fire department
the engagement of dock laborers to
throw cotton out of windows at so |
cents an hour would be regarded as
a somewhat primitive method of fire
fighting, and the presentation by
the foreman of a fire company Of a
bill to some insurance company
would probably entail as a penalty
his rem oval from the force and he,
too, might promise himself mot to
do the like again New York Sun.