The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-10
vAUGHN'S GOOD WORK
Fire Apparatus Off
For Clinton in
Fast Time.
THE WORK OF SPRlNKLERS.
Automatic Arrangement at
the Boston Store Saved
Many Dollars.

The Worcester fire department made
a record in getting it's apparatus on
the way to the Clinton fire Monday
night that shows how quickly aid can
be rendered if all arrangements are at
tended to properly
At 4.26 Monday afternoon, Chief E.
L. Vaughn OF the fire department re-
ceived a telephone message from Chief
F. E. Babcock, of the Clinton fire de-
partment, asking for aid. Chief Vaughn
Immediately telephoned to the office of
the Boston & Maine railroad, where he
arranged with the general manager of
the road for special train.
The alarm was then turned in from
box 81 at Lincoln square, and the en-
tire apparatus of the Worcester de-
partmnt was on its way to Lincoln
square in exactly five minutes after the
message was received from Clinton.
The train was waiting, and Chief
Vaughn after picking out the pieces
which were to go to the fire, superin-
tended the loading, and at five o'clock
the train pulled away from the Lin
coin square depot on it's way to the fire.
When the message was received by
the chief, after making arrangements
for the special train, he called up Chief
Electrician F. H. Mcclure, and ordered
that the alarm be sent out from box 81,
and when one considers that the work
was all done in "a minutes, the remark
able ability of the local fire department
to attend hurried calls cannot be
doubted. Chief Vaughn has received
many compliments for his good work
in the matter and feels that his men
did work which is recommendation
to the property holders Of the city of
their ability.
The arrangements made by the Bos-
ton & Maine railroad were also of the
first order. The train of one box car
and two flats which were ordered by
square station waiting when the de-
partment arrived, and in addition, blocks
to secure the fire wagons on the cars
were also in readiness. The section of
the Worcester department did much
good after it arrived in the town in
keeping the fire within the bounds it
had already made, and it might have
done more damage, but for the timely
arrival of the two pieces from Worces-
ter.
The pressure in Clinton was hardly
high enough to enable the local COM
panies to do as well as they might I'M
der different circumstances. The mains
are of the 12-inch size, but engine 8,
which was sent up, was attached to a
Migrant, ana ulu GOOD Work IN renew
ing the pressure.
The possibilities of the automatic
sprinkler were given a good demon
stration at the Boston store fire Friday
morning, when what possibly might
have been a big fire was extinguished
by the work of section of the sprink-
Ter in the building.
Had it not been for the work of the
sprinkler, the fire would have certain
ly got good Roadway. as it was on the
top floor of the Clark building. The
blaze was in such a position that with
a good start the damage would prob
ably have been great. 1t started in a
workroom which is given up to getting
out orders, and while there was nothing
lying about that would take fire there
was plenty of material for a conflagra-
ton. AS it was, the Waterman, Thorn
as Ryan, first learned of the fire by
the ringing of the alarm attached to
the automatic sprinklers, and started
on a tour of investigation around the
building. At the top floor, he discov-
cred that the sprinklers were leaking
at high rate, and that the water was
pouring down on all sides. He smelt
smoke near the top, and finally discov-
cred the smouldering ruins of the ar
ticles where the fire started
While the loss was considerable by
water. the firemen figure that If good
fire got started, the loss would have
been greater, even by water, as it
might have become necessary to turn
the large hose on to cope with the
progress of the flame. AS 1t was, the
blaze was eXtinguished almost entirely
by the sprinkler.