The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-08
Fire Headquarters
Were Occupied.
CLINTON LOOSES.
Committee on Construction
Take Builders too Task.

Clinton, Jan. The attention of
the central fire station fire committee
has been concentrated upon the fact
that the completion of the work on the
fire station is long delayed. The COM
mittee has expressed itself to the per-
sons it holds responsible for the delay
with severity.
The building was to have been ready
to turn over to the engineers Nov. l.
1t is no nearer that happy time today
than it was d month ago.
1t leaked out today that in a great
many details the new house is unsatis-
factory to the committee and to the
engineers.
Much of the inside work is of flimsy
and unsubstantial character. consider
ing the purpose for which it is intended
The stables have proved entirely insult
1icient to hold the horses, and are now
being reconstructed.
They We're built too lightly
Chief Lawrence Fury showed the cor
respondent of The Spy over the house
this afternoon, incidentally pointing
out some of the defects.
The trouble in the stable began when
one of the horses pushed off one of the
short iron gratings between the stalls.
In falling it frightened another horse,
which broke out of its stall and
smashed the clipping machine.
The brass protecting the windows in
the stall doors are too light. The horses
draw the brass bars back with their
teeth, like bow strings. When they let
go it means shattered glass. Several
panes have been broken out of the
doors replaced. The men keep the bars
creased now The horses don't like the
grease, and let the bars alone, more
| than they did.
The partitions in the stalls are Sc
cured at the rear to short iron posts.
These posts are fastened to the floor
with long screws. They have proved in
sufficient. A gentle force applied with
one hand will make a stall partition
sway like fan.
New posts have been ordered and new
sratings. The new posts will reach from
the floor to the ceiling and will be fas-
tened at each end. The gratings will
extend from end to end of the STALL and
will also be secured at each end. These
and various other changes of minor i'm
portance will, it is believed make the
stalls strong enough for use.
The construction of all this part Of
the work is too light. The estimated cost
ing to Who makes the estimate. Chief
Fury thinks 5000 will eventually be put
into the work to make it right. Mem
oers of the committee estimate a less
sum, on the ground that the iron posts
can be returned and the short gratings
In the cellar matters are in a decided
ly incomplete way. The heater is UNI
covered, and the heat has caused the
big spruce timbers that support the
floors TO cI.dllS in n 11TI1S11ol UNl,o
tlmbers were somewhat green, Chief
Fury thinks, when they were put into
the building. The heat radiating from
the heater has caused the timbers to
separate after a more violent fashion
than they should. Spruce timber always
cracks, more or less.
Chief of Police Thomas Murphy. who
Is member of the fire station commit
tee, believes that the cracking of the
timbers is not serious
10 the inexperienced person, the
cracks look like chasms. They extend
In one or two instances, from end to
end of the timbers, almost splitting
them into halves.
1t was not demanded in the contract
that the heater should be covered. 1t
will cost about SIS to do the work. The
| heater was put in by OToole Bros.
and is satisfactory in every respect.
AS much cannot be said of the small
heater, which developed a flaw and
hooded with water the first time it was
tested Farnsworth, who put it in,
has been asked to replace it. 1t was
expected the work would be done
week or two before this.
The piping, especially the water pipe,
is put up in a way that is in some
respects not satisfactory The water
pipe, running from end to end of the
cellar is suspended from the small
pipes carrying electric wires and says
like q clotheslire after Mondays
wash.
On the first floor new mechanism will
have to be added to the heavy front
doors to hold them up.
The marble basin in the bath rooms
shows cracks across its top. The COM
mittee will have the defect made good.
Another point that the committee Sc
| lected for criticism was tine absence of
protection for the we'll holes through
which the rods run, by which the fire
men descend from the second floor to
the apparatus without waiting to go by
the stairs. These holes are open and
threatening.
All of the defects, as it was learned
| today, received the official attention of
the committee Wednesday morning. At
10 o'clock Judge c. c. Stone, Lucius
Field. Thomas Murphy, w. G. Nc
| Glinchey and George S. Gibson NET
! in the station. Architect Walter f.
| Page was with them.
! Mr.. Page drew the plan for the CEN
| trail fire station. The committee We're
| inclined to hold him responsible for the
delay in the completion of the work.
| and for changes necessary to be made
/ in work supposed to be completed.
All of the details referred to received
| the attention of the committee who re-
| quired in each instance a reason from
| MI. Page
In regard to the delay, Mr.. Pages
| answer was that he had done the best
| he could. He thought the chief delay
! came because it was a long time before
! ne could get the iron for the floor
| tracks.
J The steamer and the big hook and
! ladder truck stand upon the iron tracks
| He explained the comparatively light
| character of some of interior woodwork
! b. the fact that it was necessary to
| keep within the appropriation of SIS
! 600
The trouble in the stables was due
| to an error in estimating the force that
| would be eXerted by the horses against
| the stalls The horses are used so little
| that they are full of ginger. They ex-
| ercise their spare energy in stall de-
| struction.
| have been subjected to less criticism
company, the steamer hose company
should not use the building until it was
ready to turn over Mr.. Murphy thinks
the house should not have gone into
| until n ,8raS pp,,1r1ota TO tna