Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-04-29

house and the horses moved back 10
the places where they now stand. only
they stood facing the corner instead OF
facing the truck as they now do.
IN those days we did not have the
water system that we now have, and
had 10 take our water out of the reser-
voirs that were placed all about the
| city Even now should the water sys-
| TEN give out for some reason. we can
RELY on these large reservoirs to pump
from Only one Of them has been filled
in. and that is the one in Market
souare. one year ago this winter. a
| little accident caused the wafer supply
to be off for short time | Went
around and shovelled out, so that we
| could get at the reservoirs in case OF 2
| fire They are large tanks holding
! over 100 hogSheads of water placed in
| the ground. Few people know of their
presence. only those who have lived
| here. During the past II years since
| we have had the water system. we
| have not had to fall back on them
| They were. as a rule. supplied by the
Devine system. The one on Sand hill
we used to fill with the steamer after
fire. pumping from the brook to the
tank.
The hose in those days was hauled
by the men in a four wheeled wagon
At an alarm Of fire they would all rush
to the hose house and get out the hose
carriage. Then we had several of the
little tWo-Wheeled affairs such as some
of our smaller companies have, today.
LAS soon as the water supply was
put in, We discontinued hauling the
steamer. but would go with the hose
wagon. Now we never use the steam
yer unless by a special call. we have
had no occasion to use it in the past
year or more.
The time we used To make in those
days was hardly mp to what il is now
Every second counts and we hurry MS
fast as possible To get 10 every fire III
my bedroom / have a large cight-inch
gong that strikes 50 that hear the
first alarm al night. While / am put
ting on the clothes thai | always place
in just such Il position, can tell where
il is. " if ] am ahead Of the alarm. the
indicator down stairs tells me. As /
go down the stairs | pull the string
that hangs there beside the stairs ana
that opens the doors in front Of the
horses. In the tWinklng of an eye the
horses are out i'll their places under
the harnesses. 4 pun on a hanging
knob release the harnesses and there is
a swapping of buckles t. a.. ana am
ready to be of.
There is no reason to doubt his words
about the hurrying part when il is
known that at a recent Sunday night
fire. he was asleep at the time tn"
alarm rung in. In two minutes and ten
seconds ne was on Water street turn
ing the corner to 90 up to the scene Of
Box %. Often in the day time he is
ready to drive ont Of the house almost
before the alarm has rung through
once.
He says he has never vet taken cold
by going To a fire. once he lost the
overshoe he slipped on To go To a night
fire in the fall Of the year He was the
first one to arrive ana had the pipe
connected to the hydrant when the
others arrived. They found he had lost
one Of his shoes ana was barefootrd on
the frozen ground, though he had not
noticed. Remembering this occurrenc,
the Journal asked him if he did not
find driving an exciting business.
1t used to be-" he replied. but il
has grown to BE- an old story and II
now nothing but business. 1t is mere
~ a case Of hustle as fast as ! can"
Did YOU ever run over any one be
fore the man last Saturday evening on
Water street,"
No. he was the first man | ever run
into or over. though of course | have
had some. close escapes. That man was
jagged and run into a post before fall
ing under the horses feet. | saw him
but could not turn out. 1t seemed as
though the front wheel went into the
air three feet when | Went over him"
Were you ever thrown or injured >"
Il was thrown once. 1t was one time
when | was going down Bridge hill to
Water street and | struck team that
got in my way. 1t caused my horses
to go right into the store at the corner
now used as a confectionery store and
at the same time it threw me 50 that
| landed upon their heads and held
them until some one came to my as
SiStanCe. II did not injurc me in the
least.
''The largest fire that has been seen
10's on Water street when nearly $3.50
600 of property was destroyed. The fire
started in a block where the Vickcry
block now stands and swept the street
clear to the Winthrop street section.
AT that time the fire had gained such n
Roadway that as the team was driven
through the street to respond 10 IN"
alarm, the hair on the horse nearest
the fire was scorched badly"
How DO you manage to keep the
hose dry" asked the reporter.
We have about 24O0 feet of hose in
all We carry a little over 100 feet in
the wagon. This leaves an extra Shift
of hose. on returning from Il fire the
first thing we do is to unload the Nnt
| hose ana load the wagon with the dry,
so that it will be ready for use. Ne
take the wet hose into the tower where
all the water is taken out. A hot fire
is built in the very bottom part in
room that is timed on the inside and
there the heat is allowed to go up the
hose drying il very free of water and
thus preventing its rotting. After il
is dried we bring it up all in rolls and
it is ready to use again
Il suppose you receive many calls by
telephone" was suggested.