The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-12
superintendent Mcguire Talks of the
Augusta Trip.

superintendent Mcguire Talks of the
Augusta Trip.
The contingent of the Savannah fire de-
partment which went to the aid of Augusta
Sunday morning, returned early yesterday
morning and half an hour later were back
in service. The boys were UP and about
their duties yesterday as fresh and chip
per as if they had not been on duty for
twenty hours on a stretch the day
before. Their only regret was that they
did not get a chance to show what they
were capable of in Augusta. They think
if the Central had handled them a little
faster they might have had some showing
at the fire.
Supt Mcguire is we'll pleased with the
trip, the conduct of the men and the
treatment which the party received in Au-
gusta. When seen yesterday he gave an
interesting account of the trip, with some
observations upon the situation in Au-
gusta.
I'VE left Savannah on a special over
the Central at a. M, arriving in Augusta
at Ills a. M" said Supt. Mcguire 1.-THE
call for assistance reached me through
the Morning News office at $40 a. m, and
in fifteen minutes after 1 was ready to
move with eleven men, but owing to some
delay on the part of the Augusta officials
the Central Railroad was not requested
TO furnish transportation until Gas a. m
At o'clock, city time Mayor Robbie of
Augusta telephoned me to hurry on to Au-
gusta. We left from the Gordon press,
presuming that we would reach Augusta
in two hours, but for some reason we
were not permitted to run at a speed great
er than thirty-three miles an hour to
Meldrim and had orders to consume two
hours between Meldrim and Augusta We
passed Meldrim five minutes ahead of the
Macon special and reached Augusta at
ul5 having made the run in four hours
and fifteen minutes. I had hoped to reach
Augusta in time to render some service
and while we were glad to find that the
fire had been gotten under control we
were a little disappointed not to be able
TO show what our boys could do, as we
came prepared for work"
The detail consisted of Supt. Mcguire
Foreman Campos, Engineer Remington
Firemen Mckay, Hamilton, Walker, KEEL
ly, O'Leary, Pitts, Fogarty, Kilroy and
Extraman Hartley with engine No. and
1000 feet of hose. The detail was received
at the depot by a delegation of officials
and citizens and were pleasantly enter
tanned during the day. 1t left Augusta at
p. m, reached Savannah al 100 a. M,
and was back in service a 2 a, m.
Il was very much impressed" said
Supt. Mcguire, with the able and eff
cient manner in which the fire was han
died by Chief Roulette and his men. How
it was possible for the chief to get the fire
under control with his limited force and
facilities is a mystery, and displays an
ability on the part of the chief, that Au-
gusta may well be proud Of. one thing I
noticed while in Augusta and a thing
that should be promptly remedied. and
that is the fact that Augusta has outgrown
her fire department The force is too
small, the water mains are Inadequate.
and the department has an insufficient
quantity of hose. The department is seri-
ously impeded by overhead wires and shin
gle roofs are permitted 10 be put on and
repaired all over the city"
THE present fire department Is COM
posed of intelligent men, physically able
to cope with any ordinary fire, but when
a fire starts as it did in Augusta, no de-
partment in the country could have done
any better work than they did. The loss
is variously estimated at from 81, 900. 900 to
81 100000. but judging from what l could
gather. Il will hardly exceed $500, 000'
Foreman Campos says that the men
were royalty entertained, and every posi-
bic attention was shown the detail and
that the trip viii be long and pleasantly
remembered. His men left Savannah in
full fire fighting costume, SLOUGH hats, blue
flannel shirts and boots, and While pro-
ceeding down Broad street, they were fire.
auently applauded. and many remarks
we're made indicating that the Savannah
boys came to fight fire and were not on
a pleasure trip. The contrast between
The Savannah hremen and those OF Macon
was very marked. The Macon men wore
white shirts. collars, necltles and cuffs,
nd
hardened looking in their service clothes,
and apooarad as though they we're ready
to eat smoke,