The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-14
FIRE BELLS SWITCHED BACK.
THEY WILL CONTINUE TO SOUND
THE ALARMS.

supt. Mcguire Discovers That the
Move Is Very Unpopular One-The
Ladies' as Well ns the Citizens
Generally, Manifested Very Decid
ed Opposition to Such n Change.
The Superintendent Had Cut the
Bells out Before He Learned of the
Mayors Opposition, But They
We're Switched Back on the Cir
cult Yesterday.
Mayor Myers made no mistake in hitting
the popular side of the question when he
decided that the proposition TO cut out
the fire bells and leave the citizens TO find
out about fires as best they could here
after was move in the wrong direction.
Judging from statements from various
sources the move would have been the
most unpopular one the administration
could have made, and a protest woulu
have been raised such as has not been
excited by any public matter in recent
years.
Superintendent Mcguire, serene in his
confidence that the Mayor would oppose
no objection to the change, and having in
view only the g cd of the fire service pro-
ceeded to cut out the Big Duke and all the
other engine house alarm bells at o'clock
Friday night. Later in the night he learn
ed from Mayor Myers that this change
Gid not meet with h s approval. 1t was too
late to make the change back that night
and this was not done until yesterday at
noon Had a fire alarm been turned in
IL.
would not have been aware of the fact.
and only those who saw the engines pass
would have known that such was the
case.
Superintendent Mcguire was made very
fully aware yesterday that the move was
not a popular one He was kept busy all
day ex laining why he had undertaken to
effect such an unheard of revolution Peo-
pie stopped him on the streets and others
got him over the telephone and expressed
their vic WIS on the subject. Notwithstand-
ing The announcement in the Morning
News that the Mayor had decided to the
contrary, good many peop.e still seem to
fear that the change would be made. The
ladies displayed a very decided interest in
the matter and several letters were re-
ceived from them by the superintendent
in which they gave him to understand
that the fire alarm was Indispensable to
them.
The feminine residents of the southern
section seemed to be especially interested.
Their plea was that their husbands being
away a business the greater part of the
cay the fire bell was their main reliance
for prompt Information as to conhagrat-
ions in the neighborhood of their homes
Without such information the ladies SEEM
d to think hat there was no telling what
untold calamities might occur should their
masculine protectors fail to be made
aware of the presence of the fire fiend.
Superintendent Mcguire msekly pleads
mea culpa and promises not TO make any
such break again.
The switching off of the Big Duke
and other fire bells In the city seems to be
a very unpopular move" sa the super
intendent yesterday when this was rec
commended by me l had in view the inter
ests of the department alone, but to-day l
have been very much impressed with the
knowledge that there are others who claim
TO be due some consideration in this mat
ter. / had hoped that all citizens would
be thankful to me for having issued an or
der that would insure to them the sleep
of the just" and whereby they would not
be rudely awakened from their sLImbars
in the dead of the night or the wee hours
of the morn, but ii seems ! have been ex-
ceedingly wrong. l am very much i'm
pressed with the interests taken by the la
dies in this matter and under the great
pressure that has been brought 10 pear
l am not surprised that his honor tle
Mayor has ordered the bells to ring. The
petition of the ladies alone is sufficient IN
its influence to cause the Fire Committee
10 change its minds. while so far as / am
concerned. l am duty bound TO respect the
wishes of those who always add 10 our
I, comfort and health in times CT great and
ugly fires by the cheerful and liberal Co
nations of hot and steaming cups Of cof-
fee Say for me, please. that the bells
will continue to ring and that l hope they
will do their work in fit and a becoming
manner"