The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-05-20

Apartments - Director Hitchcock
Advertises for Bids for New APP
paratus - Volunteer Department
Not Yet Officially Disbanded-Com-
panies Nearly UP to Their Quota.
The contract for the decorating OF
the club rooms of the Firemen's Re-
lief association on Spruce street has
been awarded and the work Is now
fairly under way The walls and cell
ings of all the three floors are to be
finished in stereo-ralief or stuccO work,
handsomely decorated.
The ceilings of the big room on the
second floor are to be painted in fresco
by IL New York artist and will, 1t is
expected. equal anything in that line
in the city. This second floor is to be
divided off by grill work partitions and
curtains into parlors. reception rooms.
reading room and smoKing room.
The third floor is to be used as q
meeting room and as a place for con-
ducting entertainments. etc. will be
fitted up with "A small stage. The seat
ing capacity will be between 300 and
400. The fourth floor. which also con-
sists of one large room. is to be used
as gymnasium.
The board OF directors is now busily
engaged in looking over lines of carpet
floors are to be fitted with new Brus-
sells carpet and the larger part OF the
furniture to be used will be new.
81 a. 1au. t,,f IN, an
the several company houses VIII be
utilized as far as possible.
No date has as yet been set for the
formal opening celebration, but the
committee in charge has received as
surances that Chief Croker. of the New
York fire department. and Chief BaX-
ter. of the Philadelphia department.
will be present if they are enabled
to know. n week or so beforehand, the
exact date.
Director Of Public Safety r. l..
Hitchcock has advertised for sealed
proposals for one first-class steam fire
engine, one first class hook and lad
der truck. and 1000 feet of two-and-
one-half inch fire hose of the most
approved pattern and design. Pro-
vision for all this apparatus is made
in the appropriation ordinance. $4,000
being appropriated for the fire engine.
1000 for the hook and ladder truck,
and $1,000 for the hose.
Bids are to be opened publicly on the
afternoon of Tuesday, May 2S. in the
office of the director. who reserves the
right to reject any and all bids. Di
rector Hitchcock in thus deciding to
open the bids and award the contract
is acting in line with City Solicitor
Watson's ruling that the head of each
department and the recorder are given
power by the Muehlbronner act to
award contracts.
The volunteer fire department has
not vet been officially and formally
disbanded. On Saturday. May >, when
Director Hitchcock swore in the new
men and announced the dismissal OF
the six who We're dropped at the var
iols fire houses. he verbally announced
that the volunteer department was dis
banded. He prepared an official order
declaring the volunteers disbanded
and this order. which contained a
tribute to the retiring men from Re-
corder Mor was printed in the daily
papers on Tuesday. May s. Copies
have been prepared for each fire house,
but have never been issued. so that
theoretically the volunteer department.
is still in existence.
Director Hitchcock will not say why
the order has NOT been issued. but It
is generally unders TODD that it is be-
cause the permanent man for the Key
ser Valley Hose company has not yet
been appointed. The organization
ordinance provides that the volunteers
shall not be disbanded until the num-
be of additional permanent men, pro-
vded therein. shall have been ap-
pointed The keyser Valley man Is
Gne of these additional permanent men
and it would seem that until he Is APP
pointed the volunteers cannot be off,
cially diSbanded
II is understood that very few more
bunk and call men are 10 be sworn in
Hitchcock says that there are
several more tn be appointed, but in
Inmates that he is pretty we'll satisfied
with the department as 1t stands at
present. Not all the companies have
the number of men provided for in the
ordinance.
The Nay Aug. Phoenix and Crystal
which protect the most i'm
portant part Of the city, have their
full quota of men, as have the Column
bias and !he Reliefs, the two combna-
ion chemical and hose companies.
Neither the Neptune. Franklin, Gen.
Phinney or Eagle engine companies
have the requisite number of men, but
hey average with the permonent men
about seven men each. The four North
companies are pretty well
illed up, there being but very few
vacancies. There are two or three men
hort in the Century company, hut the
William connell company has its fun
luota ana was the first company to
nave IT,
Two alarms of fire on Friday last at
which there Was just about five min
ites work done, cost the city 80. for
Dunk and call men. The first alarm
vas from Box I6 ana was sent i'm af-
er the explosion at the Delaware &
hudson shops. Three of the North
companies responded and il
ook Just five minutes to put out the
lanes. The time sheets sent in by the
several tiremen for this blaze footed
lp to sl2, That evening the central
ity companies responded TO an alarm
rom Box -, but the slight blaze was
mt before they arrived. The time
,ilS for this run foot up 10 $40.
Under the new regime Chief Xizelman
must attend every fire. This is be-
ause the district chiefs who formerly
ooi charge Of small fires are dis
'ensed with. OF course i'm the past
lc chief always made an fort to At