Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-11-18
today in the chaplet of England's
martial renOwn.
Like a Rndderless SHIN.

The two instances within twenty
four hours wherein Rock Island has
suffered needless fire loss have served
as most timely demonstrations of
the imperative need of direct and
reliable fire alarm IN Rock Island,
thus sustaining in fullest measure
the contention that has been made
by The Argus. The severe destruc-
ton of residence property of both
Saturday and Sunday might have
been avoided had the firemen been
properly guided. On both occasions
the confusion in sending in the alarm
by telephone misled the department.
The Saturday afternoon call was for
FOrty-fourth street and Eighth ave-
nue-the telephone gave il Twenty
fourth street and Eighth avenue, n
mistake of twenty blocks, consider
ably over mile. In the Sunday fire
the telephone gave it Twenty-third
street and Seventh avenue. whereas
IL should have been Forty-third
street and Seventh avenue-an error
of 20 blocks. The miscarriage of
the signal in each case carried the
nearest fire company located ON
Seventh avenue near Thirty-second
street. in the directly opposite lii
rection to the fire nearly mile be-
fore the mistake was discovered and
the company could begin retracing
its steps. In the meantime. the APP
paratus from the central engine
house was likewise diverted from the
direct course.
In Saturdays fire the nearest com
pany was within four minutes run
at the outside. As il happened a
quarter of an hour elapsed before
the firemen reached the scene and
the fire was then beyond control. In
yesterdays fire the nearest company
was within even easier reach and yet
was led by the telephone to make a
useless and costly run of mile away
from the fire before the mistake was
discovered.
Aside from the unnecessary loss of
property by reason of the lack of a
proper alarm SYSTEM loss equal
To the cost of installing the main
apparatus for a direct alarm. and
attaching "A number OF boxes suffic-
lent to reach the main portion of the
city. and more than half enough to
meet the requirements of the system
complete affording protection to all
parts of the city-there is the posi-
bile injury direct To the city itself of
the wear and tear on the horses and
apparatus of two such long and ter
rifle runs in succession. The rate at
which the department properly trav-
els in response 10 any alarm unav0id-
ably entails more or less risk of
damage to the apparatus. but that il
not to be considered in contempla-
ton of imperative requirements.
But when il comes to running double
the extent of territory necessary to
be travelled. under a misrepresentation
rs 10 the locality. il is a matter
worth thinking about. as il the cost
OF the delay to the citizen who right
fully looks to the municipality 10
provide every good means of protect
ing his property
The third practical illustration to-
day of the present Intellectual meth
od of alarm seemed almost as if de-
signed TO carry the crying need to
the very door of the mayer.
The Rock Island fire department
has time and again shownits efficiency
and caPd bility in coping with fires
when given any kind of Il show. Ii
is negligence of the most reprehensi-
BILE nature on the part of the city TO
handicap the department and jeopar-
die the interests of tax payers by
leaving property at the mercy of I'M
reliable alarm methods.
IT * very much like sending out IA
magnificent war ship without com
pass or rudder To hunt out and an
initiate an enemy.