New-York tribune., 1902-02-16

Nowhere else on earth is there such army of
fire fighters stands ready at all hours OF the
day and night in this city respond TO call from
any one Of the little red fire boxes that IN
every street
The fire force OF the metropolis consists OF 2400
men. double the size OF any other department in
the country. This force Is divided into hun
dred and ninety companies in the boroushs of Man
haitian The Bronx. Brooklyn and Queens, the
Borough of Richmond stir being under the protec-
tion OF volunteers
As an object lesson to the hremen Of this city the
Paterson confagration regarded as instructive
Several officials or the New-York department Wis
ted the ruins of the Paterson fire on Monday and
noted the OF the flames in their journey of
destruction, especially how they seemed to follow
given path devouring substantial buildings and
permitting frame structures here and there 70
escape. Chief Croker asked IL such a fire
could have occurred I'm New-York. NO" was the
Chiefs reply. I'VE would never let il get such
headway IL might take half block. even al
entire block. but It would never cross the street
while there a company left fight it"
The views expressed by the head OF the fire force
are echoed by his subordinates.
Frequently citizens stand and watch the fremeu
so fearlessly into a building charged with smoke
and flames Up the stairs they go with their lines
and into the part of the building. The officers
and men under terrific punishment. but this is
expected. because they know the fire must be
stopped before It reaches another floor. This
perlence OF the New-York fremen has made them
most efficient fire fighters. They do not fear smoke,
flames heat because they have become familiar
with all three
In the drygoods region Of Manhattan are immense
insurance risks. Here stored hundreds of mill
ions OF dollars worth OF merchandise of the most
infiammable character. Every officer of the Fire
Department fears outbreak OF fire here. and
when of the boxes In this district Is pulled
there is anxiety throughout the department until 1t
is known that the companies responding to the
alarm back in quarters.
on every Broadway frebox four engine and two
truck companies respond TO the first call in addi-
tion Chief Croker. a deputy chief. two battalion
chiefs and an insurance patrol wagon. This force
is a fire department in itself. II the flames are
under any headwsy no chances taken. The six
companies might put II out, but a second alarm is
sent in. and while the fremen fighting for a
foothod six other companies, one OF the big water
towers and a searchlght engine their way
to the scene; and there rs other companies in
their houses all over the city that can be sum-
moned Fifty of these companies could reach the
scene less than twenty minutes.
The average engine in the Fire Department pumps
800 gallons OF water every minute. This
through a three-tnch nozzle and the firemen de-
liver it close the fire. that its efficiency is
double that OF a stream at a greater distance
One of the largest fires. in recent years that
which year ago destroyed the Wicke cigar factory
and a number OF surrounding buildings at Thirty
frst-st. and First-ave. This fire intense
that rubber coats took fire hundred feet away
from the flames.
This fire furnished excellent Illustration of the
determination of the fire force prevent flames
from crossing a street. One of the towers lost
and forty-nne fire companies summoned, many
in response the confa grafton signal So
were compelled TO abandon their positions in front
OF the burning structures. 1t was a supreme mo-
ment. The streams fell short of their mark be-
cause the iremen could not live nearer to the
burning mass. More fire companies could have
been obtained in about twenty-five minutes but
haara
streams could reach the flames Chief Croker,
under the provisions of the law pressed the insur-
ance patrol into the service of the city and the
patrolmen ordered strip the surrounding
buildings of all outside infiammable material, such
shutters.
recton of two rows of buildings At once the fire.
men prepared for the struggle. a force of COM
panies charged the blaze with powerful streams
getting nearer and nearer TO the doomed structure