The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-05-22
The Factory District Is the Weakest
Point in the City.
The Purchase Of a Seventy Foot Lad
der Is Also Advised.
Annual Report of Fire Department
Shows Small Losses.

fire department was presented to the
council last night, and will be printed
in pamphlet form.
The losses from fire for the year end
ing April LIST, 1903, are estimated at
$l2,745.45, with total amount of in
surance of $44,475. During the year the
department responded to GO alalms, of
which % were by fire alarm telegraph,
81 were telephone and were by per-
sonal service
The department has on hand 5000
| feet of hose of all kinds, of which there
is 700 feet of rubber hose in fair con-
dition, 1000 feet of cotton hose in fair
condition, and $500 feet of cotton hose
! in good condition. The rubber chemical
hose is in good condition.
The seven horses in the department are
all in good condition, and have escaped
the several prevalent diseases in this To-
cality the past year. The harnesses are
in fair condition.
!
order and perfectly reliable. Only one
alarm was missed during the year, and
that was probably due to the unfamil-
iarity of the person sending it.
The departments manual force con-
sists of So officers and men, of whom 6
are paid. The discipline is good and no
complaints have been received in regard
to the conduct of any of the men, who
have tried to be courteous and obliging
to all, and their work has been done
in faithful and efficient manner.
The water supply during the past year
has been good, but for fire service there
is still a chance for improvement.
The expenditures of the department
consisted of S5,49372 for salaries, $26S.56
for light, s5ll.29 for fuel, S546l6 for
forage, $S6.l5 for shoeing, S956.l0 for
purchases of apparatus, hose, etc., S4l.60
for repairs, and s4535l for miscellaneous
expenses, total of sS,357.O9.
The following is the portion of the re-
port containing the recommendations:
Observation-Disclosures this head l
would like to say to your honorable
body that it has always been both Gus
tomary and desirable that the chief of
this department should make such recon-
mendations to the council as from time
to time he may see that such is neces-
sary, and that the department and citi
zens of this city will be directly bene-
fitted by same being carried out Hereto
fore my recommendation have been car
ried out almost to the letter and l
have felt very gratifed to those who
have acknowledged my requests as
naught but necessities, for 1 am to ask
for or recommend nothing but what
deem a necessity.
In closing my report last year l made
one recommendation which L considered
very seriously before doing SO, and it
was a matter which many others had
considered in the same light, and since
then it has been considered a great deal
more so. Now it is this one recommen-
dation in particular that | wish to call
your honorable body's attention to. 1t is
in regard to the extension of the water
mains in a certain district [ would
recommend the extension of the water
mains and the placing of hydrants as
follows:
| First. The extension of the main on
Elm street from the alley between Will
low and Maple street from the alley be-
tween Willow and Maple streets to
Maple street and the placing of a hydrant
at the corner Of Maple and Elm streets.
Rock street from Front street to Maple
street, and the placing of hydrant at
the corner of Willow and RocI, streets,
and at the corner of Maple and Rock
streets.
| Third. The extension of main on Vine
street from Front street to Willow
street, and the placing of a hydrant at
the corner of Willow and Vine streets.
By referring to my report which was
submitted to the council last year you
will find l made straight plea for thiS
extension if alone for fire protection. 1
also stated that Gin this district are
located several of our factories and
local industries which, if attacked by
fire at the right time and place it would
! undoubtedly result in large confagra-
ton because, for the want of an immedi-
ate and proper supply of water, the de-
partment would be unable to cope with
it." The possibilities included in this
statement were almost verified on two oc-
casions this year. On Feb. Goth the de-
partment received a call at Sis p. m.
stating that the Chicago Great West
ern roads round house was on fire. They
Immediately responded to the call and
upon arriving at the scene of the fire
| found it necessitated the stretching of a