The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-12-21
OLD FIREMAN HAS
 NEW PIPE DREAMS
Thought City Was We'll Pro tected When Alarm Came in
COULD SEE NEW APPARATUS
Eddie Keith Wakes Up as the Gong Strikes and Finds the City Still
 Shy About Half of the
 Equipment Needed.

Equipment Needed.
 After having been on watch for several hours last night, Eddie Keith, one of the best known firemen in the department. climbed wearily to the second floor to turn in and sleep until the sun rose, or the gong struck. and as he slept he had a dream, and in his visions he saw the Birmingham fire department as it should be.
 Bit by bit the story of the dream has been picked from him, and fireman after fireman has told his portion of it until the dream in it's entirety has become more or less public The story as tqld about headquarters last night Is aS'1ol- lows:
 The Freman's Dream.
 'The dream must have started just after I went to sleep, for 1t lasted long and was exceeding sweet. I dreamed that it was in the early hours of the morning On a cold winter night, and an alarm started in from box 1S2 which is the fire mans dread, the box of all others which may mean trouble.
 But It was different then from what 1t is now. As l slid down the pole in my dreams, I thought of what a magnificent department we had and how hard It would be for a fire to get a start. I could see men swarming down the poles from every direction, and from headquarters went forth two brand new hose wagons with ten men each. And following close ly were two engines, the smoke and flames pouring from the top of the stacks, and behind them came new ex- tension ladder, capable of reaching the upper windows of the tailest building. and Dad" LaRouque was sitting in the drivers seat.
 Apparatus Still Coming.
 As we neared the fire I heard the gongs of other apparatus ringing, a warming to all to clear the way. And I dreamed that from the Southside there came a new engine and ! new light service truck, the running board of which was loaded with active firemen. And there was a new wagon also, with it's ten men.
 A few seconds later another engine came in sight from East End, and with 1t came a new hose wagon. l could see far up Twentieth street. and down the hill came the Five Points apparatus, a chemical and a hose wagon, and from North Highlands came the same. West End was there, too an engine and hose wagon.
 q paused a minute while they pulled the hose from my wagon, and counted the firemen, and there were over 100 present, with the chief, assistant chief and two captains. During that pause I thought of what would happen if there should be another fire in town, and my heart beat with pride when l thought of the new stations, one at Richmond Place, one at Lakevlew, one al Fountain Heights and one on Twenty-fourth street and Twelfth avenue. l knew they could handle any other fire, for at each station there was a new hose wagon, and on each of the highlands there were two engines. True, they were old en- zines. but they were good.
 Fine Fire Plugs. "As my dream ran on, 1 dismounted from my wagon and found the latest im- proved fire plugs, to which we attached line, and the pressure was so great that one would have thought a steamer was pumping with 200 pounds pressure. l dreamed that l saw two plugs at each corner and one in the middle of every block, and that we did not have to lay lines two and three blocks long to get water Although the fire was a big one to start with, we had no trouble in con- querlng it, and the fire insurance men complimented the department on its im- provement. I thought also of the new water mains and alarm boxes.
 But my dream ended suddenly. Click Click, click, click Click, elck! I heard the apparatus on the gong working and was out of bed Into my boots just as I counted lS2. The fatal box had come. The dream was at an endn'
 And then the firemen tell of what they really have with which to fight that fire. One old truck with not enough men to work it. Two frst-class engines. but one in reserve, with no one to run 1t unless fremen be taken from their regular places, and three old engines. Just six hose wagons two of them with runs of more than a mile to make. A plug on every block and long lines to lay, with a pressure that was, at best, far too weak. Only about half enough firemen, and the remainder of the city at the mercy of the flames.