The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-04-14
Need of An Areial Truck and
Fire Main Alluded To.
Expense Of The Department
Last Year Was $8,426.
Discipline Of the Central Sta
ton Force Is Good.

From Saturdays Daily. g I
Chief A. d. Beach of the fire depart
ment presented his annual report to the
council last night. The net fire loss for
the year ending April Bird, 1905, is esti-
mated at $l3,7l6.90, with the total
amount of insurance at $7l,llO. During
the year the department responded to
| fifty-nine alarms of fire, of which nine
teen were sent by fire alarm telegraph,
thirty eight by telephone, and two by
personal service.
The apparatus of the department con-
sists of three hook and ladder trucks,
and fifty gallon chemical engine, two
hose wagons, five hose carts, two chiefs
buggies, one exercising wagon, two bob
sleds, one set of runners for hose wag-
on, one extra wagon for hauling manure.
The department has on hand a total
of 1850 feet of all kinds of fire hose.
| Of this. there are $50 feet of rubber
hose in fair condition, 1900 feet of cot
ton hose in fair condition, 5000 feet of
cotton hose in good condition, and 100
feet of one-inch rubber chemical hose
and 100 feet of three fourths inch rub
Der hose which is carried on the wag-
ons, and both are in good condition.
There is also $50 feet of condemned
hose.
The department has in use six head
of horses. 1t sold one team for $l75,
and bought one horse for $3.50. All are
in good condition, and although several
contagious diseases were prevalent in
this locality during the past year, none
of the fire horses were infected.
The Gamewell fire alarm system in
cludes an electric storage battery at the
central station, nineteen boxes, the bell
in the city hall tower, two indicators
and four striking gongs, all of which are
in good order and perfectly reliable.
The manual force of the department
consists of eighty-fve officers and men,
of which six are paid and located at the
central fire station and in active SER
vice. The discipline of the force is
good and has been so. No complaints
in regard to the conduct of any of the
firemen have been received, they have
tried to be courteous and helpful 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 SER
vice there is still chance for i'm
provement.
The expenditures of the department
during the year were as follows:
Salaries, $5,76372; light, $232.69;
fuel, $5l3.24; forage. $500; shoeipg,
$Ill.lO; hose, chiefs buggy, etc.,
bought, $5l4.4O; miscellaneous expense,
$472O4; laundry $780, total, $s,426.55.
The chief recommends that a fourteen
inch main be laid in the alley between
Front and Second streets from Wash
ington to Liberty He also recommends
the purchase of Segrafes' earial truck,
and that it be placed in service at the
central fire station, and tnat the one
in service at the present time either
be sold or exchanged in part payment
for the new one. The latter is good
truck and can be disposed of to good
advantage. The city has outgrown the
usefulness of the present truck, as it is
now inadequate to fill the wants of the
department. The department needs an
aerial truck with nothing less than
seventy-foot ladder. The present long
est ladder will only extend forty-five |
feet, which comes considerably short of
reaching the top of many of the build
ings.
The chief says: Gentlemen, these
recommendations have been long wanted
necessities, but for economy's sake they
nave been passed up. | am believer
in economy. | have aimed to be eco
nomical in all my dealings for the de-
partment and the city at large, and
shall continue to do so, but / believe,
where economy is practiced at the peril
of disaster, it becomes crime"
The. chief expresses his thanks to the
mayor, council, committee on fire de-
partment, police force and all other city |
officials, and to the two assistant engi-
neers, the officers and men of the de-
partment, and the press and public in
general, for favors, work or compli- |
ments. Regarding the officers and men |
of the fire department, he says that |
they have been prompt and courteous
at all times, and have worked hard and |