The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1906-05-25

10 the present needs Gf the fire depart
mcnt of Astoria has been submitted to
the committee on fire and water Of the
city council by Fire Chief Foster and
is now pending before that committee:
May Ia, 1906.
To the Honorable Committee on Fire
and Water, ex.Onicio Fire Commission.
Gentlemen: In connection with the
proposed addition to the fire depart
ment, would recommend the following
for your consideration, and which, II
adopted, will greatly increase the effic.
iency Of the department and give pretty
good protection to the whole city.
First. place Hose Company No. on
Bond street at the top Of the hill, just
west Of First street. This will place
them in position 10 reach fire in any
part Of Uniontown in from 30 seconds to
two minutes. Whereas from the present
location it will take from six to eight
possibly ten minutes lthis is long time
for fire to burn after being discover
edl This will give protection TO part
OF the city in which there is over half
million dollars invested and which has not
not much protection at the present time.
The change will not endanger the cen
trail part OF the city at all as they can
reach any part OF the city east of Sew
enth street, in about one minute more
time than from the present location.
and anything west of Seventh, to First
in a quick time If not quicker than
from the present location.
Second. place Hose Company No. 8 at
Thnty.sixth and Franklin streets, from
this location they can reach a fire in
any part OF the city east of Thirty sixth
in from six to ten minutes quicker than
they can from their present location, and
anything between Thirty-siXth and
Thirty second in from two to three
minutes quicker and yet it would not
take them longer than three minutes
more for anything west of Twenty
eighth street than from the present loca-
tion. This change would give a pretty
good protection to that part of the city
east of Thirty.third street.
Third, build a hose bed on the Hook
and Ladder truck (which can be done at
a nominal expense) to carry say six to
eight hundred feet of hose, place it in
the house which | believe is contemplat-
ed building on the O. r. & \. Company
property. This company could reach
Clatsop Mill in very little longer time
than il would take Hose No. 3 from
their present location. They could reach
anything between Sixteenth and the
mill quicker than Hose No. at pres
ent, and they could reach anything be-
tween Twelfth and Sixteenth quicker
than Hose No. can at the present, and
between Twelfth and Ninth not more
than thirty seconds longer than it takes
Hose No. |, and west of Seventh street
about one and a half minutes longer
than Hose No. now takes. Later on
chemical tank could be installed on the
truck. In this house the two engines
could be kept ready for instant use.
Also a chief engineers buggy. The
chemical company is at present in e
good location.
A combination hose and chemical
wagon should be purchased and placed
on the hill somewhere on Irving avenue
between Ninth and Fifteenth this com
pany could reach any fire on the hill in
from ten to fifteen minutes quicker than
it can be reached by any of the COM
panies now. As it is now, should a
house catch on fire on the hill il would
have such start before il can be reach
ed that it would be destroyed This
company could reach any fire in the
business district within one to two min
utes. l would also recommend that two
or three good pumps be purchased and
placed on some of the small boats, that
always have steam up and are here
about twenty out of the twenty-four
hours. ! believe that this could be ar
ranged without expense except the cost
of the pumps. The United States Gov
ernment might put pumps on their boats
without expense to the city, if the mat
ter was taken up with them. These
pumps would be of great advantage in
case of water front fire or of the
bursting of the city mains at time of
fire. Respectfully submitted,
c. E. FOSTER,