The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-05-08

CONVENTION
MANY TOPICS OF INTEREST TO
FIRE FIGHTERS DISCUSSED.
THEIR UNIQUE OFFICIAL GAVEL
IN Ordinary Sheep Bell Adopted as
official oavel in 1894 Still Retained.
The Tournament Begins This
Afternoon.

The Firemen's state Convention
and Tournament reconvoncd at the
city hall yesterday afternoon at >
o'clock. President Kcsler was in the
chair. The committee on credentials
reported that thirty-scven towns were
entitled TO delegates and that sixty
two delegates are present While there
were slxty-two votes in the convention
the attendance was much larger. Ana
darko. Okla, is one Of the towns
which has done its part in sending
representatives That town is enti-
tied to three delegates, but eleven
members Of its company are in at
tendance. The minutes of the pre-
vious annual meeting were read and
adopted.
Secretary J. B. Foster of Chandler
wired the convention that he could
net attend on account Of the recent
death Of his father. A telegram OF
coincidence was sent to Mr.. Foster.
When President Keslcr's team ar.
rived from Oklahoma City he was no
titled that an overcharge must be
paid the railway company, and many
members of the convention desired TO
play even with the railroads. This
led to the introduction of a resolu'
tion calling upon the iremen of the
state to refuse to fight fire in rail
road property. After wide discussion
the resolution was withdrawn.
The topics discussed at yesterdays
meeting were Hose, apparatus and
couplings" by Chief Kesler of Ok.
lahoma City; Fire Alarms Chief
Alder of Tulsa; "Waterworks," Chief
Gruber OF Guthrie.
Chief Kesler did not speak from
notes. He thoroughly understands fire
fighting machinery from the bucket
to the most modern equipments. Every
delegate will be benefited by his
speech, as a portion Of his talk was
applicable to every company.
Chief Alder OF Tulsa said:
"To the president and members II
the Oklahoma and Indian Territory
Firemen's Association: Gentlemen
The topic OF Fire Alarms" has hcon
assigned me by your committee. and
| appreciate the honor OF having as
signed me one OF the most important
and incidentally one of the most neg
lected branch cf the great fire fight.
ing services.
"a great many cities build good
stations, buy first-class apparatus and
employ good men and then put off tc
some future time the matter of fire
alarm service, which in my judgment
Is reversing the order of things. The
first move after the fire is discovered
Is the means of notifying the
local department, either paid or vol
unteer. II therefore follows that the
means of giving this alarm should be
llTSt, rellaDle, second, convenient
third, used solely for fire alarm pur
poses; fourth, speed AS recently Al
1850, a period within the memory %
many men still in active life, electric
alarms were unknown.
Even in large cities the primitive
method of shouting, ringing bells ant
shooting were the only means o
arouslng the firmen and citizens. Th'
first attempts at an alarm system wa
in New York as early as 1S45.
The city was divided into district
and watchmen were on duty at al
times in towers built in each dis
trict; each was numbered and whel
watchman discovered a fire by see
ing smoke or flame or a fire was re
ported to him, he would strike upol
his bell the number OF his district
= This was heard by watchmen in thu
next tower who In turn repeat
! ed 1t on his bell and In that wa!
was gradually announced from all IN