The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-07

protection against fire represents an in-
 vestment of many million dollars and em-
 ploys a large army of firemen The an-
 nual expenditures for municipal fire de-
 partments range from 50 cents per capita
 at Washington up to s2.26 per capita at
 Providence, R. 1.
 Perhaps no field of activity offers so many opportunities to the inventor as does
 the problem of fire fighting. Ever since
 the days of the stowmarket engine of
 1fS4, with it's equipment of a six-foot bar
 rel for water, hand pumps and leather
 buckets, and the George Washington fire
 engine al Alexandria, Va, which is rev
 erently hauled through the streets by the
 citizens on Washlngtons birthday, the
 constant aim has been to improve fire
 fighting methods. Today in several large
 cities we have stationary pumping sta
 tions connected through underground
 pipes with street hydrants through which
 fresh or salt water is forced at tremen-
 dous pressure. Sometimes that moderl
 wonder, the fire boat, aids in the work.
 The largest vessel of this type can throw
 12,GJo gallons fo water per minute upon
 harbor front confagration, and their of-
 fensive fierce is increasing as rapidly as
 that of battleship.
 Other inventions have become part of
 the permanent or experimental equipment
 of the fire departments of large cities.
 There are great engines of many tons
 weight which are propelled and operated
 by steam, by electricity or by gasoline.
 There are great telescopng aerial lad
 ders and water towers nearly 100 feet
 high, operated by compressed air and
 electricity. There are portable search
 lights to penetrate the dark corners of en-
 dangered buildings, masks and hoods to
 protect the firemen from the smoke peril,
 and scaling ladders with whose aid the
 firemen can go straight up the face of
 q building. There are guns which will
 shoot life line to the top of a high
 building and nets into which persons can
 jump from upper stories. In fine, science
 and invention are ever busy with new and ingenious devices to protect and save life
 and property.
 When an alarm box is pulled it's number
 is indicated at fire headquarters by dots and dashes according to the Morse tee- graph code. A corresponding metal tag is immediately applied to an electric sending instrument, a button is pressed, and the alarm Is rung in every engine house within given zone. The sliding pole for use in an engine house was the invention, in 1S7S of Stephen Paine, a negro member of the Chicago fire depart
 ment. The first pole was wood, but that gave way to nickeled iron, and later to brass.
 Modern inventions have helped much in controlling fires, but the limit has not | done to prevent and control possible fire | in the subways which are burrowing be- | heath great cities, the beds of rivers, and arms of the sea. The skyscraper is an- | other great problem, and it has been pro- | posed that each building of this char l aeter have its own individual water | tower. More fire alarm boxes are advo- | cated, one at each intersection of streets l Che enthusiastic dreamer has suggested l that in time it will be possible to put out | a fire by simply pushing button a head. 1 quarters, which would release a torrent
 ot water or chemical preparation from d l 3OO-foot stationary water tower, such | towers to be constructed at frequent in- l tervals throughout city
 I
 The judgment ol experts is that the | best way to combat the fire evil is to l prevent it. This can only be done through 1 long campaign of education. In this | connection 1t is proposed to prohibit ths | erection of any but absolutely freprooi l building to construct freproof walls al | intervals across city, and to adopt other l extraordinary precautions.
 | The modern system of fire fighting has 1 developed during comparatively recent | years but for two centuries or more l the prevention and control of fires has l been the subject of constant study and | work in the civilized world. Not unti | half a century ago. however, did fire l fighting attain to the dignity of science | which today is engaging the time and at l tention of the most competent experts l in the world The importance of this 1 work will be recognized when one con 1 s;ders that in the United States there l are scores of schools where hremen are | trained. It has been contended that 8 | fireman like a poet, must be born, moi | made. but experience proves that the l training schools maintained by the laSSt l cities of the country serve to weed oul 1 those whose ambitions and qualifications | are not of the same character. IT l Europe. as a rule, the membership oi | fire departments is composed of military | veterans, who carry into the work ol 1 fighting flames the same spirit of patri l otism and discipline which characterizet 1 their service in the army. It IS the opin l ion of students that the European hremef l de not compare with their American | brothers in intelligence, capacity ano | daring. e. Ii is generally conceded that the fr'