Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1910-06-27
OF FIRE
DEPT. MAKES
SUGGESTIONS
Will Send Council Letter
Setting Forth Needed
Changes Rotten Hose.
SAYS PAID MEN SHOULD
BE IN HOUSES

In view of the fact that the fire
apparatus gave such poor results at
the New Jersey BriQuetting Com
pany's $4,000 blaze last Thursday,
Chief Theodore Anderson has en-
bodied in communication several
suggestions towards improving the
department. The communication
VIII be sent to the Board of Alder
men at their meeting.
In his communication, Chief An
derson states that part of the appa-
ratus, although but five years old,
appears to be fifty because 1t has not
received proper treatment. He Is in
favor Of having one or two men
placed In each house, he says, so
that the engines may be taken care
or and the horses looked after.
To a NEWS reporter this morn
Ing the chief said he thought the de-
partment in poor shape. when we
have a large fire." he said, some
thing Invariably occurs to delay the
apparatus. At the briquetting works
fire last week, the Lincoln steamer
did not arrive until almost a half
hour after the alarm had been
sounded-because the horses were
off working somewhere in the west
ern section Of the city.
Now, for city OF thirty or thir-
ty-five thousand inhabitants, this
seems rather strange, but neverthe-
less 1t is true, and has happened be-
fore. Then there was the McClel-
Ian engine, which arrived at the fire
In good time, but did not get up
steam for twenty-five minutes, be-
cause salt water from the Barber
Asphalt works fire had been left in
the boiler. If We had men employed
in the various houses, they would
have taken care that the horses
were not far from the apparatus,
and that there was no salt water in
the boiler. II this had been the
case, the damage at the biquetting
works fire would not have been so
great"
The Chiefs Letter.
Following is the letter addressed
to the mayor and council:
Perth Amboy, N. T., June "a.
ITO the Mayor and Board of Alder
men Of the City Of Perth Amboy,
"Gentlemen:
ALLOW me to make a few sugges-
tions relative to improving our FIRE
department. In the first place, the
fire at the briquetting plant shows
that our steamers are in bad shape.
Twenty minutes expired before the
Lincoln Engine Company arrived, as
their horses were somewhere in the
western section of the city. These
horses should be kept in the fire
house, or used nearby and driven
only by a fireman.
"The Mcclellan Engine, after be-
ing called, responded in good time,
but after they arrived, 1t required
| twenty-five minutes to get up steam,
as the men claimed the steamer was
affected by salt water used at the
Barber Asphalt works fire. Now, If
such was the case, why was this not
attended to? Because the f1remen
are not receiving much pay and they
will not do any more work than
they possibly have to.
II would suggest that two men be
placed in the engine houses, two
men in the truck house, and one
man in each of the hose and chem
ical houses. These men to take care
of the apparatus, house and horses,
also to exercise or work the horses
near the fire houses.
THE steamers were purchased
about five years ago and today they
appear about fifty years old. Why?
Because they are not taken care Of.
These machines were purchased af-
ter we had big fire that amounted
to over one hundred thousand dol
lars. Now, are you going to wait
until we have another big fire before
you improve the department?
Another thing, ! want to men
tion is about the hose. Every fire
we have bursted hose. Why is this? ?
Because 1t is not taken care of. 1t
is left lying around the fire house,
at times rolled up until it is rotted.
Now II there was man at each
house, the chief could visit him reg
ularly and see that things were ta-
ken care of.
I'm my experience as a fireman, ]
find that it is very hard to get any
thing for the fire department. The
cry has always been, we haye no
money. Now / think 1t is about
L1IDe IOE Lu6 CtLiICHb W u6uduu Hi
improvement in the institution. The
city is large enough at present to
afford to pay few men for their
services, and get much better re-
suits.
yours respectfully,
''T. e. ANDERSON,
"Chief."
lone thing forgot to mention in
the letter." said the chief, twas
about the condition OF fire houses.
l think / would be ashamed to al
low visiting firemen to visit the
headquarters Of the various compa-
MES.
"This city at the present time, is
too large for a volunteer fire depart
ment. While do not say / per-
sonally favor an entirely paid de-
partment, yet we should have sew
eral men in our employ the year
round to care for the houses, horses
and apparatus"
SUNDAY AND JULY 4th EXCUR.
sIONS TO BELLEWOOD PARK.
July 3rd and 4th and every Sun