Albuquerque morning journal., 1910-05-28
FIRE DEPART MENT
IN CRIPPLED D
CONDITION
HAS ONLY TWO HORSES
NOW FIT FOR SERVICE
Council Orders Alarm System
Repaired and Authorizes the
Purchase of Buggy and Horse
for Use of Chief

equipment, Wnen report from the
fire committee was received. recon-
mending the immediate purchase OF
| q horse and buggy for the fire chief
who was recently forced to answer u
fire alarm on bicycle, and the pur-
chase of another fire team. 1t also
stated that the wiring of the entire
fire alarm system needed overhaul
ing
The report was signed by Alderman
John Lee Clarke, who was prevented
from attending the meeting by u
slight illness.
More interesting than the report,
however, was the verbal statement of
Fire Chief Jacob Klein, that two Of
the fire horses were now out of COM
mission and that team from n
sprinkling wagon was in service in
the Highland station, and that the
two able fire horses were being used
in the business district, as runs were
more frequent there.
Tho council acted upon the matter
by giving the fire committee authority
to buy a horse and buggy for The chief
and it also gave that official author
ity to ut once employ electricians to
place the fire lines in good order.
The council also ordered that the
fire alarm Eox at the Santa Fe hos
ptal be transferred to st. Joscph's
hospital, the Santa Fe department
caring for the company's institution.
The council also instructed the fire
committee to secure prices on a good
fire team, which viii be placed at the
downtown station at the city hall.
Chief Klein told the aldermen that
one of the horses now at that station
had probably been foundered, as his
hoofs were in bad condition and he
could not run. He said that 9 horse
in the Highland station was suffering
from influenza and would likely be
off duty for week or so.
BY purchasing Il new fire team the
chief stated that the extra horse
could be used to substitute, when one
Of the other horses was off duty The
report Of the fire committee Is prob
ably the most thorough that has been
submitted to the council recently ana
goes into details concerning the pres
ert efficiency of the department, 1t
is as follows:
Albuquerque, \, NJ, May 26, 1910.
TO the 1oonrable Mayor and Mem
bers of the City Council
iYour committee on fire department
reports as follows,
In view of the fact that the Ma
tional Association OF FIRE JnderWrlt-
ers has been making an extensive eN-
animation OF the entire city Tor thc
purpose OF a readJustment OF lnsur
ance rates, and as the result OF thelr
investigation seems to point lneVltaply
70 higher rates ana expensive reWlrihE
OF business property, this committee
recommends that the fire department
be brought up to a condition OF
greater efficiency In an effort to pre-
vent the advancing OF rates ana to
minimize losses.
The tirSt rev minutes after IRE
is discovered ana the alarm turned IN
is the decisive time, and It is essential
that the department arrive at the
scene oi the flre AT the earnest pos
siblc moment fully equipped to put
the fire out with the least possible
damage.
Your committee recommends that
a horse, buggy and harness be fur
nished for the use OF the chlef' that
the buggy be equipped with one or
two three gallon chemicals and that
proper changes and ARRANGEMENTS he
made at the Second street fire station
for the accommodation of this equip
ment
Also that new fire team be pur-
chased. The near horse on the Sec
ond street hose wagon is in very bad
shape ON account of rotten front hoots
and is apt to fail to be of use at a crit
ical moment. This horse should be
turned out to pasture for six months. |
or sold. The sprinkler wagon horse
that was recently tried out in place of
the horse referred to above, is prac-
tically useless. The chief, ,after the |
unfortunate occurrence of the even
ing of MAY "a, tried this horse out on |
both sides of the wagon, but is con- |
vnced that il would be very unwise |
to place any reliance on il. At this !
writing, therefore, there is no substi- |
tute horse that can be used i'm an |
With new team for the |
Second street hose wagon, the Off |
horse as at present could be used for |
an emergency horse, both for Second |
street and the Highlands. This extra |
horse could be trained to work on ;
either side one of the principal uses
for this extra horse, however would
be as substitute while one of the
regular team horses is being shod i.
At this writing both horses of a team I
arc shOd at the same time, and while N
they are at the shop the hose wagon Il
Is out of commission. 1t has been 4
customary for the hose wagon in com II
mission to answer all calls in the city i
while the team of the other wagon Il
are being shod, thus greatly weaken
ing the efficiency of the department. Il
Also that the entire wiring of the
fire alarm system be thoroughly over
hauled: the wires now are in very bad
shan. and frequpnt false alarms are i