St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1910-03-16
St. JOhnsbury's Fire Action.

ST. Johnsbury is to have a paid fire
department and will add a chemical en-
CINE to its apparatus. The paid depart
ment scheme can be eliminated in Mont
pelier but chemical engine should be
purchased for the volunteer department.
Il Montpelier Argus.
If the contemporary (The Argus) will
pardon an outside suggestion, we will
state that a chemical engine is not a
great advantage to a fire service unless
there is paid or constant, fire depart
Inent along with it. The chief value of a
chemical engine apparatus is the prompt
ness with which it is used. A chemical
engine is useless after a fire has got
good start. 1t is only in the first stages
of fire that chemicals can be thrown
with effectiveness. Therefore, the chemi-
cal engine must be ever-ready to start
from the station on the stroke of the
oelI; and in order to be able to start at
such time, it is necessary that the en-
CINE be constantly manned and with fire
horses SO located as to enable a quick
hitch. IF it should become necessary to
wait for volunteer department to as
semble before a chemical engine could be
taken from the station, practically all
the effectiveness of the apparatus would
be lost, and the chemical in most of the
instances would be found utterly made
progressed to the water stage" when
nothing but water in copious streams is
sufficient. This, of course, has no refer
ence to the slight chimney fire calls,
when a volunteer with a hand chemical
is good enough. If, therefore, Mont
a pelier should purchase a chemical engine
and not establish paid fire department,
it would be waste of money; but if a
chemical should be installed and one or
T11or1 he bent in rOrCfanf al
with horses, there would be hrst-class
fire protection for fires in the incipient
stage Barre Times.
st. Johnsbury is to have paid fire de-
partment with the latest apparatus for
fighting fire. This step shows her
citizens are determined to take every
possible means to prevent the fearful loss
of life and property of last year. Good
for ST. Johnsbury.-[ Groton Times.
The disastrous fire of a few months
ago in St. Johnsbury, in which several
lives were lost, is to result in a paid
fire department and better equipment
for fre-fghting. st. Johnsbury already
has an excellent department. fairly well
equipped; in fact probably better than
most towns in Vermont, but every town
of its size should support a paid force of
fremen who are thoroughly acquainted
with the work, which is the only way
of keeping the fire loss at a minimum
[Middlebury Register.
"St. Tohnsbury, VT, is to have a paid
fire department and a motor chemical.
That city is coming up to date. "-[Nor-
wich, Conn, Bulletin.
Coming up to date! Why esteemed
contemporary, it must be that you don't
know and appreciate the Sacred City OF
the East Siders in its true relation to
chronology. ST. Johnsbury is two chap
tiers ahead of the Book of Revelations
now.-[St. Adams Messenger.
st Johnsbury is to have paid fire de
partment and a chemical motor wagon.
St. Adams has long had a paid fire de
partment and tested its worth, but that
department needs a better equipment
than it has today and needs it so badly
that it will be something pretty close to
serious negligence if the next big fire en-
tails heavy loss Of property and perhaps
of life because we are not properly or
gained to fight it. st. Johnsbury is
putting in its equipment after one of the
most sickening holocausts that Vermont
has suffered IN recent years. St. Adams
can well afford to take warning in time.
= St. Adams Messenger.
1t is worthy of note that the voters o.
St. Iohnsbury have authorized a centra
fire station, paid department and the
purchase of a chemical motor wagon
Must Montpelier wait for holocaust
like that experienced few months ago il
St. Johnsbury before similar action is
taken?-[ Montpelier Journal
St. Johnsbury is going to have paio
fire department and a chemical engine
Bennington does not yet need the paiC
department but does need a chemica
engine and it must come in the neal
future, though not this year because the
housing of the department must be look
ed after first and that is the important
question coming before the village meet
ing this year. Bennington Banner.
The quotations given above show that
the outside world understands that St
Johnsburv has pledged itself to definite
step in advance and that it has done this
as a precaution against any unnecessary
loss of life in the fires of the future. Not
withstanding this there are those here
who would without the least compunc
ton rescind the action of the village and
declare to the outside world that St
Johnsbury not only ignored the respon-
sibility that rests upon it to give the
best protection of life and property pos
sible but is ready to repudiate its own
action for progress.
To any man who has carefully investi-
gated the matter and IS honestly con-