The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-08-31
Now Trying TO Play Even by
Attacking the Fire
Department.
PRINTS MALICIOUS STORY
in IT'S TUESDAY ISSUE
Covert Invitation to Fire Under
writer's to Increase Rates
in the City.

The "Gimet,'' sometimes known a
the Herald Republican, is at 1t again
Smarting under tho decisive beat
which The Tribune put over it in con
ncction with the Salt Palace FIRE, Mon
day morning, the "Gimlet" is now at
tempting to discrodit the Salt Lake CITY
fire department. Under the heading
"FIre Department Bungle Responsible
for Lpsses,'' the "Gimlet,' in 1T
scream of Tuesday morning, attempts tc
hold the department responsible for the
destruction of tho buildings, which were
consumed
Fortunately, no one who knows the
reputation of the "Gimlet,' will pay
any attention to its rawlings. However
the righteousness of the attack upon the
fire department calls for a reply. First
because of the fact that the statement
of the "Gimlct' is outrageously false
and, second. because of the further fact
that if the charges made by this delect'
able sheet were even partly true, the
board Of fire underwriters would immc-
dIately demand an increase of insurance
rates, which, If put into effect, would
work n great hardship upon the prop
ertN owners OF the c1ty.
"Ginllet'' Has Crouch
1t is fact that no sane person will
attempt 10 dispute that Salt Lake City
has one of the most efficient fire de-
partments, size considered, of any city
in the entire country. The 'Glmlet
knows this and the board OF fire under
writer's knows it, and, especially IN view
of this knowledge on the part of the
board, it is not likely that any attention
will be paid to the "GinIlet 50 rawlings,
all caused, as heretofore stated. by the
fact that The Tribune told all about the
Salt Palace fire in its Monday issue,
even getting the story into its mail edi-
tion, while the 'Gimlct, - with its half
baked account of the fire, failed to get
II into its mail edition and printed the
story In only n part of its city edition.
Of course. the "Gimlet' cannot be
blamed for feeling sore over the fact
that this paper printed much better
account of the FIRE than it was able to
secure, but this is no excuse for a ma
ltcious attack upon the fire department
and covert invitation to the board of
FIRE underwriters to increase rates in
this city.
Here Are the Facts
Now, as to the facts: The fire was
discovered by Nightwatchman Condie,
NJ T.
Condie, instead Of calling the fire de
partment, called the police station. Pa
trolman Patterson answered the phone,
but there was a slight delay in ascer
tanning the cause of the trouble. FL |
nally, Nightwatchman Condie managed
to make himself understood sufficiently |
to advise the patrolman that there was |
n hre. Mr. Patterson immediately called
the fire department >hrough speaking
tnDe, ana, at the same time. the alarm |
was rung In from box 10, in tho Salt |
Palace building, proper. The depart. |
ment responded at once and made a rec !
ord run to the scene of the FIRE When |
u arrived upon the ground the HThird
Degree building was virtually CON
ssumed and the fire was rapidly painjno
hendwav at the bicycle track and in the |
Salt Palace building proper
Assistant Chief Talks.
iere is what Assistant Fire Chief
fitzgerald says of the work of the do.
partmcnt:
The records in the Office of the de.
oartment show that an alarm was re-
,eiyed at the central station at 2,37
clock Monday morning from alarm
box No; 10, which is located in tbe
Salt Palace building proper. This is
he first official alarm received bv tho
department. although telephone alarm
vas sent TO the police station. and
eatrolman Patterson was attempfino
% communicate the alarm to tbee
operator of the fire alarm system al
headquarters through the speaking tube
which connects the two departments,
when the alarm was receivad go,
)ox 10. '0Ai
81 Immediately answered the call
md started my horse on a dead mn
OR the scene of the fire. When I ar
1ved at the corner of State and First
south street | saw the blaze very
plainly, and. instructed the fireman
Who was with me to return to the sta
ION and send the entire department
iown. The operator bad already turned
u the general alarm for the entire de-
'artment at the central station, and
III the apparatus was then on its wav
Made Record Run.
- am positive that the department
vas not more than four minutes max.
ng the run to the Salt Palace, and we
lad seven lines Of hose laid to the fire
n remarkably short time. The fire
nen, al worked heroically and with
lock-like precision, but the fact is
hat the "Third Degree" building was
.one when we arrived on the scene. and
he blaze had spread to the saucer
rack. The wind was terrific, and T
IN SatlSned rhat III We mad had double
he number Of lines of hose PLAYING
n the fire we could not have saved
he Salt Palace building, as IL was easv
rev for the flames, and the wind made
t impossible to make any headway
9ainst the conhagration.
'tWe were on duty at the fire. ac
ording to the records at the station !
ust fourteen hours and fifteen minutes. !
nd never in my experience in the de- !
a artment have the men made such a
ard fight to save property against s
uch strong odds.
tfAs to the delay Of twenty minutes
n answering the call. as stated in the {
Ierald Republican. l will say that if :
here was any delay at all it was on
he part of tIe man who attempted TO
urn in the alarm. as every department 6
4 the city was on the scene in remark 3
bly, short time, and did faithful work.
believe that the fir, was not dis
overed until the flames had practically
aten up the "Third Degree' building,
nd the alarm was sent in too late to
ave possibly saved the Salt Palace {