Norwich bulletin., 1911-02-25

ing last week demonstrated beyond any reasonable doubt the general efn- ciency of the New London volunteer fire department, and showed clearly that there is no need for paid de- pertinent, as no body of dremen-cOEld d have fought fire moro successfully than did the volunteers. The fire was discovered after one o'clock inc the morning, and within four minutes aft CT the alarm was sent in fire apparatus was taken into the building. There was no fighting the ire from the out side, but the brave volunteers went right into the ire and fought it to a finish and won. Before the fire was discovered the main hall on the sec ond floor of the building was mass of flamesapd fire. was bursting through the roof. the false attic, so discourag- ing to real fire fighters, was all ablaze, and the outlook was discouraging. But the firemen went at 1t with a will and succeeded in cOnfning the fire to the hall proper and the roof and prevented the flames from reaching the adjoin- ing buildings. To do this meant nearly two hours of the hardest kind of hard work which was not without the attendant dangers, but the volunteer firemen of New London were equal to the emergency.
 gentleman from a Massachusetts city who happened to be in New Lon don on the night of the fire, and who witnessed the work of the firemen from the start was amazed when he was informed that there was no paid fire department in the city of New London. He said he had always been an advocate of paid fire department system, but that the fine work of the volunteers had caused a radical change in his opinion in that regard. He said it was the best-fought fire he had ever witnessed. One who heard the re- marks made the rejoinder: .Them's s our sentiments; and we've got not only the best department of any small city but the most economical in the state, and the fremen pay for the priv ilege of fighting fires for the glory there is in 1t and to do service for their fellow townsmen.' ..
 1t so happened that one of the very first fires of consequence that was fought by the present fire department, which was reorganized in 1850, was the old Union house, that stood on the site of the present Lawrence hall building. That was on November IS, ment consisted of hand fire engines and hose reels, all drawn by hand. for at that period Self-propelled fire en- zines were unknown and horses were never known to draw fire apparatus in those good old whaling days" The Union house fire was the talk of the fireihen for half century, and even now some old volunteer will refer to that particular fire when he tells of the days when he Iran wid de mer- clnine,' The Union house was totally destroyed and when Lawrence hall was built it was considered the finest build ing in the city and the hall proper one Of the hest in the state.
 The hall was formally. dedicated by a fancy dress ball given by the Ma meaug Engine company, the social event of the year. Say, there is noth- ing in the public dance line nowadays that can compare with the concert and balls given by the volunteer fire men forty years and more ago. The tickets, admitting gentlemen and la dies, were sold at two dollars, which included carriage to and from the ball room and another dollar included sup per. The invitations were printed on thin glazed China board, long since obsolete, but at that time the fashion able stationery for events of that char acter. What were termed the best people" in the city attended and the firemen's entertainments were consid- cred the really top-notch social events.
 There were no ten-cent night dances f tempt to attend unless accompanied by a gentleman, for they knew full well that they would not be admitted. and the etiquette of the time forbade any such unladylike action, that is now So common.
 Referring again to the Now London volunteer fro department it must not be understood that the equipment is complete and there is not room for i'm provement in efficiency. While there are ample willing workers, there is lack of some needed equipment which could perhaps be supplied for the ask ing. Reference has been made to the difaculty of fighting fires in false at- tics, those comparatively low stowa- ways, the space between the roof and ceiling, and which cannot be reached by any regular entrance; such as were encountered at the fire fin Lawrence hall. the Stag hotel and the Dairy lunch. The fremen take great risks when they enter these places and that risk could be removed if the depart ment was equipped with the apparatus known as the cellar pipe. A contriv- ance that is placed on the pipe end of a line of hose and c3n be dropped through g hole cut in the roof and the stream of water sent in any and all directions.
 This same appliance would have conquered that stubborn fire in the Hebron building, so-called, in State street, several months ago. The fire was in. the cellar, but on account of the dense smoke and single entrance the firemen could not get at the source of the fire. With tho cellar pipe hole could have been cut in the floor in the Patterson store, the appliance dropped through, and stream of wa ter thrown in every part of the burn ing cellar and the fire extinguished.