The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1911-03-04
Offering a Number Of Good
Suggestions as to the
Fire Department.


cooperate with the city government
in the matter of installing a modern
fire-aghtiRg system. tile following
COMMUNICATION from the league was
referred to the committee having
the question in charge by the city
council Friday night:
I'VE, the undersigned officers ana
directors of the ciarksburg Business
Mems League, realizing that the City
of clarks6urg Is sadly in need OF an
efficient fire department and having
made careful Investigation as to
apparatus necessary for a IRE de-
partment and the cost thereof, wish
to make the following suggestions
and recommendations for your care
full consideration:
That We are satisfied when the
work for the extension and improve
ment of the water system of the
city has been completed by the
Water and Sewerage Board, that It
will vastly improve our condition in
that respect and add materially to
the fire protection Of the city, both
as to supply and pressure.
The most serious disadvantage is
our very poorly equipped fire de-
partment. We do not think that
the fire department as constituted Is
to be criticised for what they have
failed to accomplish, especially in
the recent fire in our city. They
perhaps did the best they could with
what they had at hand.
with respect to the fire depart
lment, it seems that our city needs
three stations. The present central
station should be torn down, and IN
its place or some other place SUIT
ably situated, should fbe erected a
new, modern and, thoroughly equip
Eped central. station. AT this station
there should not be less than four
men, two on duty at all times, and
provision made that these men live
at such. central station, so. that. a:
practically all times there would be
four men who could he had at the
central station.
! There should De a smaller station
in the Eas9 End aud sone i'm the West
FEnd.a AT EACH o. these stations, we
believe for the present, that 1t
would be aEalOient+te have two paid
linen. aKdha nose wagon light enough
to be drawn ny one horse. We be-
Ilieve that the three stations thus
Equipped would place the depart
ment in a position to so to the fire
promptly. The station nearest to
the fire could go to the scene at once
and hold it, in check until the other
stations could render assistance.
ut would DE well to give the cen
trail station a motor propelled com
bination wagon, which would cost
approximately $4,000. This wagon
has a 50 gallon chemical tank on it,
the cost. OF which is included in the
above figures.
I'VE consider it a very essential
thing that over the fire stations rec
commended, there should be a chief
with salary of not less than
$1,000 per annum. with full and
complete authority over his mea.
Such chief should have authority to
femploy and discharge the fire.
men whenever he considered it to
the best interes; of the fire depart
ment.
The chief should, in addition,
have the authority to require the
people to keep their premises clean
and to require the abandonment of
the use of rubber hose connecting
lights or STOVES, and to require that
all electric wiring he done subject
to the national standard. We are
inclined to think that a number Of
the fires in this city have resulted
from electric wiring, and perhaps
not a few from rubber gas tubing.
The latter is not only dangerous to
property, but to life as we'll.
The city council should extend
the fire limits and should adopt a
standard of construction with the
said limits, and, should, without.
fear or favor, insist upon and en-
force such requirements.
THE business center of the city
has number of frape buildings al
ready erected, but this number
should not be allowed to become
larger.
I'VE are not prepared to urge Al
fire alarm telegraph system as we
believe by distributing the fire s;a-I