Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-08-30
TWO ALDERMEN
REPLY TO CHIEF
Set Forth What Has Been
Done for Fire Department
in Two Years.
IMPROVEMENTS GOING ON
Everything Being Done to
Make First Glass Depart
ment-- New Hose Bought.

CIll~NCH l'OSC ooHJit
In a reply made today to Chief
Engineer Patrick ]. Rocks criticisms
of the fire department, Aldermen
Henry w. Sandbeck, Jr., chairman
of the fire committee, and Alderman
F. A. Seaman, chairman of the public
grounds and buildings committee,
set forth the Improvements that have
been made and those the department
is undergoing. They refer to the
new Garfield house and that of the
Liberty Hook & Ladder Company
about to be started; to the additions
to firehouse equipment in the line of
apparatus and horses; to impro7e-
ment of apparatus and to the I'M
provement to firehouses. They ac-
knowledge repairs on the Mcclellan
and Washington houses are not com
plete. In the case Of the McClellans
the delay is caused by an effort un-
derway to have the Public Service
company move trolley pole that
the wood block pavement may be
changed, and in the case of the
Washingtons because Contractor
Carl Christensen is waiting for fit
ings and he is away visiting a sick
wife
The Chiefs Criticisms.
In an interview yesterday, Chief
Rocks said the city's fire department,
as a whole, was in worse condition
than ever in its history. He was
especially bitter because improve
ments in firehouses had not been
completed. Such conditions as he
found in the Mcclellan and Wash
Ing houses he reported an outrage.
He criticised the city fathers because
the department did not have half
enough hose and in conclusion said
the department could not be expect
ed to accomplish much with such
equipment as 1t has. Among other
things he advocated horses and har-
ness for the Garfield engine and a
new truck for Protection Hook &
Ladder Company.
The Aldermen's Reply.
The reply entitled Improvement
of the Fire Department in the Past
Two Years, . follows:
Editor EVENING NEWS:
We are pleased to know that the
fire department has a chief that can
criticise, but as some of your readers
may get a false impression of the
present condition of the fire depart
ment of the city of Perth Amboy, if
his criticism of Tuesday is passed
over without comment, we think it
best to call his and your readers at
2 tention to few of the things that
= we believe are not worse but better
than they were. We speak Of the
past two years, as we have been
members of the Board of Aldermen
during that time.
There has been steady effort to
put the department in better shape
than 1t has ever been. We have
built a new fire house on Amboy ave-
nue. that we thought our citizens
would be proud of, and have fully
equipped 1t with chemical wagon and
steamer, which will soon be in oper-
alton. We have first class team
of horses there.
A new company has been organiz-
ed in upper State street, a contract
has been awarded for a new up-to-
date fire house for this company, and
this will be started IN a short time.
All the companies have been fur
nished with first class horses that
are owned by the city, and men are
employed to care for them, also to
look after the apparatus and the
houses.
The hook and ladder have been
furnished with new poles, life net,
and special lights to go in cellars,
and new emergency brakes.
Lincoln engine has been thorough
iy overhauled and hose wagon fur
nished with new rubber tires. Search
lights with prestolite tanks furnish
ed each company, besides many 9TH
er conveniences for better service
We have furnished 5000 feet of hose
and expect to furnish 1000 or 5000
feet more.
AS to the question of repairs, we
had an architect go over the houses
carefully, a contract was awarded
Mr.. Carl christensen. These repairs
are finished except a few items We
are putting III new doors,-they are
very heavy and we are waiting for
some special fittings for them,-the
floor at Washington hose is support
ed, and new stone sill will be plac-
ed there as soon as Mr.. Christian
sen, (who IS away visiting a sick
wife), returns home, and then the
floor will be properly finished. The
four panels of glass of course will be
put III.
The work at Mcclellan house that
Is not finished was not in the first
contract and Is delayed by an effort
to get the Public Service to move
trolley pole, that we may take out
the wood block on the sidewalks and
replace 1t with better approach. We
are also replacing the wood block at
Eagle fire house with better finish
so that the horses will not slip.
The advance in the condition Of
the department is not tho work of
q committee but the persistent work
of the Board of Aldermen asa whole.
or course, we could have gone ahead
faster and spent money more freely
but we believe We have gone ahead
as fast as the finances Of the city
warrant.
Yours,
H. SANDBECK,