davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-07
Great Strides in Efficiency Made by Our Fire Fighters Croker lime
STILL He Saws City H.. Grown Faster Than Department and
H. Believe. rh.. in Hi. New Field of Fire Pre-
v.ntion He Can Be of Greater Service
- Citizen. Than Ever Before.

s..yv engine can hardly stop IN
.s,r on. hundred and fifty feet ana
down grade in hardly twice that dis-
Tho new engine can stop IN us
,.,s,h II can take turn handily
r.,,,out becoming unmanageaole
80, bu, bv no means least the MOTOR
driven apparatus. when "ea.eu VIZ.
49,. sar. does not eat It's head on
, are horse spends from t"enty-tnree anu
.,.-nsly IN twenty-four hours day VAN
,nv .;,h.r in the stable or al the nre LOT
"a. ,tn,e when his services are NEEDED ffis
cat. his hay. his shoes. MS hls'sse>' ~
-.ar expense The cost OF maintenance io'
. ,hre.horse vehicle IL about 800 year N
-. vork while the maintenance cost for
On. motor .ngin. IL about $50 year m
e.,,aina tn. cost Of gasolene. lubricant and
-, ,asir. The motor engine needs
f..dins only while II Ia actually on Ns
uav 70 the fire and back again. moreover
e u,r stand without hitchine, and needs
~ bIanketine or care az the FIRE, vhen
.y.rv moment OF every man in the COM
panv is at its greatest value.
re, the fire engine, moreover. will be
almost done away with in Manhattan be-
fore long. In the high pressure zone only
the hose wagons go in response 70 hfsI
alarm The engines are held az nome AZ
reserve i'm case the system should o'esh
down and. as the chief said, the nose "es'
ons handle what would be three-alarn
Ar. under the old system. As the niFn
r,eseure system is extended the engines
mill he used less and less on the island II
! self
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-07

evening. the regiment began its Journey
10 Washington Travel for troops in war
times was tedious. The road was a
single track. thereby ordinarily recurring
the soldiers to go hy night, when regular
traffic was light The locomotives and
cars were small thus making the journey
slow The limited number Of coaches
made the use OF the Nat car Indispensable
and in these upon plank seats. with plank
SIDES for projections many of the soldiers
rode. Across New Jersey tho train ran
through a gauntlet Of shouting thousands
each house hy the wayside being brightly
Illuminated with lamps and candles and
every depot ,station is = word ~ later
coinagel was crowded with cheering. sing
iEg people Leaving New Brunswick the
tracks eventually Joined the bank Of the
canal. and thus following is uindings the
first section OF the train came into Prince
ton at midnight The depot m that time
was located m the Basin. near the foot
of the old road now known as Alexander
street Here the men of Nassau Hall
had gathered and were waiting I'M
patiently the dim lamp light Of the depot
augmented by a number of flaming.
smoking torches carried by the students
As the glare Of the engine came into
view the colleeians broke into three lusty
hurrahs. These the soldiers quickly an
sWercd
Back and forth resouuded tre patriotic
clamor. interspersed with ringing songs
and occasionally accumulated by the sharp
tones NJ the soldiers rocket cheer. now
given wi'h the precision of practice and
With iHe volume of manr voices And
then III. tain sped Oh into the night, FOL
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-07

lowed hN the hurrahs Of the Nassovians.
until the rear 'iSh,. burning 10 point.
vanished in the darkness Glowing with
patriotic ardor the collegians shouldered
their torches AMI rctracel their steps
through Potter's woods and NJ tho hill
but ne they went they frequently tried
the soldiers strange but fascinating cheer.
nor did they cease until old North had
resomded with its echoes. and fglse dawn
had forced the tired Nassovlans into bed.
And now came and went many a long
day The 9TH Regiment passed through
its trials and triumphs and i'm the great
events or us campaigns the rocket cheer
was forgotten. The students Of Nassau
Han resumed their quiet lives beneath
me ems Of Princeton. but with them the
rocket 'heer became q living organism.
us ringing cadence marked the achieve
ments or class and college lie and came
forth 10 celebrate around cannon and
miniature fires each victory Of the
Unions arms
~ last peace returned and with il the
renewal OF fun student life with the
revival or hasohall which had commenced
50 'uNplciously AT Princeton five years he
i"r" me brilliant victories of Nassau
the tle OF Princeton then had not been
"SAuil'n served 10 establish more firmly
the institution Of this cheer now wildly
kno"h 49, the Nassau Rocket and suggest
ing 10 an ~ The colleges competitors
upon tho diamond and cricket crease the
adoption likewise of distinctive college
cheer
Phi. hk ms period and FOR twentv
Fehrs hereafter this cheer was given with
d SO" ana Impressive rhythm that TO-DAY
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-07
SEES A LARGER FIELD.

II feel that there IS larger field for me
and that 7 can be Of more assistance TO thN
citizens Of New York and the rest OF the
country outside Of the department. 50 I've
crranized the Chief Croker Fire Proven
Ion and Engineering Company
The object Of the company is 70 save
rfe and property by preventing fires IN the
rrernises of our clients. We WIZ nave an
o~sanized uniformed staff Of former hre
officers. meo who have had twenty years
or more in active service lhe> VIII ~
ready 10 give expert advice. TheI VIII
make thorough inspection Of buildings U"
see that they are kept in good shape-eHi'S
eu omen. waste and inf1ammable stuff not
heaped M in dangerous places. lights prop
erlv placed and guarded. and so on
The, will teach fire drills and see that
,re,. arc prac.ised properly. Then they VIII
orsarize FIRE companies among the en-
,lo,ee ~ factories. and show them no"
a. take care ~ the hose. pipes. ire eNtln-
rrishers and chemical engines that are
lent there AMI what 10 do with them M
,see If FIRE. how 10 cut the FIRE of AZ the
start how 10 handle inhammabe material.
10th before and during a fire. end so on
Then our men will keep up their inspec-
.iore 20 see for themselves that the pa .
and lis apuarat1s are kept IN good order
and will make recommendations for i'm
movements N those respects.
"Tben We have had number ~ requests
ALREADY from large factories fer UNI
tc,r,ed man 10 he stationed regularly on
tie premises such man. veteran nre-
r-nr. would ne Of great use In seeing that
che
IN the wear. and the mere moral effect Of
having him on hand whenever hre m'gh'
break out would amount 10 a great deal.
The employees would have confidence IN
him. and he would he able 10 handle many
o ere that would get away from the men
~ the factory II they didn't have trained
man on the SPOT 70 direct them.
You see. the whole FIRE Department as
=, IL to-day is only big bureau Tor me
prevention II FIRE Every little fire that a
couple Of men put out with extinswshefs
has me beginnings Of q Conhagration, II
only II get the Roadway. That's why me
whole system Of electric alarms is SO I'M
portant and why tho horses get harnessed
and 60 al such a speed. and why We are
now replacing horses with gasolene motors
II is all Just 10 get ahead of the FIRE
Every half-rninute that we save IN getting
10 u is the biggest kind Of fire persecution.
It's too bad that the city should spend
hundreds OF dollars putting out fire that
could have been put out by man on the
enot with dollar exiting usher. The city
loses money by the delay. the property
owner loses money. and the FIRE insurance
companies lose besides
"You'ye seen some changes in the de
ssrtrnent IN your time. chief"
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-07

EW YORK has lost its hoy" fire
nj chief Edward r Croker was ap-
i pointed at thirty-seven. the young
est man who had held the Office. and now
that he has left II acclaimed great
fireman he is boyish still in more ways
than one.
His SQUAT red car Of nendish voice ana
sneed: his bluntness his taciturnity. MS
bores.v his valiant violent courage. his
rererkaNle gait more like a lunge across
q prize ring than walk: his cigar. raseo
~ all the angles that are in the georne-
tries: his ouarrels with police. with amou-
lance surgeons. with mayors and with hNe
successive FIRE connmissioners-all this has
been constant reminder to New Workers
1ha, breezy. full blooded life tingles
through the Fire Department. They have
reioiced in the picturesque dash OF 'he
man and " any have been scared flying
from the path OF his tearing car theE nave
said "Oh. it's ONLY Chief Croker and
liked him the better for his Youthiui
"cussedness Even his iron guinness
where his men were concerned brutality
Z, has been called--is somehow like the SOL
eron unwinking grinnness OF a boy. II does
.pring from kind Of inexperience. Inc
Chiefs nerve" has never broken.
Spectacular as his course has been how
ever. II has left New York with the best
Fire Department in the world-efhcleh''
we'll Disciplined. spirited. free from politics
odnoira NV equipped II for nothing else
.he CITY has him 10 thank for n number of
,-onrovernents IN fire fighting methods one
Of witch AT least represents the greatest
advance which has been made since me IN
vention Of the steam fire engine
IN tho frebouse in Great Jones street.
where his demon car has its lair. he grew
positively loquacious-for him-over tne
present and the future Of fire fghtinz in
New York
Now YOU have left the department.
chief. what do YOU feet IKE saving bout
yourself or the department or the future ~
fires in New York he was asked
First get IL straight" he began that
there's nothins-Vell. say. nothing impui-
sive or sudden. about my retirement I've
been considering " for good many
r,ontrs I've spent The hes' wears 81 nv
~. stu6vine FIRE matters In the twenty
seven wears that I've been in the depart-
men, I've worked hard and honestly. and
leave u in high state Of efficiency can
saw honestly that don't know Of any IRE
densr,rnent in the world that * equal 70
this one
Vet ! have seen fires and FIRE losses
gradually increasing from wear 10 YEAR
both here N New York and elseNh here ti0
the yearly property loss in America has
cached The sum Of 100000. That is Z
VIA drain on the country fnanciallH 10 saF
rothinr % the suffering u causes. and
eres, deal II IL can he prevented.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-07

According TO Parke II. Davis, member
Of the class of 'eS Of Princeton unvef-
sitv. Who has more of the forgotten MS
tory of Princeton athletics at the ends
% hts fingers than any other graduate.
the origin of the college cheer can he
traced back to April 20, 1861. The Mas
San Rocket. originated by an unknown
collier of the 9TH Regiment. New YORK.
-, it's passage from New York through
prtnceton. rs the original cheer from
which all others are copied. Mr.. Davis
has reached this conclusion after corre-
sronding with old alumni and also
members of the eth Regiment. which was
On charge of Major Anderson, the hero or
Fort Sumter
The following is part of what MT
Davis writes in the current issue or Ihe
Alumni Weekly" just fifty years after the
origin Of the cheer.
"The college cheer is an institution
neculisr to American college life. It's
origin definitely may be traced 10 one OF
The great dramatic incidents of the civil
War the departure of the 9TH Regiment
from New York and It's passage through
Princeton. Saturday, April 20, 1851 Tor
Princeton's Kissing, booming cal' the
Nassau Rocket. is the original college
cheer. the parent cry from which all
others imitatively have sprung.
Upon this the fftieth anniversary OF
the great event out of which came our
cheer. the mastering of the 3th Regi-
ment IN SIS armorv in Tonpkins Market.
let us coniure a picture ~ that stirring
scene not from the syringe Of fancy but
from the pen Of one who saw and wrote.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-07
FIRE ENGINE WITH MO1OF

chief las furnished 2 standing test anu
prophecy Of the modern form OF locomotloh
in his series of speeding red cars The ne"
motor apparatus promises great Things
First powerful hose wagon was pur
chased. for use in the high pressure zone
IN this district II is more important tha'
the hose should arrive quickly than that
the engine should. for the hose Will turn
stream instantly on the flames. The ne"
machine was placed I'm Engine House a.
which is at University Place and l2tn
street II covers the distance 10 the sd
street ferry i'm FIVE minutes, while the hest
time of the horse drawn carts was fifteen
minutes for the same route.
After year II service the hose wagon
is stIl I'm excellent condition. II makes
thirty miles IN hour in good going. and
with a heavy snow in the streets il does
not drop below twenty-five miles. il car
res forty lengths Of fifty-foot hose ~ the
heaviest type for use under the great stress
Of the high pressure streams.
Next came an automobile water tower
weighing ten tons. the heaviest piece OF
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-07
SOME BoYIsH PRoPENsIT1Es

So much for Croker the great fireman
and the man As for the other SIDE of
him. the boyish side, that is something
he does not talk much about. Most ~ his
fellow citizens-and their friends from out
~ ,oyn-knov him only as a terrifying
wall. slash in the traf1c and disap-
nearing streak OF red automobile. Iher
liked the spectacle particularly ne"com-
.rs who felt very metropolitan when they
could explain TO Yesterdays arrival who
IL vas that went so fast.
There are those uho nave sad thst the
chiefs tremendous hurry 10 get 10 fire
Used ~ cool down when his car ren.
wrong. and 70 tell how he would take y
around 70 the garage and nurse n back
TO full speed as IL the Are might be IN
the Straits Of Sunda for all the need II had
n. HIM They tell, too, of the night hs
drove that same car into the curb and
wrecked II rather than run down hanson
with two schoolgirls IN II which une1pect-
| edly got in the way. II the chief did tear
I'D more husband more eardrums-thsn
vas absolutely necessary 10 check 'he ire
/ hend he has been amply forgiven for fur
nshng picturesque. sophomore biz az
| spice 10 the we'll seasoned dish ~ New
York existence.
| Another Youthful trait. which made the
chief his hardest ensrnie. and his stsnch-
est friends. va. his headstrong and IN.
br,dled telling OF the truth. He clasned
AS the headline writer's ssy-~ith five DIFF
. ferent FIRE commissioners on nobody knows
how many different subjects. and in most
Of them he had hts way sooner or later.
He has MOI hesitated to speak his mind TO
1ny one. least Of all TO the duly consti.
| tuted authorities over him.
One night there was fire In on. of the
I storage places under the stone arches a
, the BROOKLYN Bridge. The place was
stacked full of Old newspapers. which
burned hercely and made q sullen. stub
born fire One after another sixteen nre-
men were brought out unconscious, over
| come by the dense smoke. few minute,
In the open and a nip OF brandy put them
on their feet again.
The chief was in the arch with The rrs
when word ras brought TO him that an an
| bUlsnce had arrived. AS he came out "a
saw the attendants lifting one Of the I'M
conscious iremen into the ambulance Tho
echoes took up what the chief said TO the
surgeon and his fellows and carried Ms
words beyond all sounds OF the FIRE ne
desired to know who in several regions had
sent in the ambulance call and when
policeman came and confessed the chet
| beloved:
Il don't give blank-blank FOR the WHO'S
| Police Department OF New York No man
II mine goes TO the hospital tonight TAKE
/ him out OF there boys"
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-07

authorities have TO fight to get their rec
ommenda tons or orders complied with.
The offender. the proprietor or tenant Of
the building. ought to have the fighting
% do
If We note violation ~ the Law We
issue a notice and turn the case over 10
the Corporation Counsel's office for prose
cution The case drass along for months.
and often II gets lost altogether in the
pressure IF business The city does the
feb,ing The law ought to he that the
fire chief can order building fixed 10 COM
ply With the law. and # the change is not
made within a reasonable time he can slap
notice on the building forbidding any
enc 70 enter il or 20 use II for business
until the law has been complied with.
/ Then the offender would have to do the
fighting and we'd get mighty few delays.
It's a different thing to 30 10 law with
your factory shut down indefinitely from
what it is 10 sit back with full business
and 10, the city bring an action against
you
NO. ! don't believe in a special bureau
for fire prevention Everything that has
10 do with the prevention of fires. safe
/ guarding life in case Of fire. and all that.
ought to he in the hands Of the Fire De
partment. and what is more, IT ought TO
he i'm the hands Of the chief Of the depart
ment
with all due respect 10 fire commits
sioners. think the chief ought 10 have
that authority and he responsible for ~
The chief knows how fires start and what
they do as well as any one very well can.
and he STAYS on the Job. while commits
sioners come and GO
DO YOU still object 10 the appointment
of fremen by the Civil Service eTamina-
tions?"
- don't think the Civil Service ought
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-07

VIII YOU 20 To- fires for your now COM
pany?"
For a moment II looked as u the chief
was about 70 perpetrate the one Joke of his
public career But the look disappeared,
and IL had to be said for him.
You think there won't be any fires 70
20 tor"
No. / don't think that There'H always
be fires. You can't help IT. But We can cut
'em down a whole lot"
There have been other changes IN the
FIRE Department than those the chief men
toned. Almost the first order ne issued
forbade the fremen 10 blow their whistles
and ring their bells when returning al slow
speed from FIRE The traditions that had
come down from the old volunteer days
called for the biggest hullabaloo that could
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-07

he made. At any hour Of the day or night
ne was the first fireman 10 use electric
searchlichts as part Of his regular appara-
tus. Thar alone was great advance, tor
the darkness i'm which the fremen often
had 20 work was one of their greatest dan
gers. lie also invented an automatic M
for water towers ny which the tower is
raised rapidly and extended telescope fash
ion AZ the same time.
The searchlight engine. the improved Wa
ter tower and the high pressure system
We're his own ideas IN a hundred different
details he has kept the department mp -
date by using the best new ideas Of others.
Now lust 80 his departure. the department
IS entering upon regular policy ~ using
motor driven apparatus throughout.
From the tine Of hts appointment the
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-07

fire apparatus, n Is said in The world. \
water tower is ms cumbersome as car
float in = tdeWay. and when drawn ny
horses is apt to be the last piece Of appa-
ratus % arrive ~ fire. The new tower.
which ia stationed IT White and Elizabeth
streets. can make twenty miles an hour,
can turn I'm it's own length and can stop
when going ~ full speed within sixty feet
The best horse drawn engines can cover
q mile in about fye minutes. or at the rate
NJ twelve miles an hour. but cannot main
tain that speed. while the rate ~ the morse
drawn water towers is considerably slower
The motor tower is untiriug. and ctn heat
the old form hy two or three minutes in a
run Of mile. ard by great deal more IN
longer trip
The tower proper is a remarkable instru-
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-07
NO HARM DON e

IL suppose you were somewhat '''aP'
rointed in the outcome OF your plan 70 SUI
divide the farm
No" replied Mr.. Corntossel' vi co"'e,
n didn't work out as we expected ou'
dldn', hurt ANYTHING We're raisih - 10
good turnips AZ the corner OF Me'rofo"'a'
avenue and Magnolia Boulevard as VIZ uD
before the streets was laid cut W sshihs'
ton Star.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-07
WANTS RESULTS-NOT TALK.

Wait. All that talk is a nine days
wonder. I'll tell YOU when I'll think the
Asch fire has done good When ! see soma
one responsible man in the Fire Depart
n ent empowered TO enforce these rules: No
woodwork allowed in the structure Of any
building over eignty-hve feet high-dcors.
window sashes or anything else AIDE
ouate fire escapes. I'm every new bu,lding
where there are many employees. q fire
tower. absolutely freproof, absolutely IN
connected with any other building except
by iron bridges running through The open
all Every emplove in 2 factory TO have
AZ least twelve square feet Of space Places
70 he kept free from rubbish Fire sprink-
lers on every floor Of loft or factorv
building sprinkle i'm the cellar n every
fat or tenement house building. with p
head in every wood house Lights kept
burning constantly IN every dark cellar
and in The cellars halls and stairways Of
every Fat or apartment or boarding house
a. night
When ! see such law. with real power
put into the hands Of some one real man
20 enforce u. then Will say the Asch
Building fire has done some good At
present the city goes hindside foremost At
enforcing What fire laws j. does have The
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-07
Retired Chief Tells of Changes Made in Course OF his
Twenty.seven Years Connection with Depart
ment Which He Thinks Is Now the
Strongest in the World

the worst part Of the wholesale district
Ordinarily they are filed with water under
gravity pressure When an alarm is rung
from the high pressure district the engines
I'm the pumping station are started. and
salt water from the river is forced through
the pipes We couple the hose 20 the nv
drant and get a bigger stream than We
would II we used the fire engine
I'VE can take a FIRE that would call for
n third alarm anywhere else in the city
and put n out with the first alarm ap-
psratus when We use the high pressure
system. The city couldn't do better than
10 spend another 100000 right now put
TING I'm the high pressure system al the
way up 70 seth street. between Firth ave
nue and tho North River. The part Of the
town that needs II worst of all Is tho
swamp and the old buildings around it
that is. all the way from Chambers street
down 10 Wall. east Of Broadway Down
there toward the river. below Brooklyn
Bridge. there are all kinds Of firetraps.
regular confagration breeders. and until
the district has been rebuilt in something
like modern style il always will he a dan
Gerous place"
Don't you think the Asch Building FIRE
Is producing good results in the way of
fire precautions?
Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1911-02-25

rutty and soft, it is generally better to
go over the road twice and in some
places oftener
The drag should be toored with
boards which are separated by open
spaces Of sufficient width so that the
dirt which falls over will rattle
through. and yet they should be close
enough 50 that the driver can move
about upon the dr." quite freely.
To insure the successful operation
of the drag it is necessary for the
driver to use careful Judgment. Some
times 1t Is essential that the blade be
held down so that the drag will cut
roots and weeds, while at other times
the front edge should not bear toe
heavily upon the surface, as 1t viii!
dig out soft place which would br
better If left undisturbed This regu
lation of the cutting edge can be ac
complished by the driver moving back
and forth or to the right and left oI
the drag.
If the road is to be crowned witt.
the drag it is often well to plow n
light furrow along the sides and work
this IoOsened dirt to the center On
roads with heavy traffic the drag
should be used much oftener and with
m"re care than on roads with light
traffic.
The distance from the drag at which
the team Is hitched affects the cutting.
A long hitch permits the blade to cut
deeper than a short hitch; likewise a
heavy .doubletree will cause the cr'