The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1911-02-08


cheaper to walt until it happens be-
fore you purchase engines that will
give you pressure2 Will we wait until
we burn down one of our East End
factories before we put a department
in the East End? You have factor
les in the East Emo that are mile
and one-half from the nearest fire sta
tion. Will We wait until the depart
ment is held up going to fire north
of the railroads by long train block
ing the crossing before you build n
department north of the railroads?
1t is well known that our water pres
sure is not what it ought to be or
sufficient in the event Of a large fire.
What If We had two fires at the
same time? Such things happen quite
often. We are now city OF over
1900 inhabitants. with good factory
buildings good business blocks and
some of the finest churches and school
buildings I'm the state We have play
ed in luck, but such luck will not con
tinue tomorrow perhaps. Maybe be-
fore the year rolls around--nobody
knows when-there will he "A fearful
confla grafton in your business or
manufacturing district, then the peo-
pie will come together and put aside
technicality and minor matters, and
We will be protected from the fire
that has done it's damage. At the
present time your fire department con
sists of two paid stations one with
six men, the other with three men.
One station is a call station with
eight men who pull the wagon by
hand and this Is not satisfactory he
cause it takes too long a time 10 arrive
q fire
We also have two subtitute men
who take the place Of regular men
when OFF duty; also eight call men
who answer all alarms in case Of
fire uptown, and when your Nos
and 2 departments arrive and the fif-
five foot ladder Is needed every man
must stop to help raise it. BY that time
your fire has gotten away from you.
Now is the time to act. because
danger is staring MS in the face. I
would not frighten any one. but do
not mind stating. as you have placed
me in charge of your department, u
simple fact that every citizen and
property should know.
| I think the time has come when we
should have a station in the East
End and one in the North End, each
equipped with automobile engines that
can pump and deliver 700 gallons of
water per minute, and to be manned
by not fewer than four men TO a
company. Your No. company should
have three more men and No. one
moro man. The Grand opera house
fire should teach us a lesson. At that
fire every fireman and at least
twelve outsiders. worked on II, and If
another fire should have occurred
during its progress II would have
taken at least thirty minutes to have
gotten ready 10 respond to II. our
city is large enough to have a depal
ment in reserve at all times.
Fire alarms during the year--Num-
ber of alarms, eighty, an increase OF
twenty-five over last year.
Calls answered by company No, !
fifty; by company No. ., forty one;
by company No. 3, fourteen.
| Fires by months-January, three;
February, two; March, seventeen;
April, twelve; May, three; June,
seven; July, eleven; August, eleven;
September two; October five; Novem-
Der, four December, three; total
eighty.
Causes of fire-Matches In clothing
two; lamp explosion, two; floor joust
built in chimney, one; clothing too
close 10 stove, two; electric wires
four; children with matches, three
sparks from railroad engine, twenty
, burning rubbish, seven; sparks from
chimney on roof, seven; cigar stubs
thrown I'm paper aud grass four; 500
, | in chimney, one; spontaneous com
bustion, in greasy sacks, one; gas
leaks, two; escaping steam, one
lightning, three; gasoline explosion
three rubber tubes on gas stoves
burning off, one; paper over chimney
fule, one; lace curtain too close t'
flue, one; lace curtain too close {,
. wood partition, five; gas light withou
tip TO close TO ceiling. one; unknown
four; false alarms two; other thar
fires two.
Value, loss and insurance on build
ings and Contents-Value Of build,
: ngs insured, s77565;. value of build.
, ngs not insured, $3.50; total value o
buildings S77,7l5; value of contents
/. insured S27,225; OF contents not insur.
CO.. eJ,-0Ot loldl Ndlut VI tohltlAs, No-
475; loss on buildings insured, $3l,57S.,
50; loss on buildings not insured $3.50
total loss on buildings $Sl, ,72s.s2; loss
on contents insured Slo,O96.69; loss on
contents not insured S3,sOO; total loss
on contents SlS,S9G,69; total losses OF
buildings and contents, $50,6255l.
Invoice-No / equipment, $1,000
No. ., equipment $4,S32; No. 3, equip,
ment $3.50; No. . buildings, $500; fire
alarm system $3.50; total S27,9O2.
In conclusion l take pleasure IN
thanking his honor, the mayor, ant
the director Of public safety fol
hearty cooperation and for the many
courtesies extended TO me. 1t is q
great pleaure to testify TO the loya
support and able assistance l have
received from the officers and .men II
the department.
Very respectfully,
II. J, M'FARLAND
{ Chief Of Marion Fire Department
.