Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-06-27
In Regard 10 The Building Of
A New Fire Station.
Plans Of New Building Favored by
Chief Buckley and Committee.

which the voters of Augusta Will, at a
general meeting to be held at 1.30 r.
NJ. Monday, July l. instruct the city
jcouncil as to action to be taken.
Building Inspector James A. Jones
Estates that if the new building code
Proposed fer the City of Augusta is
jput into effect he will, under author
lily given him by that code, close the
present Central fire station on Bridge
lstreet as unfit for occupancy and or
der the apparatus stored upon the
lstreet until arranbements can be made
Ito house it, A crew of workmen has
Ialready begun work snoring up the
old building, in order to prevent the
possibility of such drastic measures
lbeing taken pending the construction
of a new building.
The location favored by Chief John
A. Buckley for the new Central fire
station is the Titcomb lot. located OPP
posite and little above the present
fire station site on Bridge street. He
stated, Wednesday. to a Journal re-
lporter that he considered this lot to
be the most centrally located and best
adapted for fire station purposes, tax
ing into consideration the fact that
lteams from this station are obliged to
cover every call in the city. AN
Examination of record of fires for the
past 10 years will show that in re-
lsponding to IS per cent of the calls
| ii would be necessary to run down
Rines hill and through Water street
| in the case of a location in Hartford
square. site mentioned in connection
with the location of the new fire sta
| ton
| The members of the special council
committee on the new fire station
have visited the various fire stations
| in nearly all of the Maine cities and
have been given a thorough opportun-
lity for examining these stations by
the fire chiefs in these cities, who
have extended every courtesy to
them. Among the places visited
We're Bangor. Portland. Lewiston and
Auburn as well as other smaller
cities and towns.
Chief Buckley thinks that the
phrase Central fire station" has been
misunderstood in many quarters and
states that the plan Cor the new build
| ing is not that all the fire fighting APP
paratus is to be stored in one building
but that apparatus stored in the cen
trail building will respond to all
alarms and here will be the chiefs
station and the electrical apparatus.
| No fire station now existing in the
city will be done away with. In fact.
we need second new fire station In
place of the Atlantic Hose house, al
though the need is not quite so inn
perative as in the case of the Cush-
lnoc house"
| Chief Buckley declares that the
cause of the last big fire in Portland
was the housing of the electrical APP
paratus in City hall and points out
that such thing might easily occur
in connection with our own City hail.
ineipient fires having caught at a
number of different times about the
switch board and been put out. The
1.-TWO high pressure tanks of the sys-
item, with pressure Of from 120 to rs
pounds, he declares are an additional
source of danger and feels that the
fremoval of the fire alarm system from
lCity hall will be measure in the in
terests of safety TO the public which
| will be brought about by the con-
struction of the new Central fire sta
ton.
Plans for New Building.
The committee on fire station of the,
lcity council has received sets of plans
from several different architects en-
lbodying plans which have been work
led out at conferences between the
members of the committee, Mayor
lNoyes and Chief Engineer Buckley
The plans submitted provide for a
Itwo-s story brick building with base
Iment and hose tower, having frontage
Iof IS feet and running about IS feet
back. cost not to exceed $4,000.
l.. The floor space is to be ample to
house the three pieces of apparatus
Inow housed in the Cushnoc engine
lhouse, the steamer. hook and ladder
truck and hose wagon, and in addition
Isome additional piece of apparatus, an
lautomobile, chiefs wagon, or whatever
lextra equipment may be purchased.
The stall room is to be adequate for
Tearing for sick horses, which under
the present arrangement have to be
Istabled outside and will include seven
lstalls. On the first floor will also be
the chiefs Office and the switch board
land batteries. while the compressed
lair tanks will be placed in the base
lment.
| The sleeping apartments on the Sec
fond floor viii provide for four beds for
the permanent men and six beds in
addition for firemen who wish to sleep
lat the engine house. Two sliding
poles viii be arranged in connection
with the dormitory rooms. Assembly
room, bath room. closets, lavatory and
kitchen will also be provided on the
second floor, While in the extreme rear
provision will be made for a hay loft
to hold Is or 20 tons of hay and a
Quantity of grain.
That all citizens, who inspect the
lold Cushnoc engine house, viii believe
with him that new fire station is an
Imperative necessity is the firm belief
of Chief John A. Buckley of the Au-
susta fire department and for this
reason he invites all who may desire
to do SO TO visit the Cushnoc Engine
house and make a thorough inspection
of it before the town meeting, Monday
evening.
Il Miss Carroll Martin of Freeport is
the guest of her parents Mr. and Mrs