The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-03-13
Hints to Fire Lads
Given by Mr.. Bruce
From fridays 5.i,y.

both regular and volunteers, com
prising the Mankato Fire DEPART
ment Relief association, held a
gathering last evening In the meet
ing hall of the city hall building
and listened to a talk on the new
fire automobile by the expert from
Chicago. F. A. Bruce. representing
the American-I.a France Fire En-
CINE company of Elmira, n. Y,
from whom the apparatus was
purchased.
w. III. Anderson. president OF
the organization. presented Mr..
Bruce, saying that he was a vet.
eran IRE fighter of Eastern cities.
Spoke at Some Length.
Mr.. Bruce spoke at some length
in regard to the >forty-gallon tank
OF chemicals that the engine car
ries. lie said the fires could gen
orally be extinguished by the chemi-
Gals before. there was any need OF
using the water hose at all. He
said eighty-five per cent of the fires
could be put out with the chemical
apparatus alone. The chemical APP
paratus should not be used, how
ever. until the fire itself could be
seen. eli said it was best for two
men TO operate together in apply
ing the chemicals, as one man
alone could not stand IL for any
great length of time.
The speaker remarked that the
automobile carried 1,209 feet of
two-and-a-halfinch hose to be used
in the application OF water. A pres
sure of 300 pounds to the square
inch ut the engine gave pressure
Of So pounds al the nozzle. He
cautioned the firemen against turn
ing on the force too heavily, when,
there were less than nine men hold
ing the hose. He said II had been
fully demonstrated in the recent
tests that had been made with tine
new apparatus that II took nine
men TO hold the hose when the
pump was working at full pressure.
Fifty-five pounds at the nozzle was
enough pressure 10 cope with any
kind OF a fire.
Mr., Bruce extended a general In
vitationl to all present together
with any of the fire fighters who
might be absent, to come 10 the
fire station at any time. see the en-
CINE and make inquiries about il.
He suggested that IL would be a
good plan to run the engine out
from time TO time just TO show
different members OF the fire fighting
corps how it worked.
Not Too Many Bosses. Il.
The speaker cautioned the fire.
men against having too many
bosses at fire. They should real
lie that there must be one man
To direct the operations of the
whole force, and when other peo-
pie made suggestions to this and
that member of the force. as to
how things should be done. no at
tention should be paid to such re-
marks! There were often certain
conditions that such people knew
nothing about. and some people
were ever ready with an idea TO
express.
On being asked whether II
would be well to have the same
men run the machine every time,
Mr.. Bruce said Il would be well to
have quite a number of volunteers
located in the vicinity of the fire
go nj h.
thoroughly. He would have three
or four firemen, however, who
would always be ready to manage
the running OF the apparatus. He
would have these three or four take
turns at operating the automobile
in going to a fire., making the con.
nections. managing the plug and
other features of the management
Thus anyone of the four could be
ready at any time to do any part
of the work of running the machine.
and anyone OF the four could be
ready at any time to boss the run
ming of the apparatus, when others
were helping or course It would
be necessary TO, have some one In
authority at all times.
Picking Up The Unconscious.
Another suggestion made by Mr.. |
Bruce was with regard to picking |
up an unconscious person at a fire;
he had Captain William A. Funk lie |
down on the floor on ais face to |
represent an unconscious man. Then |
Mr.. Bruce took hold OF the captain |
by the shoulders. raised him over |
his own left shoulder and showed
how he could be carried anywhere
in that way, just like a sack OF
meal II the man happened to be |
lying on his back or In any other
position than on his face. he should
be rolled over on his face before
being picked up.
Mr.. Bruce also said II VIC lid be we'll
for the flremen always TO be pro-
vided with heavy wooden mitfens to |
be used summer and winter These
mittens could be used to protect |
the hands in breaking blass, han
ding things that were Liable to burn
the bare hand and doing many
ether things that could not we'll be
done without them. The mitfens
eould he used IN baffer advonfaool