The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1915-07-20
a motor-driven fire depart

Above the noise Of traffic whistles
long-sustained, whining scream.
Complicated with the siren the rapid
changing of bell. Watch out! Fire
a.a7m!
Mrs. MURPHY may have forgotten
tne electric iron while she devoted ner
attention to spanking the youthful
Pat for teasing Baby Mike or pulling
the kittens ears. No matter. Here
comes the motor-engine, tie nook-and-
ladder truck, the hose-wagons. Every
body stands from under. Right of way
for the fire department
But, just as things begin to settle
to normal, comes another creech and
whistle. "Hail to the Chief" If you
can't hail, Jump, for he comes at sew
enty miles an hour, a bold figure in
is brave red runabout of seventy
horsepower. He is going to the fire
and no mistake!
All of which is utter folly in ninety
per cent of the instances in which it
occurs. Try walking between two
points at a rapid rate and slow and
note the Insignificant gain in time &C
cumulated by the extra exertion and
then figure the gain in time between
the fire, house and the fire, usually
close by, accomplished by seventy
miles as against twenty miles an hour.
Usually, it is some pedestrian tnat
suffers, but last Tuesday in Richmond
the casualties fell on the department,
When the Chiefs" machine ran into
an iron post, the chauffeur was man
gled and killed and the chief and lis
deputy were seriously wounded.
1t is highly spectacular to see a fire
department getting to the source OF
the alarm in minute and half. But
even if on longer run they save a
minute, sixty seconds is not so mucG
IN the case of a fire, but the lives en-
dangered in every such run are worth
many times the total value of the
buildings involved.
But don't forget the opening of the
park on Thursday evening. 1.-THE
opening of the park-was postponed
from last Friday night because the un-
usual rain of Thursday afternoon over
flowed and it was feared there would
be some mud left on the grass. Sucn
high water is unusual, and when the
park lis all fixed up there will be no
overflow unless there should really
come another flood, and we have the
promise there will be- no more floods.
TIE next time the publication will be
through fire. But the thing now is to
come out to the opening of the park
on Thursday night. TIE park will be
open for visitors-it's open all the
time-but 1 mean that on Thursday
night the ladies will be there by Z
o'clock to receive what you are going
10 send in the way Of ice cream and
cake to help make little money. And
Mayor Wright and DR.. Harms are to
speak at 9 o'clock as formerly an
nounced, but they are to speak only
few words-no set speech-not If 1t
can be helped. You know I was just
figuring it up the other night, and l
have been writing for this column now
about ten years, and there have been
very few times when I did not have
sonnet ing to say about the need Of
park for Newberry. Of course, tnat
had nothing to do with getting the
park, but then I have the satisfaction
of knowing that I can show by the
record that a park is one OF my
dreams, and now that it has come to
pass, Dy Whatever uuueuCS, 1AA SAcN'
for the sake of the little children, as
we'll as for the stay-at-2ome grown
ups and all the balance Of the people
of the town. To be a blessing instead
of a curse it is important that it be
properly managed, and this can be
done only by having some organized
body to run it. I trust this will be
looked after. No doubt it will. But
let every one in this town go out and
celebrate Thursday night. And take
a silver offering along. 1t takes lit
tie silver to make the place what 1t
should be. Let every one be happy
and smile and try to. make every one
else happy.
THE IDLER.
P. s.-Since writing the above stuff
have just read in the papers the