Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1915-09-17
CEDAR's UNPREpAREDNE;s.


dollars in the installation of water system
one of the great advantage of which is supposed
to be the protection that it affords in case of fire
Within the past year two we have expended
thousand or two more dollars on fire hydrants
fire hose, hose carts and other equipment, and the
citizens have fancied themselves in position tt
combat fire in at least fairly good shape
The blaze early Monday morning which licked
up the Cory Hotel barns and adjoining property
comes as rude awakening from this fanced Sc
curity. For the want of little efficient planning
the people found themselves in the worst position
for fighting fire they have ever been in since the
town was settled. Hundreds of strong, able-bod
led men stood around watching the flames Ito say
nothing of the women folks, of whom there were
about an equal number in evidence) powerless Il
do anything to combat the fire fend. We were
totally unprepared and completely bewildered ir
the face of such an emergency.
To begin with early arrivals at the scene
while realizing that the city had fire hose, were in
ignorance of where it was kept or how to locate
it. When, after the loss of considerable precious
time, somebody ascertained that portion of the
fire hose was kept in the basement of the library
building key was obtained, and finally the hose
brought and attached to the nearest hyrant. W.
next found to our dismay that there was moi
enough force on the street to have extinguishec
an ordinary camp fire. 1t was remembered thai
the city watermaster had lately adopted prac
tice of partially closing the valves at the head Of
each street in order to prevent the use of to-
much water on lawns, etc.. by the residents of any
particular section or locality.
Where was the watermaster? His home wa.
mile out of town. An automobile was chartered
and the watermaster was brought to town as soor
as possible; but where was the wrench used il
turning the valves? There was only one in towr
and this he had left in his cart in the street. anc
someone had removed it. Then followed hunt
for the wrench In the mean time man with
his thumb partially obstructng the nozzle of the
big fire hose, was attempting to play frail lit
tie stream of water onto one corner of the fire
Those of you who have read the story of Guliver's
Travels among the Liputians can better imagine
than we can describe how the assembled crowd
ruthessly snatched from their warm beds into
the cold night air, felt as they looked upon the
scene. CULVER would have been a real hero or
this occasion.
For few minutes the wind came up rather
brisk from the north and it looked as if lot OF
the adjacent property was doomed. Fortune fav.
ored, however, and the wind shortly died down
again, and the small blazes that had been started
the meagre supply of water at hand.
Hooray! In just about one hour from the time
the fire was discovered the force in the fire hose
began to increase, and in moment more splen-
did stream of water was being played onto the
blazing logs and timbers. Of course, by this time
practically all danger of the fire spreading had
passed
The citizens had come to depend upon the wat
er system for protection, and the great majority
of them did not even take buckets with them to
the fire. Those who did found all the open bitches
practically empty, so that they were in far worse
condition to render aid than under the old system
when buckets and tubs were the sole dependence
and some very efficient assistance was rendered
in time of need.
We trust that this experience will be the in
centve for the planning of better system of pro-
lection for the future. In the first place. fire hose
should be located at not less than two definite
places, easily accessible and where there is some
one on the spot with key. The places thus des-
ignated should be given the widest publicity pos
sible so that the first person to respond to the
fire alarm will know exactly where to obtain the
fire hose In the next place, if it is necessary to
follow the practice of partially closing the cut off
valves at the heads of the streets, arrangements
should be made with at least two citizens at con-
venient locations and who are likely to be at home
major part of the time, to take charge of wrench