The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1917-05-25
fire CHIEF IS
CALLED BEFORE
CITY COUNCIL
Is. Asked to Explain Numer-
GUS Complaints Against
Fire Department.
SAYS HE AND ENTIRE
FORCE READY TO QUIT
Councilman Vinyard Cites Mum.
Der of Complaints--Smoke Hell
NETS to be Bought for Firemen

A heated argument arose between
Councilman Medley and Fire CHER
Kraft last night when the latter was
called before the council to answer the
numerous complaints that have been
received by the members of the City
Council regarding the work done by
the firemen of the city. The argument
disclosed the fact that Councilman
Medley drew his knife during the con-
troversy he had Sunday morning with
the fire chief while the fire depar.
ment was fighting blaze in the Balm
flats on the corner of William and
South Spanish streets.
In answering the complaints tina;
according to Councilman Ben Vineyard
were brought against the firemen,
Chief Kraft announced that he and his
men had contemplated resigning if the
citizens continued to hamper" at the
department as they had done in the
past. He declared that his force was
not strong enough to handle the two
machines and that they had tried to
do their best under the conditions they
were working under.
Mr.. Vineyard declared that he haG
received a number of complaints about
the surplus amount of water used by
the fire department in combating re-
cent fires. Mayor Hirsch, who per-
sonally inspected the Balm flats Sun
day afternoon, admitted that there
seemingly had been a surplus quantity
of water used in the house, and urged
the chief not to resort to any drastic
means in fighting a fire if it could be
avoided.
Councilman Schuchert insisted that
the firemen should be compelled to
take both machines to fire, and that |
they should use the chemical tanks |
attached to the hook and ladder ma
chine more frequently than had been
done. Councilman Brunke, however,
was of the opinion that no amount of |
water should be spared at any fire. "If |
you expert to extinguish blaze" he
said, then you must use water"
When called before tn Getty Cour-
Gil last night, Fire Chief Kraft was or
dered to give an account of the fire
and his alteration with Councilman
Medley. He declared that one of the |
four men had left the station shortly
before they received the alarm to go
to breakfast leaving him alone with
two men. While the mechanic of the
fire department was operating the
pump he himself and Carl Simpson,
the only fireman he had with him,
made every effort to extinguish the
fire with as little damage as possible.
The nozzle of the hose was torn out
of their hands by the heavy pressure
of the water and, as a consequence,
the water was poured all over the
house before they regained control of
the hose. Owing to the great heat, it
was almost impossible for them to get
near the place where the house was
burning. The owner, he said, was
forced to leave the house after he had
attempted to assist the fremen in
handling the hose.
1--WE are human as we'll as the citi-
Zens, and the citizens cannot expect
anymore of us thanthey could do them
selves under the conditions under
which we are working. We lack the
proper equipment and porper protec-
tioin against smoke and flames"
He asked the City Council to pu--
chase at least two smoke helmets and
was given authority to purchase them
after consulting with the Ways and
Means Committee of the City Coun-
ell.