Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-02-09
THE RI RE DEPARTMENT.

Editor Every Evcning:-Thero has
been considerable criticism hurled both
at the Fire Department and its officers
during the last two years, particularly
through the press. Now, | am always
open for Just or fair criticism, both in
regards to the department and myself,
as ] claim neither perfection nor infal-
bbility for myself or. tire department
In fact. ] court criticism of the upbuild-
ing type, as there arc two sides TO every
question. Why not hear both sides
before deciding?
Now, in regard 10 the fire in Dr. Robins
residence, can any one toll what time
1T started / believe not, but the papers
say and it has not been denied, that it
was caused by putting hot cinders or
ashes IN wooden box. DR.. Robin him
self says it started in the cellar Why
did the neghbors have TO take the occu-
pants out bv ladders? WIS it on
account Of the smoke and fire This,
according to the papers, happened be-
foro the arrival Of the fremen The first
| the department knew Of the fire was when
a telephone call came tn the Brandywine
Co, Twenty-ffth and Market, for a FIRE
at Seventh and Rodney streets This
was before the box alarm came in. The
chief and responded 10 the box alarm,
trucks. The cellar was a roaring fur
mace when we arrived, and the entire
house filled with heavy smoke The
fire also had eaten through from the
| cellar in the rear. There were three
lines Of 212-lnch hose laid ready for
service, but no water. The men using
their chemical streams trying 10 hold it
an utter rnpossibility after a hre has
reached that stage. The tremen set
to work thawing out the plugs and mean
while the FIRE ragged The plug At the
northwest corner of Eighth and Rodney
had been used by someone outside Of the
fire department and left in such a con-
ditlon that the main outlet could not be
unserewed by one Of the most efficient
freIncn 10 the department, whose name
] viii give for the asking. After breaking
the outlet, that plug registered five pounds
pressure. The plug at the northwest
corner Of Seventh and Rodney, after
being thawed, with no other engine in
service, showed "a pounds pressure.
| quote these two as they are nearest
TO the fire.
| would like To know whose duty II is
to see that freplugs are in working order,
or arc inspected at all. The city Of
Reading, Pa, employs men who inspect,
flush and grease every plug IN that city
twice year-spring and fall. Do we,
and ii not, why did the underwriters say
it was our dut or the Water Depart
ments? In regard to water supply,
the Water Department has been notified
Of bad conditions in respect of plugs and
mains, but very few have been remedied.
think, and honestly, that the press
and citizens OF this city could secure a
great benefit by aiding in the spreading
of fire education, instead Of crlticising
those who labor willingly for no pay
under such conditions Had the person
who put the hot cinders in the wooden
box known the results beforehand do
you think he would have done Ii ? The
telephone books, on the front page,
have spaces for numbers Of fire alarm
boxes. How many citizens using tele-
phones have the number of the nearest
fire company there handy also, know
where the nearest FIRE box is located
Do you not think this would do more IN
saving your property from destruction
than standing ON the sidewalk, rldiculing
and belttling the fremen at every oppor-
tunity? candidly admit that there
have been mistakes and errors made:
but has the pounding and bounding
that have been employed, done any good ?
| say no. Il has gwen the city very
bad name and the insurance companies
the opportunities they desire.
In conclusion. would state that should
the citizens of this city, particularly the
taxpayers, want better. results how far
are they willing to cooperate
Edward A. Donahue,
First Assistant Chief Engineer Fire Dept.
Wilmington, Feb. 3, 1918.