The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-02-06
EMM|TT 7. REID
DESCRIBES FRENCH
FIRE FIGHTING

FIRE FIGHTING.
In recent letter from Scrgt. En-
mitt 7. Reid, Company D, lllth
Ammunition Train, he describes
number OF souvenirs he is sending
home, among them being 4 little
scrap OF steel (which looks as
though it might have been a piece
OF anything. Alter a nights sleep,
disturbed only by the constant
boom of French long range rifles
and our own 1855, and the fire.
quent incoming scream OF the
Boch shell and its explosion nearby,
I woke, my first morning on the
front, with that little scrap OF steel
just hanging on splinters OF the
board which served as a roof, about
eighteen inches above my head.
IS - The shell case made in
Germany bear the date OF l90S-l
saw some dated as far back as 1882,
which shows how long ago Fritz
began preparing for this little show
Had a little excitement the 9TH
er day in the way OF fire. A barn
down at the cafe (Which is, as !
have told you, nothing but a wine
joint in Franco, caught on fire.
Some of our men had billets in part
OF the barn, their equipment was
there and the men were out on
trucks and now, as supply SER
geant, | have a choice collection of
burned rifles, blankets, etc, to sal
wage! What soldiers were in camp
swung in with will and proceeded
to keep the fire from getting to the
cafe. The fire department of Dav-
rey has equipment which consists
OF little two-wheeled cart bearing
a pump, and some Is feet OF hose.
With the aid OF this outfit We man
aged to squirt a one-inch stream
OF water about over the fire and
easily prevented it burning 4 tile
roof and a brick wall
"Thc French are very much afraid
OF fire, and OF course in a small vii
lage like this have so few of them
that the department is unable to
keep in practice. When the alarm
was given the chief ran briskly out
and secured the key to the fire sta
ton, started down the line at dou-
bcl-timc, and then made the dis
coyery that he had forgotten to
don his uniform. Now, no Seli-re-
specting fire chief would think OF
attempting to fight fire sans uni
form, so this one handed the key to
a soldier and 'high-tailed' for home
and uniformed. In the work OF
getting the pump out and into ac-
tion we had forgotten all about the
chief, but he evidently had not for
gotten. for in the course OF half an
hour here he came, resplendent in
the official uniform for the occa-
sion In the meantime we had
headed the demon of from the
house and had it confined to the
barn (Which by the way, is built on
to the house, and it could danoth-
ing but burn hay and explode am
munition. Long about 1880 the
fire department came out from Err
Wy. Their equipment was similar
to that OF. the Davrey outfit, with
the addition OF a bugle which was
used to notify the bumpers when
to pump and when to rest. They
also had a few more feet Of hose
than the village outfit, so they set
up at a creek down the road a piece.
Soon after they got into action the
village drummer came out and after
pounding the goatskin' few min
utcs to attract attention announc-
ed that the brave fire fighters
would now proceed to take nourish-
mcnt, and will return to take up the
fight at '2:S0.' We Gods and lit
tie fishesl That announcement
beat me-commcnts are useless and
my vocabulary contains no word
to express my thoughts. They
sure enough did quit and go to din
ner, but failed to tell the fire to
quit, evidently thinking that it was
doing 4 good job OF eating as it
was"