The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1924-05-29
NORRIDGEWOCK'S NEW
FIRE EQUIPMENT
CONTINUED from Page one)

| hidhG nlStOTy III the HtAl TWO HeShS
to which our children and grandchil-
dren can look back with pride.
Saturday May 31st, is the day set
for the special town meeting to take
up the several matters incident to the
fire. Aside from raising money to
pay the bills, of the Madison, Show
hogan and Waterville Fire Depart
ments We are confronted with a big
ger problem, that of fire protection.
For nearly two weeks the property
owners of our town have been abso-
iutely without protection and this
reason If none other should prompt
each and every voter to be on hand
next Saturday and give their support
10 the movement for the protection
OF what is left of our village.
Several different fire fighting de-
wees nave been suggested and dis
cussed. The first being that of lay
ing a four inch pipe line along Main
street below frost, with several con-
yenient MIGRANTS or hose connections,
this pipe being connected with
pump OF high capacity, operated by
gasoline or electric motor.
In considering this form of eauip-
ment We must not lose sight of the
tdIt lliaib iilC ldist III StIRltG Ol SuCll
would be comparatively small While
this would do very well for the bust
ness section of the town and those
living on Main street or near enough
to Main street for around thousand
feet of hose to reach. 1t would be
useless on the North Side of the river
on Waterville Hill or the Mercer road
The second suggestion seems to be
that of permanent water system of
sufficient pressure to be used in fight
ing fire. This plan is to have stand
pipe situated on Sunset Hill and to
have water pumped up into it either
from the river or from springs which
might be developed nearby. We are
sure that there is no one in town but
what would like very much to see
this put into effect for the village
does need and has needed for years
some sort of an improvement in wat
er supply. If the village were pro-
perly piped and a proper number of
MIGRANTS installed who would ask
for anything better. The only hitch
in this seems to be the expense. 1t
is estimated by some that the INSTALL
alton of such a system would at least
be one hundred thousand dollars, and
the present financial condition of the
town seems to prohibit such an I'M
dertaking.
The last and more generally dis
cussed plan is movable gasoline
pump either something such as we
had before or some sort of a pump
of perhaps about the same capacity
mounted upon a self propelled base
We understand that an outfit consist
ing of pump. chemical and storage
space for a thousand feet of hose
mounted on Il truck of national repu-
tation would cost less than five thou
sand dollars. Such an equipment
would serve the community very eff
GENTLY, not only the village but
could go out into the country to any
farm. Let's us suppose that a fire
should break out at any of our large
farms on the Sandy River, in the sum-
7 mer time the entire equipment could
be on the spot inside of thirty min
utes. With our old engine we could
not possibly get the horses together
and our equipment started in much
less than that time.
Another much discussed problem is
that of housing any fire fighting
equipment which we may purchase.
Our old engine house while perhaps
not wisely built seems to many very
wisely arranged and planned. We
were able to handle any fire in the
business section of the town or in fact
anywhere within a quarter of mile
of the house without moving the en-
CINE, for it was so located that the
suction hose could be put right into
the mill pond and this even in the
winter time without having to cut
ice.
1t is thought by some that we ought
to build the fire house by itself with
no other buildings near and Frank
Ames has offered a very desirable lot
for this purpose, this lot being about
fifty feet down the hill from the home
of DR.. Ames.
While this meets with the appro-
val of some it seems to others that
1t is like putting the cook stove up
stairs and having the kitchen in the
basement. Let us suppose that a
fire breaks out at the shoe shop about
three a. m. some cold winter morn
ing with the snow about three feet
deep and the wind blowing like blaz-
es. The night Waterman at the fac
tory puts in the alarm and after the
firemen arrive it will be necessary for
them to get a team to haul the en-
CINE to the Mill Stream bridge il we
choose to put the engine house on the
lot offered, because we could not ex-
pect truck of any kind to make its
way through three feet of snow with
the load that it would be necessary
to haul After arriving at the stream
a hole must be cut in the ice which
might be three feet thick. Then we
are already to start laying hose to
the fire. All this it is estimated
would take at least thirty minutes
After we got the water started we
have no assurance that we could keep
it going for in the exposed position
that the engine would be 1t is not
only quite possible but quite probable
that 1t would freeze in a short time
were the mercury at minus forty. Now
let us suppose that the same fire
breaks out with the engine in the
same location as before or in loca-
ton on the shore of the pond. The
night Waterman puts in the alarm, as