The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1931-10-02

papers Qau asked me TO make, l. uFONe
into the yard. (By way of explanation
it should be said that the several
papers covering an agricultural sec
ton desired a survey of farm prop
erty in order TO expose the fire haZ-
ards and point out possible remedies
for them, hoping in this way to re-
duce the loss of life and property
from fire on farms.)
The farmer, who had just finished
his lunch, chuckled when l told him
what | wanted. "Oh," he said, Il
thought you were selling something.
Did you come that way?" pointing
pack along the road I had just left.
"Then you propably noticed a farm
about five miles back, where the
buildings were completely burned to
the ground" That, he explained, was
Jud Stones place. Jud used a gaso-
line stove, although he knew it was
dangerous. The month before it had
exploded, fortunately when no one
was in the room, and SET the en-
tire kitchen on fire. His farm was
located midway between two towns,
CdGll u WHICH udu u LEe cllSIllG, 81
he telephoned for one of them. Mean
while a neighbOr had telephoned to
the other town. Both trucks were
equipped to make good speed on the
road, so they arrived at the same
time, before the fire had spread be-
yOnd the rear section of the house.
Immediately an argument arose as to
vr-nf. G,.0 oh hA
honor of pumping water out of the
brook and extinguishing the fire Each
company leader claimed he had been
summoned first and for a time ii
looked as though the fight would be
between the two groups of men, in
stead of between the men and the
fire. All this time poor Jud was
begging the fremen to get to work
and save his house. Finally some
one with authority stepped in and
settled the argument, but it was too
late TO save the house. which had
become completely engulfed in flames.
Nearby buildings caught fire from the
heat, while flaming brands fell on the
roofs of the more distant buildings,
and amid the confusion the fire
gained considerable Roadway. In the
end Jud lost everything and he had
no insurance protection.
Yes" I said, gasoline is a very
dangerous fluid to have around the
house. l have also heard of people
pouring gasoline or kerosene on
slow kitchen fire in an effort to
This IN,
disaster. And something should be
done about those firemen. They
should be better organized. so that
their first thought would be the saw
ing Of property and not personal
glory"
Let me show you what l have done
since that fire." said the farmer. He
opened the door of a small building
and proudly displayed a pumping en-
CINE, electrically driven. He had
length of hose on a reel which he
pulled out, then he pressed a button,
and in few seconds a strong
stream of water, which would reach
at least seventy-fve feet, issued from
the hose nozzle.
81 have also piped this water to the
barn." he said. Il have a hose and
control switch there. so that l
may quickly get to work on a barn
fire. I don't intend to rely on those
fire companies if fire should pay me a
visit. AS you see, the equipment l
have in readiness includes an ak,
some water buckets and a long lad
der. In the house l have a fire ex-
tinguisher."
You were wise to provide yourself
with this equipment" I answered,
but it is unlikely that you, alone,
could cope with a fire once it gained
Roadway in any building"
Adequate fire protection is recon-
mended for rural communities by the
National Board of Fire Underwriters.
In some of the smaller sections farm
ers have combined their resources and
purchased fOrty-gallOn, hand-drawn
engine with extra charges of soda and
acid. Since recharging is a simple op-
GRAFTON, requiring less than five min
utes, such an extinguisher can func-
ton almost continuously. To sup
plement this apparatus, several two
NATURALIZATION portable extinguish-
ers should be placed together and the
entire equipment housed by one of
the volunteers who owns an automo-
bile. Several buckets, axes and long
ladders complete the equipment. which
can be quickly transported to the
scene Of any fire in the neighborhood.
If a farming community is closely
grouped ii may be able to arrange for
the protection afforded by an automo-
bile pumper and chemical engine.
Again, arrangements sometimes may
be made with a neighboring town to
provide proper fire protection. When
ever fire apparatus of any kind is
available, it is essential that sys-
TEN for relaying the alarm be pro-
vided.
A tour of inspection disclosed that
the farmer was not as careful in other
matters as in providing home fire pro-
lection. Several buildings were badly
weathered and thoroughly dried out
from lack OF paint. All of the shingle
roofs were so old and neglected that
the shingles had begun to curl up and
were as dry as finder, providing a
means for spreading fire from build
ing to building. l pointed this out to
him and remarked that single roofs
should be kept in good repair and that
when composition roofing is used it
should be of incombustible material.
In back Of the barn and piled against