The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-04-10

But this was 2S years ago, as .
 member of the Algonquin Club.
 turned for another 2s days of acc tive service. That's what the old time fireman did for Waterbury, the same as he did for all of the other cities of the country. Fire life may not have been active in those days. but when there was a fire of any consequence, the whole town turned out. The city had only 25 paid men when the great fire of 1902 took place. The Bur- ton street station had plenty of callmen, and helpers; everybody out those nights dropped in and if the apparatus moved, why they just got aboard and helped out if their services were required. That was the spirit of the day. And on official parade day, how proud each and every member was. Why, say, there have been few parades in Waterbury to equal the old time fire procession. They tell me that in the real early days, each volunteer organization would invite an out of. town or- ganization to be the guest of the company during the parade. That cost money, but 1t didn't seem to bother the firemen of that day. And the bands; the cream of the state, Colts and Pope,s of Hart- ford, the End regiment of New Haven, Wheeler & Wilson of Bridgeport, The Wallingford band, and our own crack Amer ican band. And when the parade was over, all of the bands would consolidate and march around the Green, following which the old time steamers would pump water from a .cistern at the east end of the Green, and spray everybody within a mile of the center. But you couldn't do that today; the traffic cops would chase you,
 Fire Fighting Much Different
 My friends, fire fighting today is much different than 1t was in the old days. You don't see the present firemen playing 8 line of water from the roadway; he must get in, and he does get in; he's right at the seat of the fire: he must be there to do the good he wants to do. And In his efforts to reach the actual fire it. self, he is bound to inhale and suffer the effects of poisonous and deadly gases. Of course, he doesn't feel it for the time be- ing, but it's the after effects that get him. For instance there's esul- phur dioxide used SO commonly in most of the frigidaire systems of the country. But while its smelly and obnoxious to endure, 1t may be cleared off, they tell Us, by flushing with water. It is not inflammable or explosive. Methyl chloride is another refrig- erant used in some cases; 1t has very little odor, is swedish like chloroform, but Is dangerous in that 1t is both inflanable and ex- plosive. f t
 The common refrigerant for the larger plants is ammonia. You know the odor too well to have me tell you anything about 1t. You and the rest of US try to avoid 1t. Yet the present day fire- man must endure 1t; he must take 1t, as the slang saying of the day Is; and he can generally take 1t, too; our own men have taken 1t upon numerous occasions; there are other chemicals, too, just as offensive.
 After all, my friends, the fire- man Is human, just like you and me; he cannot be expected to do the 1nhuman thing of life, ale ways. But the average fireman here in Waterbury and elsewhere, leaving aside my connection with the department, is a fearless, and careless sort of a person when his acts mean the welfare of those he Is called upon to aid. His own welfare is secondary, as no doubt 1t should be, in spite of the pres- CAAt 0Uy " C4A0 A4A AAAOoV W&AA0 VA life and of self preservation.
 The Fireman Needs No Defense
 am not here to defend the fireman: he needs no defense. You know him, in bare instances, better than I do. But I do feel as though know those in and around me: think know the makeup of the average human being: I think I am fairly able to judge the interior of the person with whom I am brought in con- tact. Like many others, perhaps many times I am wrong in my de- duction.
 So that I may say to you men here assembled, in all truth and sincerity, that my comrades and associates of the Waterbury Fire Department are an exceptional body of men. They may make mistakes like others, but in an average of citizenship, to me, they stand out. Take the late Chief Heitman. the retired Chief Thom- as Lynch, the present chief, Tom Cavanaugh, the Retired Deputy McEyoy, Fire Marshal Holland, the acting deputy chiefs, Marty Campion, Steve Bloomfield, and Joe Kelley, along with such men as Supt. Ahea-n, Capt. Tommy Wilton, Capt. Frank Ryan, Capt. Robert whitaker. Capet. Ed. Maioney, Capt. Joe. Bagley, Capt. Phil Kelley, Lieut.. Jimmy Cav- anaugh, Lieut.. Jim Mccoy, Lieut.. Frank Finn, Lieut.. Jack Crean, Acting Lieut.. Patrick Griffin, Act- ing Lieut.. Jim McDonald, Lieut.. Jack Stevens, Lieut.. Mike Suln- van, Acting Lieut.. Jimmy Moran, Lieut.. waiter Larlour. Lieut.. Jack Quinn, Acting Lieut.. Tucker Ma Rraw. Lieut.. Hugh Cunningham, Lieut.. Mike ,ylaherty, Acting Lieut.. Johnny E5artnett, Lieut.. Ed. CcrnCr, Lieut.. Mike Cavail- augh, Lieut.. Charley Bockwich, and all of the privates of the department, along with my own Y ~. -a-n