Year: 1859

THE FIREMEs AT THE LATE FIRE


on TIE BLryv-Tbe Gazette, With chsrac-


teristic unfsirness. in its yesterday imPres


son gave vent to its spite against the fire'


men Of this city. 1t seizes the burning OF


Mr.. EIdridge's house as q Pretext for .


wanton, bitter and unjust attack on our


whole FIRE department In the name OF


Ju'tice. We protest against such base ingrat-


itude and groundless slandera Where men


do all and more than can be exPs cted OF


them, where without fee and without re-


ward in the summers heat and the win-


ters chilling blasts, with no other object
than the public good-they peril their lives
to cave the property Of citizens and often


times of strangers. from destruction, they
ought At least to be secure from calumny,
reproaeh and abuse. The fremen Of Dav-
export, without ostentati N or parade,


without boasting Of their services or achiev.
ments. have won . respect at home. and
name sbrosd. which cannot be shaken by
the Gaxesss's male VIOLENT accusations; but it
is an insult to them. aud dangerous to our
city. to deny them the credit that is their
due, or censure them fer offences of which
they are not guilty. The Gazette says. "if
the firemen had been prompt, Eliridge's
house might have been saved" Were not
the firemen prompt From eleven o'clock
till half past one they were laboring with
with all their zeal to save the property of .
citizen Of Rock Island. (for they have never
confined their exertions to their own side
of the river), and at that hour, weary and
worn, they returned to this city. Would
it be surprising If, fatigued by their arduous
labors, with less than an hours rest, they
we're not up and dressed the minute the fire
bell tolled at half past two? The fremen,
however, were on hand, but the complaint
is that they did not drag their heavy en-
gine up the bluff. to place where their ef-
forts would have been utterly Of no avail
for want of water. But why these fault
findings? Are men to be blamed if with
common prudence they refused to drag
cumbersome engine up q muddy bluff, when
they knew that after all their labor they
can effect nothing, because the city has ne
elected to provide water for the extinguish-
meLt of fires2 1t is said that there were
cisterns at hand, but what fireman does not
know that they are 50 widely scattered as to
be absolutely of no account. with the scanty
supply Of hose allotted to our engines'-
What the city needs is hydrants on the
bluff and without them, no fire department,
however well organized, can be OF any ser
vice with their engines at q fire in that
part of the town. Before denouncing our
fremen for in Efficiency it is the duty of the
city to give them tools to work with.


We have said that our fremen receive
no compensation for their services. though
those service are of the most trying charac-
ter. So far are they from making money
by their labors, that this department is
q heavy tax upon its members. The Fire
King Engine Company No. l, without any
aid from the city. bought and paid for their
machine, oct Of their own pockets, aided by
q few private subscriptions. The fact
shows that they have the spirit Of firemen
In their bosoms, and wherever their services
have been required they have proved that
they are as much to be relied on as any
body of men in America. Those acquainted
with our 6remen univ ersally admit that
there is in no city better behaved, and
more efficient department than ours. 1t is
shameful, then, thus to discourage them
and sneer at their exertions, because, for
want of means they are unable to check
every fire that may break out in every out
Of the way place on the bluff. We are glad
to know that no good citizen does disceur-
age them, and that oil these filings. and
sneers and accusations are confined to men,
who like the writer in the Gazette, may be
often seen at fires, standing on the back
ground with polished boots, clean shiny
coat. starched dickeys. and white panta-
loons-very far from working themselves.
but ever ready to pick flaws and find fault
with the gallant firemen. who are risking
their lives for the good Of others. If our
6remen we're paid by the city or citizens
there might be some excuse for fault finding.
but 90 long as they work for nothing We
think it would look much better for the ed
itors Of the Gazette, if they cannot endorse
the efficiency of the department. to unite
with some Of the companies themselves.
or at least work at fires. and not lay in bed
or stand about 6res doing nothing. as they
generally do. and then 90 home and write
bitter, unjust. and untrue denunciations Of
our fremen.