The New York Fire Brigades.

Cromwell Argus, Volume V, Issue 260, 22 September 1874, Page 7

The New York Fire Brigades.

The following particulars with reference to the above, are from a private letter iplaced at our disposal:— The Fire Department of the City of New York consists of forty-two steam engine companies, and six chemical engine companies, eighteen shook ,and ladder companies, oriie ■'chief of department, and ten chiefs of battalion ; each chief of bkttalion has a certain number of engines and hook and ladder companies under his command. The men all have to sleep in the engine houses, and do their regular tour of duty. All hands have to turn out at a fire. The harness is kept on the horses night and day, only taken off while cleaning. The men are drilled daily to practice hitching up. We can hitch up the horses in the engine and hose tender to answer an alarm of fire in from twelve to twenty seconds in the day-time; and can turn out of the break-room, where the men sleep on the third floor, come down on the engine-room floor, hitch up, and -drive out in from thirtyrfiye to forty seconds at -midnight. We receive all alarms of fire in the enginehouse by telegraphy, which strikes the signal on a large 16in. gong—indicating -where the fire is. The back doors of the engine-house and also the doors of the stable are opened by telegraph • and the horses loosened off the-.baiters. A gong is rung in the stables to start the horses, and another gong rung in the bunkroom, which is all done by telegraph; It is all done by tripo weight crank wires, spring bolts, and id simple enough: when a man looks at it. The horses are, wonderfully trained. It' astonishes visitors when we run the horses to the pole and illustrate the thijig to them. This business is no place for a lazy man; he has got to be steady and active to be a fireman in New' York. I’ will’ how describe the Fire Brigade building. It consists of a three.storied brick: building of 25ft. frontage, 65ft. deep, and 45ft. high, brown stone pillars round the window casings ; inside, the walls are handsomely painted and frescoed in delicate colours, the wood work grained in black walnut and oak. The ceilings are decorated with fancy mouldings. On the first floor is the engine-room ; second floor, front/ is the sitting-mom, only used on special occasions, the carpet of which cost 300 dollars. The back room on this floor is the readingroom, where the men can read, play dominoes, billiards, or anything else they like within the limits of the rules of the department. The third floor is the bunkroom, or sleeping department and bathrooms. The stables are situated 20ft. to the rear- of the house, in atwo-storey brick building 25ft. x by 20ft. " I suppose you will think from the way that I have illustrated our quarters to yoU, it must be similar to a soldiers’ barracks, but it is nothing of the sort. It costs 1,400,000 dollars to run the fire department of this city for one year. The salary of the captain is 1600 dollars a-year. —Dunedin Star.

A recent importation of the “ haw haw" species says the Thames paper, was some time ago doing the grand tour of this island, and chanced to arrive at a hostelry in one of the frontier-settlements. The weather was a trifle warmer than it is now, and the flies were troublesome. During the progress of the meal which had been prepared for the guest, the flies became ravenous, and the svhilom ornament of Belgravia rang the bell—they had arrived at that point of civilization to possess a bell—and the waiter came. “ Waitaw," said the traveller, “ would you be good enough-ah—to remove the flies ah.” The waiter retired to inform the landlord of the strange request that had been preferred. Now, the landlord was one of his own best customers, and as the sun had passed the raeyidian, or was over the main-top, or had reached some other point which is considered an excuse for frequent libations, he was in no humour to tolerate airs even from a good customer. Landlord proceeded to his guest’s presence, and, in polite frontier language apostrophised his visual organs and limbs as a prelude to inquiring what the guest wanted in finding fault The visitor listened to* the eloquent interrogatory of the landlord without evincing the slightest surprise, further than to adjust an eyeglass in the coolest and most aggravating manner, peculiar to his class—for the purpose of scanning the intruder. He then agitated the tintinnabular once more, aijd 'the waiter appeared. “ Waitaw," he said, -still preserving his characteristic coolness and impudence, “will you be. good enough-ah—to remove-ah the landlord and the flies-ah.” The landlord was so Confounded that he removed himself, and the visitor was soonjeft to finish his meal with only the cdmpafiiOfiahip of the Hies. .