SELF-ORGANISED FIRE BRIGADE.

Evening Star, Issue 3864, 13 July 1875, Page 3

SELF-ORGANISED FIRE BRIGADE.

In view of the proposed disbandmenfc of the Fire Brigade, the following amnsing extract from a Northern exchange may be of interest: — Mr Bolink owns, and runs a cooper shop near the House of Correction, and as he keeps a dozen men at work he is bound to have his shop on "system." The other day he was reading a newspaper article in regard to the prevention of conflagrations. The article advised all employers to lay out a regular programme of what should be done when a fire was discovered in a shop, and drill his hands until they understood it. He bought fifty feet of hose for the penstock, detailed a man to use it in case of fire, and then instructed each other man and boyjust what they should do when an alarm was given. One was to roll out barrels, another to save tools, another to throw staves out of the windows, and each one knew exactly what to jump for. This was all right, and Mr Bolink had a good mind to cancel his insurance policies and depend on his local fire brigade. Before taking this step, however, it occurred to him to give his programme a trial. He had a little curiosity to see if his employes would spring to their posts according to instructions, and he studied out a plan. The other morning he passed upstairs, kicked a pile of shavings together on an old piece of zinc, touched a match to them, and the next minute ran down stairs crying out: " The shop is on fire ! Fire! fire ! fire 1"

The man who was to use the hose grabbed it up, threw it out of the window and jumped after it, shouting j "fire!'' until he was heard three blocks off. The man who was to save the tools threw an adze and hit Mr Bolink in the back, and then hit him again with a drawshave. As Mr Bolink was pawing around on the floor, the man who was to save the ready made work rolled five pork barrels over him, kicked in the heads of three more, and then dug out through the back door. One man saved a piece of board six feet long; another took up a stave and broke two windows before he fled, while a third threw a hammer at the clock, uttered a wild shriek and kicked open the side door. In two minutes the shop was clear of everyone but Mr Bolink, and he was crawling out from among the barrels when steamer No. 6 came galloping down. The smoke was rolling up through the roof, the boys were yelling " fire," and the firemen were determined to save that cooper's shop or perish in the attempt. Mr Bolink heard them call out to ' git their hose around hyar,' and to ' play her up to eighty-five,' and he got to the door and shouted:

" Hold on, gentlemen—there is no fire here !"

" Grit out'r the way !" cried the pipeman : " yere's yer mineral water!" " It's only a joke, gentlemen ; there is no ■ " Mr Bolink was shout-

ing, when the stream of water lifted him over the barrels out of the back door, where he sat down on a broken shave horse until his copper-shop had been filled with water and the shavings had been burned out. During the afternoon his whole force were engaged in emptying barrels, wringing out draw-shaves, hanging broad-axes up to dry, and otherwise getting the shop on a basis.