Hastings Volunteer Fire Brigade.

Hastings Standard, Issue 219, 13 January 1897, Page 3

Hastings Volunteer Fire Brigade.

AN lIIhTORICAL !UX"OUI>

l ßy A. A. (il-.oKOi:. ( ( OVrINVKI'.) One good point about the lire brigade is thai they seldom make any change in tluir olhcers. It has always been ail unwrittt 11 law with them to admit that no man could be absolutely perfect, and ilia' so long as anyone who was .-elected as an other filled the position fairly we !l lie should In- re-elictcd when the time came round. For that reason Mr Arthur Fanlknor h;!d the position of second ofiicer iiiitii he left the district, and Mr W. E. I'.tck. who huil u]< to thai til... b in crelary. v. as el,-(.ted to the jHisiiiou. lie abo remainul in of'ice until he left the di-iri.-t. and 011 his retirement in Is,si) the dual offices were handed over to th- writer, who has retained ihem ever since, a period of eight years. In the brigade secured a hose reel which was then, and h now. one of the best in the colony. It proved a valuable addition to the plant, and also enabled the members of a more sporting turn of mind to have a fair chance in competitions. at which they have always held their own. At the annual meeting in INOO one of those pleading functions which base always shown the good-fellowship existing ainong.-t the members was recordad in the following words : " SeCivMry (ieorge. 011 behalf of the brigade, pn-em*, o Superintendent Tung with a handsome gold medal as a mark of the esteem in which he was held. The gift was suitably acknowledged and a convivial evening w;t- sp -lit.*' At the end of lssO overtures were first made to the Council for an annual allowance to cairy 011 the brigade and keep the plant in order. l"p to this time the whole of the plant, uniforms, i and other necessaries had been provided by public se.bscriptioiis, entertainments. and the effort.- of members, and in this way some £' HX) had been raided. The matter was fully di<e u - - ■ d by the Council. A Committee of -he Council had recommended that a year be granted, but on being put to the vote only £:;() was* passed •* for present r <|uir nieiits," One Councillor showed his advanced ideas by pointing our that the brigade were simply helping the in.-urai.ee companies. and he moved as a:i amendment that £2.j be voted, and that the brigade be informed that no further grants would be made. 'J hi- was not seconded, and the sum '• for present requirements " ua- passed. Curiously enough, the mover of the amendment, who owned a section, wrote as follows a few days after in the morning paper : •■On Saturday nL*h: the fin: bell rang (nit, the cause being a gorse hedge on lire 011 my section in the Omahu road. The Fire liriirade turned out and managed to save a portion of it by pouring water on it, but the greater part was burned. I take this opportunity of thanking Superintendent Tong and his men for their exertions.' How much the in-.:rance companies were a--i-t< d the writer did not state. In Mirch, the then Mayor (the lilt Mr \Y. F. Burnett i attended a meeting, and presenU-d Me--rs Tonir, <n-orgt. Stanit v, (ioldsbrouirh. and T. >:■ w.-.r; .'iih five years' service d:i! H.- W.-r-hip >aid he was -mv the Council would a! way- be happy tn do what they could to as>i-t the brigade : but there were many ditliculties in the wuv of an equitable di\i-ion o{ the ' habilitits that ..xisted hetwc'.n the r-tt p;.\i rs an 1 the insurance eom;!:.it time the idta of gets tins a fleam engine had been pro- : p-.-.d, fur n. v d Mr FJiis, in reply- ; in'-':" tie l- a-! 1 ! lii- iieahh.t namei;*'. = ins; th>- <ib-:,« - '.hey had ulwa> - had t«» (<>ntti:<J with. The chief «•!-:.«• Uwas tlie cal'ioii-ni of the nwinjncc : co!!;pai;ii -. He had int.-jv:. w.-l i.l 4 «>n n.inv occasions and tin;, h.el e; ■- 1:: xt : 1 reduce the primm;..- if an ' t-fVi'.esi l'n>jad> was formed. A i r: f trade was therefore organised and a ] Lint prm.:ir» d. Hut how did the in -■irvr:;. companies act then" ! >: i ihtj, r> bat the a- they ha i , pre,in>.-d " Not th'-y . hut they a.n: ally r.s-d Eh. in - to mar! 1 , b üb;, what th.-y wtr.- b«fon. Tflt v d .bled the oil tin br.tlilde - pit!.! lit wa:'.»d (.•! lht!:l n.'atn. an! :!.v . v. -• thty mad.- wa- th. t m ,it< r - :pj !y wa- iiij s< J'h. \ pruvibd a liumU-r of t n:kwhich . ti.-.K.d them t< -t'»r> a!-'it 11 *».<**) g.iiion- of wat* r for fire pm , hut 110 red'icUotj of pri iniurits foil: i'A ed. lit* Waited «-: 1 iht ill J-fit ■ ii.i>r.-. and a-.kni if the r it* l>ayii> . a simxn eugine wouM ibe com- , pwsita wak* & tonsemon. Xbcj- uiJ

might do something, but refused ! • ;.'ive any delinity reply \vh»n tin v ■ themselves in acorner. Th-r. nk ; \va -i ill his own case be had given up | insuring, but instead had ].r'>, iur I a ; #!!•** f:i and 1 >i''>■! of ids owi. wbu-h he loand a :,!i!c!: .--leaper p!-:;i. | th" louse-box stage. itir-1 had .i "'.Nation" ?:i ?>!■■ i kr>t s: oa th.' v>e - i > ! teas.] troiii t!n: Alh.■ ■ i;■ !!'e at a popper--5 <•« ■•■ i rent. Th y ; !so i»is«| a caretaker, | iii; ' in many other wa* s showed signs 1 of progress. Air Tong rei i red from of'iiee in the I 'rigade in .little INSU, lml retained the oltice of lire inspector, which he still holds. Mr \V. I'. Beck was appointed to (lie vacancy, but afterwards letiivd. ?dr George had charge of the Brigade for sonic time after Mi' Tong retired, and sue e.ssi'u'ly pi lot ttl (lie Brigade through a very serious dispute between it and the CounciL* The particulars need not be gone into, except to say that the presiding officer was congratulatt d on all sides fur sticking to the job as be did against: what, apI eared to be overwhe!mils o odds, and bringing Ihe I'ngade out. with living colors. He would ha\e assumed ihe permanent control had the members not ivalisi d that Ids services secretary Were invaluable to tin m. and r.sked him to retain his position of Lieut, and Hon. See. lie was afterwards presented with a gold medal .subscribed for by the memlx rs. One evening about this time the Brigade wcie called out to a chimney fire in the back street, and there they gained a new experience in the used sulphor as a chemical agent in extinguishing not only fires but firemen also. The incident was thus recorded : The Hastings Brigade have been merry during the last few week - doing chimney sweep's work. At one of them an event occurred will have to go into ■ print. A member of the brigade some time ago gave a- lecture on the efficacy of sulphur in pu'ting out chimney litvs. Well, lie happened to li\c near a house where the chimney took tire. The bell clanged out as if the whole town was on lire ami Fireman P , like his comrades was out in " less than no time." As he got outside his better half remembered the sulphur trick and suggested he should take some with him, which he did. and running into the house lie threw the extinguisher into the fireplace. Meanwhile an assistant was helping him to "nail" hags across the fireplace with " forks " so as to direct the sulphur fumes up the chimney, and while doing so a third volunteer arrived. Have yon got any sulphur, -foe '?" said Fireman B . •* Yes, at home." replied -Joe. " Well, run and get some!" •Foe ran as fast as lie could, but not fast enough for Fireman P , who, thinking after a while, that Joe had either changed his mind or hadn't got any of the yellowjnineral proceeded to the top of the house and fixed a wet sack firmly in the chimney. He had just got it well rammed in when Joe arrived all breathless perspiring bringing about four pounds weight of sulphur, which, without asking any questions and not knowing what had been done during his absence, he threw into the lire, which by this time made a decent pile in the fireplace, as immense lumps of burning soot had been falling for some time. The effect was magical on those who were in the room, and they got away as quickly as if the smallpox had suddenly arrived. A rev. gentleman, who was helping, said he had never smelt sulphur before, at which the bystanders seem rather surprised. Nothing could induce Fireman P to come down off the roof when he found out what was the matter, until the captain gave the order to " turn on dot water !" which was done and soon afterwards Hastings resumed its wonted calm. The big lire of lK{):-{ showed the absolute necessity for providing better appliances. The lire started in the centre of Herman's block, and was beyond control of the Brigade (who had only the manual engine) before it was discovered. An agitation was therefore set on foot with the result that the steam engine was purchased and handed over to tie Brigade. The station had an extra story and a ban-to added io it.and many other necessaries we re -applied to put the Brigade on an efficient footing. The wisdom of so doing has been made apparent on many occasions. The work done by the Brigade from time to time is now a matter of history.