The Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 1885. A FIRE ENGINE FOR PALMERSTON.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 57, 6 August 1885, Page 2

The Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 1885. A FIRE ENGINE FOR PALMERSTON.

'„-• T HE marvellous and almost miraculous immunity from fires x)f .any magnitude that the Borough of Palmerston North has enjoyed for years , past has beeii; a subject for repeated expressions of surprise by numberless persons on innumerable occasions. Certainly a more ..unprotected town as regards fire, there is not : probably -m the" North Island.. ,:Gran,teilj J - wejiave the nucleus of a very creditable Fire Brigade, composed of a body of men who have snewh their :- willingness to devote their and services freely to the unremunerated duties of that position, still of what practical service can they be m the event of a fire occuring,; however. eager to do their very utmost, when their appliances are so insufficient. The disastrous visitation, of , Tuesday , night brings the subject prominently under notice. Saddening as-it is to lose pur Public Library, Public Hall, Borough .■Council Chamber,' and Road Board Office, with all the booksl documents, records, &c. &c, . which the destroying clem en t r u thlessly re- ' duced to : * ashes, ; a'nd ; a large portion of which it will be impossible to replace,,"how mudh more disastrous . jivould i,i have been had there i-beien to-day only a great gap of smoulder--ing, iruins to mark the spot 'where' some,;. of|\onr. -most handsome^ andsubstanti.al business premises . hid, stoodi' The Public Hall, fortunately for the rest of the to wn, stood isolated ; but hady it been otherwise who can say where ravages of the flames would have ended ? , It is a most disquieting thought for any prqperty-holdef m the '-Square,- how utterly helpless and unprotected is the town m the event of fire. The Brigade hasi but primitive and very inadequate appliances ; and willing and eager as are itsmelribers to respond to the call when peril threatens, they feel how feeble and ; powerless they are to achieve anything m the way of su-bjiigation^'oif a fire even though it had scarcely exceeded an incipient stage! The imniunity from fire to which we alluded at the beginning of this article has ,tb?a great extent engendered a feeling, of security (how false and delusive need riot be apirmed) and .alsjo; ;of. apathy, and 'indifference on . fehe part v of 4 the public with, regard to the support of the Brigade. Had , there befen a fire engine, there would have been some guarantee of substatiitiality and stability m connec-: tipn ' with the, existence and usefulness of the] Brigade: There have: been frequent allusiors from time to tinje of a promised fire 'engine, ' which was i t« 1 have been given on certain conditions.' The fact re;thains, that we are still witnout a j fire 1 .'engine, and so far as we can see likely to remain,' without one until we put our own shoulders to the j wheel anH ..'decide to ; obtain one . through Tpur own exertions. We j admit that if a fire got a firm hold j on any of the thickly ' built upon sides of the Square, a fire. engine would not avail much in 'extinguishing the jjiarnes or preventing their -to. : adjacent buildings.^ But . still had we a n engine we would be far better prepared to qope with; the destroying element, v and possibly J successfully, than we now are. j Many, many times m these coU umns have we written on the sub.ject.of fire protection,, and how forlorn is our position m that respect, as compared with other towns of less size, population, and importance.. Marton has had a fairly efficient and . tolerably well equipped -fire brigade for al ong time pastj Bleriheivn has its steam .fire : engine, Hawera has its brigade and .plant, and also Waitara, while we do not suppose there is a town m the South Island of the size arid population; of Palmerston that is not better,provided with means for the extinction of or protection against fire than Palmerston, m many places known t as the ** Chicago of New Zealand." We have hacl several* con versajtions from time to time^ with Captain' Cummins, of the Wanganui Eire Brigade, on the same subject?, and times and again has he urged m the utmost earnest manner the" necessity fbr ; establishing and equipping a brigade such as would be of some service m the event of a fire occurairig; From him we learn tha,t there would be but little difficulty m obtaining a fire engine from the firm of Merryweather & Sons, the celebrated engineers of London, on such easy terms of payment as would suit the • present financial position of our Borough. Onefeatture may be suggested as a foregone conclusion, which is, that until our Brigade possesses a fire engine, '* its esprit de corps will hev'ef be developed nor wiJl the public take any active interest m its existence, nor can it pretend to attain that degree of usefulness or efficiency, or prove tbafc source of safety and protection which under other conditions would be the case. Therefore, we say that the time has now arrived when the question pf procuring afire engine must be dealt $ith, lest another and more disastrous visitation arouses our, community from its apathy and lack of public-spirited-ncss with regard to this important question. Captain Cummins in•frrms ns that a Wellington firm, (Messrs Aittcen & Wilson we believe) are the colonial agentg of

Messrs Mkhuyweatheji & Sons,, and will be prepared to indent a fire engine to the order of the Borough Council on very reasonable terms of deferred payments. We would suggest that the Wellington agents | of the Home firm be, communicated j with so that no unnecessary time be lost m procuring a fire engine. On reference to their published catalogue we find that the prices of the engines are by no means excessive. They are of various designs, but all substantial, serviceable and well constructed. It would be advisable for the Bprough Council, or. a Committee appointed to deal with the question, to procure a copy of the .catalogue now alluded to, and from it select the engine \ they cpnsider most suitable. All particulars are furnished, and . illustrations accompany each desenptipn, with price lists appended, si? that • all requisite information is obtainable. We may state that a very serviceable engine, of excellent construction . provided with;' all? necessary appli-j atices; and guaranteed m perfect! working order, can W/jpfocured. for as low a'sum as £66. f engine referred, to is intended to be worked by Qii men, and is capable of thrown ing 100 gallons of water per minute -■ 120 feet high. That price, includes suction pipe, branch pipe, two metal nozzles, strainer, hose- wrench* and various other fittings. ; We mention thjs m order Jtp. give *an idea of the 'prices at which fire engines can be purchased. The exact make of 1 ; engine to be procured would be a matter ot- detail for the committee appointed by the Council to; deal with and decide upon. We sincerely trust that a majority m the Council will be fpiuld to support a motion to the effect that steps be forthwith: taken •to procure afire, engine for nse m the' Borough , The community has been depending too long upon proinises^pf a vague and inde- ; finite character^ and it] is nW ; tinte that steps- were c&kerij to j move m matter without further^' fielay; •We believe we. express the sentiments of the- bulk of all sections Pf the community, when we urge the Bt)rough Cduricil to at piice con - sider the question of jtvays and means to. obtain a fire engihe.V We are confident that the worthy captain arid energetic officers of the Fire Brigade would give what assistance lay m their power m order to bring the matter to an. early r and silccessful issue v and we are equally certain that' 1 Captain Cummins, of the Wanganui Brigade, whp. is most -enthusiastic m all matters relating tp fire brigades, /Would much Serviceable information jPn' the subject if requested tP do so. In 'conclusion, we urge upon. the ratepayers to bring pressure to bear upon their, representatiyes m thc^ Municipal Chamber to have the matter dealt witb/iri a practical form, and not to allow it- to drift out of recollections so spon as the more immediate peril attendant .upon the disastrous visitation of Tuesday night shall, to some extent, have been. Tempy"ed from the public mind, • '