Sewickley Herald

              MOV U   1W
toj^eklg
" Pear no man, and do iustice to all men."
Vol. 1.
SEWICKLEY, PA., SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14,1903.
No. 9.
OUR FIRE
DEPARTMENT
Interesting Interviews on the Subject—Arguments Pro and Gon.
NEED OF BETTER SERVICE ADMITTED.
In speaking the other evening regarding  the   sketch  of  the   Cochran
Hose Company in last week's issue of
the Herald,  a gentleman    who    has
lived in Sewickley for almost a third
of  a  century,  demurred  at  some of
the statements in the article referred
to.    He   took   exception   particularly
to the passage .which spoke of the apparatus    as   antiquated   and   out-of-
date.    We will give the  gist of his
argument as nearly as we can in his
own words.   He saidi
"I have lived in Sewickley for nearly thirty years, and know a good deal
about her fire department.    I do not
believe the apparatus    is   worthless.
The two chemical engines cost about
twelve hundred dollars, and have been j
[used but very little.   A good chemical
engine,   if  properly  taken    care    of,
[will do very effective service.    I remember  seeing a fire    on    Diamond
{street,  Pittsburg,  about  a year  ago,
|where   a   chemical   engjine  threw  a
ijood   stream  for  over  half an hour
and put  out the fire.    They have a
complicated   mechanism   and   require
ery careful handling.
!l  "The Babcock    fire    extinguishers,
|)f course,- are of use chiefly in putting oiit small fires and for using in
;he interiors of buildings.     I    have
[seen some very  good  work done in
ixtinguishing small fires    with    this
ity*e of apparatus.
If "I do noc agree with you in advocating the purchase of a hose wagon.
i| would  rather  see a hose  carriage
fwith  reel  attachment.    With a hosa
J wagon you have the hose doubled up
#i the bottom of the wagon and piled
,J|p high, and it takes longer to un-
ffimber it than if it were wound upon
m reel.    You will find a good many
!t the latter in use in the city."
I Replying to the objection made by
ome that the water mains of Sewick-
Hy would not stand the strain of' a
the    speaker
A' 4-
leam   engine   suction,
Kid'.     'That  is  all  nonsense.
because it is the size of the nozzle
and not the hose that governs the
size of the stream thrown. You can
connect two 3-inch! hose with %-inch
nozzles to a 4-inch main and throw a
stream to the third story.
"Sewickley has been very much
favored in the past in regard to fire
losses. The average has- not been
large, but, of 'course, that is not saying that we will always be so fortunate. I do not 'know why the Council has been so long in furnishing a
good place in which to keep the apparatus, but hope we will soon have
a good building."
In direct opposition to the above
line of argument we nad the following outlined to- us:
"The hpse wagon has several  advantages over the hose carriage.    In
the first place, the hose is more easily handled after a fire.    It can be
disjointed, rolled in coils and thrown
into the wagon, instead of being tediously wound upon the reel; and in unloading at the engine house the wet
hose can be thrown on the floor and
the dry immediately loaded upon the
wagon.   There are several other ways
in which the wagon is  superior.    It
will   carry   more  of  the  smaller  accoutrements   necessary   in  the   work
of fighting the fire fiend, more men
can  be  carried  upon  it;   the wagon
can also be used as an ambulance, in
case  a fireman is injured^ by taking
the gum blanket rolled upon one side
of the wagon,  stretching    it    across
the   wagon   and   hooKing   it   on   the
other side,    making    a    comfortable
stretcher.    The wagon could also be
used in hauling furniture out of danger, bringing fuel to the engines, or
in other ways.
"Another very great advantage of
the hose wagon is the smaller, amount
of  resistance  in  unloading    at    the
time of fire.    When the reel is used
the hose is lapped tightly around the
drum, and the weight of the entire
length of hose must be overcome in
turning the reel.    This is    a    great
strain on the hose.   When   the wagon
is used there is no strain whatever on
the hose.    When the fire ia reached
it can be uncoiled with as much ease
as  a snake unlimbers  itself.    When
the fireplug is reached the plugsman
steps off and connects, the hoseman
throws a lap around the plug to prevent a strain on the coupling during
the unlimbering of the remainder of
the hose, and it is  ready for bust-
FREDERICK H. BOYLES.
A tragic event occurred on Tuesday
evening of this week, which took from
our midst one of our best known and
most beloved townsmen.    While riding through Leetsdale on the way to
his home in Sewickley, by the twisting of the saddle of uis riding horse,
Mr. Frederick H. Boyles, of Centennial    and    Academy    avenues,    was
thrown from his horse and sustained
injuries about the head, which resulted in his death at 2 o'clock Wednesday morning.   Mr. Boyles was one of
the most prominent real estate dealers   of  Pittsburg, - having  been   connected   with   the   Real  Estate  Trust
Company, of Fourth avenue,   for   15
years, being head of the department
of sales of town and manufacturing
plant sites.
Mr. Boyles had been looking after
some of the interests of    his    company in Economy Tuesday afternoon,
having had charge of the laying out
of the town of Ambridge, and also of
the  Economy  tract.    He  telephoned
to his man at Sewickley during the
afternoon   to  send   down   his  riding
horse,  as  he  preferred riding  home
on horseback, rather than to take the
train.    He" left Economy  about  5.45
and rode at a rapid gait to Leetsdale,
along tho Beaver road.    At    Leetsdale,  almost  in  the  center  of  the
town, the horse suddenly shied to one
Boyles. He was conscious" when
picked up, and complained of intense
pains in hi3 headu While those who •
went to his aid were carrying him
into the office of Dr. Charles R. Bon-
zo, near where the accident occurred,
the horse started on a gallop up the
Beaver road toward its home.
Mr. Boyles was conscious when
carried into the doctor's office. • A
hasty examination was made of his .
injuries and it was discovered that
his skull had been badly injuredb resulting in cerebral hemorrhages. He
remained conscious for several hours,
biit^ at 12 o'clock lapsed into unconsciousness.
Dr. James M. McCready, .of this
place, his family, physician, was sent
for and it was thought, best to ha,ve
the injured man removed to his home.
A private ambulance was. sent for
and the drive was made to Sewickley.
Mr. Boyles gradually weakened until
2 o'clock ■ Wednesday morning, when
he died. Dr. W. W. • Jones, of Western avenue, Allegheny, his • former -
physician, had also been sent for and
the physicians worked with the injured man without success.
Mr. Boyles is survived by his wife,
who was Miss Mary Netta Youce, of
Muncie, Ind ; his aged parents, one
sister and one brother. He was. born
in New Castle April 12, 1870, arid
came to Pittsburg about 15 years ago,
when he became connected with
Black & Baird, now part of the Real
Estate Trust Company. He made his
home in Ben Avon for a "number of
years and moved to Sewickley about
three years ago, having purchased
the home of Charles Arrott on Centennial avenue.
Mr. Boyles was widely known and
highly valued  for his .sterling character and business qualifications. His
manners were  simple, direct,    unassuming and unostentatious.    He was
a man of warm heart and deep attachments for    his    home    and    his
friends.   His quiet deeds of kindness
were ihany.    He made many friends
among his • business   associates   and
never lost any.    He was a lover of
good music and good literature, bringing to both a refined taste, a cultivated and- matured judgment, and a
bright and winsome spirit.
Men pipe will feed two 3-inch hose,
I.    '    .
(Continued on Page 12.)
«. ^«* s,,dnenlv shied to one i The remains were taken to his old
t0WD' 1 road T^e sa (d e became home in New Castle for burial. Funeral
^enl^
riS,'^ — ^ S-STSe,. corner Court and Pittsbn,
dent rushed to the assistance of Mr., st.-.ets.
ii