Fatal Fire at Rockford.

Fatal Fire at Rockford.

罗克福德,病了。最近有一个致命的火灾,在制作h Capt. Ernest Pearson, of fire company No. 5, was killed by the falling of a wall. The blaze was in the Rockford Paper Box-Board company, and as a fire presented no extraordinary features. The water pressure, however, according to Chief Frank Thomas, was altogether inadequate, so much so, indeed, that, in order to get any results from the weak stream thrown, it was necessary for Capt. Pearson and his men to get right up to the building. The stream which was being thrown from an overworked hydrant, should have been at least 90 lb., whereas it was only 45 lb. If the pressure had been sufficient, the men would have stood out of harm’s way and fought the blaze more effectively. Chief Thomas saw the brick wall tottering and shouted to the men to get out from under. They obeyed; but Capt. Pearson was handicapped by hauling the hose after him, instead of dropping it, as he should have done. The wall fell in one solid mass, and came down on him before he had time to get clear. If he had dropped the hose, he would have escaped. The building was about twenty years old, and was in fair condition, having recently been overhauled and repaired. The fire started on the ground floor, and, owing to the inflammable nature of its contents, the flames spread very rapidly through it. As it was Sunday, no work was going on inside, and the fire had made considerable progress before it was discovered.

The Rockford fire department is not sufficiently well equiped to fight a fire of any considerable size. It needs, among other things, a large-size steamer, the money for which was appropriated sometime ago with no certainty of the engine being secured. The equipment of hook and ladder truck No. 1 should be overhauled, and then removed to No. 4 station, which should be enlarged to receive it. An up-to-date 100-ft. quick-raising aerial truck, with at least six men is also called for, as, likewise, is an additional steamer. Two additional firehouses, with at least four men each, one additional man to each station—making eight men to each company, and such apparatus as would render the aerial truck capable of doing water-tower work are absolute necessities. This would cost $50,000. The mains, also, are too small. In the fire referred to the 8-in. main was big enough; but, leading from it, to a hydrant, was a 4-in. instead of a 0-in. line. There were only three hydrants available, and more of them, should be set all over the city. One of the hydrants was located right near the office; the other one was 800 feet away from the scene of the fire; the third was 1,000 ft. away. The city should be able to furnish from 10 to 20 good steamers, and there should be at least twice as many hydrants.