Old Missoula

Fire Department – 1902

Missoula has a splendid system for protection against fire, having a direct pressure from the reservoir of fifty pounds, so that in nearly all cases no engine is necessary. The apparatus consists of a large hook and ladder truck, a hose wagon and a chemical. The latter with a capacity of fifty gallons. A new fire engine has been ordered to be used only in case of fire in some of the outside districts not reached by water mains. As soon as the new water works are completed (which will be in about a month) a pressure will be put on, in case of fire of one hundred pounds, which will afford ample protection throughout the main portions of the city.

There are only three regular salaried men on the fire protection force, fifteen others employed elsewhere, turning out whenever an alarm is turned in and being paid by the hour for actual services rendered. The regular men are A. H. May, chief, and Wm. Vanstone and A. K. Fox, drivers.

The above article appeared in The Daily Missoulian on December 31, 1902.

Water Company Delivers One Hundred Pounds Pressure – 1902

A further test of the new water power was made yesterday afternoon by Chief May of the fire department, at the request of the water company and the result was eminently satisfactory. The hundred pounds of pressure were delivered, as per promise of Manager McLeod and all who witnessed the tests, including various members of the city council, were well pleased.

The best test made during the afternoon was in front of the First National bank. A gauge was placed on the hydrant and the hand recorded 101 pounds pressure on the dial. This was during the time that the elevators were not running, and while the lifts were being operated the pressure fell off only several pounds. On East Front street in the vicinity of Mr. McLeod’s residence, the pressure was 100 pounds. At the corner of Main and Madison streets it was 98 pounds. The difference in pressure is due to a variation of the friction in the pipes.

On the hill in front of St. Patrick’s hospital the pressure fluctuated between 90 and 95 pounds. This is remarkable when it is considered that the water is forced up a considerable elevation. With two hundred feet of hose the pressure decreased ten pounds. A splendid stream of water was thrown from the hydrant.

This test satisfactorily demonstrated that the water company can deliver the necessary hundred pounds and that will make all further consideration of an engine for the fire department unnecessary. An engine would have a hard time developing an equal pressure. Chief May expressed himself as being satisfied with the test and naturally Manager McLeod was happy that his company had redeemed its promises.

The above article appeared in The Daily Missoulian on December 21, 1902.

New Fire Fighter Has Arrived – 1905

Many Admire Missoula’s New Engine – Obtained with Small Expenditure

Missoula’s new fire engine has arrived and last evening it was hauled from the depot and installed in the recently erected addition to the fire hall. It is a thing of beauty and is as efficient a piece of fire fighting machinery as is owned by any city in the land.

The engine was manufactured by the Nott company of Minneapolis and cost the city $4,750 delivered on the cars in Missoula. A substantial reduction was received upon the machine on account of the trouble the city experienced with the old engine, which was shipped a year or two ago to the Nott company for repairs and which was substituted by another engine when it was ordered returned to Missoula.

For the past several months negotiations have been pending between the city officials and the Nott company and the result is that the city is now the possessor of two fire engines, the old bill against the city has been cancelled by the Nott company, all for less than the price of one engine.

The new machine has been built largely to express conditions of Fire Chief Al May, a number of improvements having been made at his suggestion and it is as near a perfect piece of machinery as has ever been put together in the country. It is capable of throwing 800 gallons of water per minute and will amply supply the needs of the city in almost any emergency which may arise.

Yesterday Mr. May telegraphed the Nott company of the safe arrival of the engine and it is expected that an expert will be in the city within another week, when an official test will be made of the machine. Last evening, after it had been unwrapped and uncovered and placed in the engine house, a large number of residents of the town took advantage of the opportunity and inspected Missoula’s latest acquisition to its fire fighting machinery.

The above article appeared in The Daily Missoulian on January 3, 1905.

Fire Engine Test to Be Today – 1905

Experts Will Put Machine Through Paces on Higgins Avenue.

Yesterday afternoon the new fire engine, which the city recently purchased from the Nott Fire Engine company, was given its initial steaming up, the test being only a preliminary one, “to loosen up the stiffness,” as one of the firemen stated last night.

George M. Code, an expert engineer in the employ of the Nott company, is here for the express purpose of making the test, which will officially be made today, probably on Higgins avenue near the river. Two tests are to be made, the engine having been purchased subject to its withstanding the tests, and they will be thorough in every particular. E. A. Wilkinson, sales agent for the company, will also be present at the test to be made today.

The engine is known as the second size, has a 34-inch boiler, with 8 ¼ inch steam cylinders, a 5 1/8 inch pump and an 8 inch stroke. It is capable of handling 800 gallons of water per minute.

Yesterday 100 pounds of steam was gotten up in six minutes, and under ordinary circumstances enough steam can be generated in the time it takes to hitch the horses and run a block to throw a stream over any building in the town and the pressure will rise with every minute thereafter.

The new engine has been given the place of honor in the fire hall and Mac and Tyler have been assigned to the duty of pulling the new machine in case of an alarm.

The above article appeared in The Daily Missoulian on February 14, 1905.

Test of Engine Is Successful – 1905

Warrant Is Drawn to Pay Bill and The Fire Fighter Belongs to City.

At a special meeting of the city council held yesterday afternoon in the rooms of City Attorney Murphy, warrants to the amount of $4,750 were drawn in favor of the Nott Fire Engine company in payment for the fire engine recently contracted for, the machine having successfully withstood every test to which it was subjected yesterday.

The tests were both made on Higgins avenue. One of them was made from the river and the other from the fire plug at the Missoula Mercantile company’s corner. So successful were they that within six minutes from the time the kindling under the boiler was ignited, a pressure of 180 pounds at the nozzle of the hose was secured and after that it was maintained without faulting for a moment.

The test in pumping from the river was equally as successful as it was from the mains; the pressure being sufficient in each case to amply meet all of the requirements of the fire committee and Chief May of the department. The engine did all that was promised by the builders of the machine.

With the acquisition of the new engine, the city now has two first class fire fighting machines in addition to its chemicals, hook and ladder truck and the hose wagon, the latter being used to connect directly with the fire plugs and which has always given good service during the past year or two while the department was without a fire engine.

The history of the trouble the Missoula department has had with its fire engine has been told so often that it is an old story and everyone in town will be more than pleased to know that the differences between the city and the Nott company have all been amicably settled; that the new engine is paid for; that the engine sent here by mistake some months passes into the possession of the city and that the claim for repairs to the old engine made by the Nott people has been liquidated.

George M. Code the expert in charge of the test, after instructing the local firemen in the use of the machine, will return home this morning as will also E. A. Wilkinson, the sales agent of the company who concluded the deal with the city for the new engine.

The above article appeared in The Daily Missoulian on February 15, 1905.

Veteran Fire Chief Gives Advice – 1909

George Fendrich of Vincennes, Indiana, Tells What City Should Do.

That Missoula’s fire protection is woefully inadequate is the contention of George Fendrich, than whom there is but one fire chief in the United States older in point of continuous service. For 37 years Mr. Fendrich has been the active head of the fire department of Vincennes, Ind., and Chief Thomas O’Conner of New Orleans, with a record of 44 years, is his only senior. Good and clean is the record of Mr. Fendrich, and fire fighting is a matter of business with him, a science that has been mastered by years of study. For these reasons, what he has to say about Missoula and the city’s fire department is of interest, and his opinion of weight. He comes to Missoula from Grand Rapids, Mich., where he attended the annual meeting of the International Fire Chief’s Association of the United States. He is the guest of his son, John G. Fendrich of The Missoulian’s Associated Press service. This is his second visit to the Garden city. Mr. Fendrich spoke as follows:

Protection Needed.

“Missoula is surely a prosperous city, so good a town that one who comes here once wants to come again. The prosperity and growth of the place are a revelation to me; the growth I can see since my visit here a year ago makes me marvel. The town is entirely too good to allow of the fire department’s being neglected. Many fine business buildings have been built since last year; I am surprised when you tell me that a million and a quarter was spent for new structures last year, but I am still more surprised when I learn that no additional fire protection has been provided. The town has outgrown its department a long, long ways, and the fire fighters of Missoula would be badly handicapped in case a serious conflagration should break out. I think that you have a good man in Chief May[1]. He is active and knows his business, but how could he cope with a bad fire with the forces under his command at present? I have known of many cities where the fire department wasn’t strengthened until after a bad fire, and I hope Missoula isn’t to come into this classification some time. You have two steamers here and some other apparatus, and most of all this is crammed into the central fire station, which is utterly inadequate. Besides, you have not enough men.

Need Alarm System.

“Above everything else this town needs an alarm system. I am told that the installation of electric alarms is now being considered, and I can assure the town that such a thing would be a step in the right direction. You have not enough companies, not enough fire stations. Missoula is large enough for four stations, and an alarm system is absolutely essential. Such an improvement would reduce the fire insurance rates very appreciably. Vincennes is of approximately the same size as Missoula, and we have three companies, are installing the fourth and are getting ready for the building of the fifth station. Missoula should have four, at least three. At the central station there should not be less than six men on duty, while not less than three should be kept at each of the outlying houses. A combination wagon truck should be at several stations, and the steamers should be held in reserve. Better yet, the town might purchase an automobile fire engine. In Vincennes we are going to put in automobile apparatus at the first of the year, and I have seen enough demonstrations of this sort of equipment to know that it is of great value and capable of doing much more effective work than that pulled by horses. Here you could sell your two steamers, buy an auto and save money. One of these machines carries eight men and is capable of great speed. At Grand Rapids one of them ran a three-mile course, with four turns, and was throwing water within six and one-half minutes. This test was made under the direction of a committee from the fire chiefs association, and the driver knew nothing of the course. The cost of such a piece of apparatus is from $5,000 to $7,000.

“I cannot urge Missoula too strongly to improve its fire department. A city that can spend over $1,000,000 in a year for new buildings surely can afford to let go of a few thousands to save structures that have cost a hundred-fold more. I am not speaking in a spirit of criticism; it’s just that I like Missoula, and do not want to see the town get hurt.”

The above article appeared in The Weekly Missoulian on September 3, 1909.

Tractor Will Save Municipality Money – 1915

Yesterday Chief Loffnes gave the fire department’s tractor its first public tryout. The department purchased the machine a few weeks ago, making it over for fire fighting purposes. It was originally a high-powered automobile. The city bought the machine for $800; remodeling cost about $150 more, the men of the fire department doing all the work, even to painting the machine.

With the advent of the tractor, Pete and Prince, a veteran team in the fire department’s service, and Jack and Snap, younger yokemates, lose their jobs. It has been costing $50 a month to keep these four horses, who are now demoted to street-department service. “We figure,” said Mr. Loffnes today, “that these teams are worth at least $700, which makes the tractor cost only $250. Besides, the city will no longer have to hire horses for its street work.”

The tractor is now equipped to handle any apparatus in the fire station, barring, of course, the big tractor truck, which travels under its own power.

“With it,” said Mr. Loffnes, “we can pull the hook-and-ladder truck, the steamer and the extra-hose wagon. Our plan is this: The tractor hauls the hook-and-ladder to a fire first; then, if it’s needed, comes back for the steamer and then for the extra-hose wagon. After that, the tractor will return to the station to protect us against possible fires anywhere else. It will be fully loaded with chemical apparatus.

The above article appeared in The Missoulian on February 7, 1915.