FOR THE GOOD THAT WE CAN DO!

Hastings Standard, Issue 377, 20 July 1897, Page 3

FOR THE GOOD THAT WE CAN DO!

[To the Editor."! Sib, —I notice in your Saturday's issue that you state the Fire Brigade was 22 minutes in reaching the lire in the Maori whare in Warren-street. That may seem a long time to those interested time - keepers but to the members of the brigade it does uot. In the first place the steamer only weighs somethiDg over three tons, which is a very small weight for ten men to drag about teu el au is. Secondly, the fireman's first duty is to ran to the shed ; on arrival there be very often can gain no information as to the situation of the fire, so two or three minutes may easily be lost before leaving the shed, and that was lost on Saturday. When under weigh we were stopped by the Mayor and more time was lost ; an I then on getting down to the fire we found the trap door over the manhole almost a fixture, it taking three men to lift it oft". All that took time. Thirdly, taking into consideration the distance some of the men had to run to the shed, 22 minutes is soon taken up. \\ hen it is considered that the walls and two back rooms of the oldest building in Hastings are still standing the work of the Brigade cannot have been so bad. My friendly advice to those interested timekeepers is for the future to lend a hand at pushing or pulling the engine to the scene of the fire. By inserting the above you will oblige yours truly, Foreman E. 'Humphrey.