New Officers N. C. State Firemen's Association

FEATURING

NSTITUTE OF G~~~~M F.NT .... l na

n1vers1ty ot .. or Chap8. H

FIRE DEPARTMENTS OF Rutherfordton

Forest City Morganton SEP '5 19~~

Hickory Newton :Monroe Laurinburg Elkin Lenoir Lincolnton Valdese .Maxton Asheboro

THE HOSE & NOZZLE SEPTEMBER, ;

OUR 52nd YEAR

FIRE BADGES We can supply badges in any quality f r om nickel plate to solid gold with hund reds ?f attract ive designs to choose fr om .. . We will welcome your inquiry.

Over 50 Years of Experience Is Your Guarantee of Satisfaction

CATALOGUE No. 83 IS OUR CURRENT ISSUE

S. H. REESE 57 Warren St. New York 7, N.Y.

N. C. Firemen's Association

PUMP SCHOOL

October 17, 18, 19 Charlotte, North Carolina

For Further Information Contact

Director Charles L. Burkett

Fire Department

Salisbury, N. C.

Make Hotel Reservations Direct

Visiting Calendar

Eastern N.C. Association meets at Windsor, N. C. Oct. 11th. Western N. C. Association meet at Morganton, N. C. Sept. 28th. Sandhills Association meets at Star, September. Contact Chie. Mickey Cochrane. Forsyth County Seminar, Week of September 18th. Contact Fire Cor.·

missioner WalJy Dunham, Winston-Salem, N. C.

VISIT! Know Your Neighbors!

America at play enioys the pause that refreshes Barnes - Harrell- Rawling Co.

Goldsboro, N. C.

tpTEMBER, 19SS

~ -

Volume VII No. 6

THE HOSE &: NOZZLE

The HOSE & NOZZLE Troy. N. C.

Founded 1949

JOHN C. WALLACE, Editor H. R. HOLT, Assoc. Editor

EBEN R. WALLACE, JR.. Adv. Manager

3

September. 1955

A. C. RUSSELL, GRADY WALLACE, Circulation Mgrs.

Published Monthly b y The Hose and Nozzle, I nc., at Troy, N. C. Subscription Rate $2.00 Per Year

S econd-class M a il P rivilege is Authorized ~t Troy, N. C.

Editorial • • • •

Close Of The Convention The usual editorial space is being dispensed with to bring

briefly the story of what happened the last day of the N. C. State Firemen's Convention in New Bern, N. C.

, With the majority of the delegates departing post-haste from the path of the impending hurricane, there was a bare handful remaining Wednesday morning to view the flooded streets and to conclude the business of the organization.

The closing session was held in the Central Fire Station, amidst the roar of auxiliary electric generators and the bee­

t• hive of activity that the emergency required. ~. The formality of closing the session was conducted by the n· small group present with no attempt to introduce or handle

new business. More complete details next issue.

The Staff

INDEX Page

Editorial: Close of Conven tion ........................................................................................... 3 Durham Firemen Hurt in Aerial Wreck ..................... ...... ... ........... ................................. 4 Questions and Answers ............. ........................................... ................................................ 6 Veteran Pinehur st Chi€f Resigns ..................... ........ . ....... ........ .................................... 11 Visiting Around .......................................................................... ......... .... ......................... 24 Building Firm Destroyed by F ire Near Mt. Airy ......................................................... 25 $50,000 Fire Sweeps Charlotte Building ........................................................................... 26 Fire Destroys Home and Warehouse a t Clinton .. ...................................................... 32 Winter Park, W rightsboro Departments Praised ........................................................... 33

Features: Page Page

Valdese ..... .. ................. ........................ 5

~~~~n°b~rg. . .... ::::::::::·: .. :::::·::::·::::::::·:::·: ~ R:nherfordton ........... .... .. . . ... ..... .. .. ll ~ewton . . ....................................... 14 Forest City ....................... . ................ I 5

Maxton ............................................... 17 Elkin ............................................. . 19 Morganton . . ... ... .. .. .... . ..... . ... ...2 1 Lincolnton .. .................................... 23 Hickory ................................... ............. 27 Lenoir ....................................................... 31

Cover Cut

Left to Righi on the cover are the

newly elected officers of the N. C. Sta te

Firemen's Association. Charles L . Mil·

ler, Concord. N. C .. Elected Advisor:

Ed. A. Johnson. Kannapolis. N. C .. re·

elected Treasurer; Horace EllioU, Ruth·

erfordton, N. C •• Vice President: John

C. Wallace, Troy, N. C., President: AI-

bert W. Brinson, New Bern, Statistician.

Next Issue

The deadline d id not allow coverage

of the North Car olina Firemen's Con-

vention in this issue; however, the n ext

will carry pictures and a resume of

what happened in the hospitable City

of New Bern, Hurricane Diane, a nd all.

4

Durham Firemen Hurt In Aerial Wreck

Three city firemen were injured when their aerial ladder truck hit a bridge railing on Avondale D1 ive while en route to a fire Sunday, July 31. None were seriously injured.

The spectacular accident, which did an estimated $4,000 worth of damage to the fire truck, drew a large crowd of ~unday afternoon spectators. No es­timate was made of the damage to the bridge.

Capt. Joseph A. Letzing and Driver J ames C. Lockamy were admitted to were described as "not serious."

Fireman L ewis M. Christian was ex­amined a t Watts and released. Captain Letzing sustained a badly bruised thigh. Driver Lockamy suffered a sprained back.

The truck, a 1949 American LaFrance, was answering a call to East Trinity Avenue when the accident occurred at 12:20 p. m. The truck, driven by Lockamy, made a left turn into Avon­dale Drive from East Trinity Avenue and swerved into the left-hand railing of the bridge.

The vehicle broke through the con­crete railing and came to rest with the engine hanging in mid air. Captain Letzing, riding in the front sea t with Driver Lockamy, was thrown from the tJ uck and onto the bridge. Watts Hosp ital , where their conditions

THE HOSE & NOZZLE SEPTEMBER. ! ~EPT

Lockamy and Christian remat aboard, and climbed from the wn: unassisted. Christian, 30, of 1019 H( way Street, was riding in a comr ment back of the driver's seat.

Lockamy told investigating police made a close turn to avoid a car w had pulled over to one side on bridge.

-

The police r zport that "no imp driving" was involved. The trudj speed at the time of th'i! accident estimated by police at 15-20 miles hour. No charges were preferred.

Damage to the fire tt uck was cct fmed to the front and bottom, a: was estimated by police at $4,000.

The truck wJs being preceded two others known a> "pumper unit!. The three vehicles were en route 7022 E. Trini~y Avenue· to extmgl!.. what was reported to the fire dep;.. ment as a house fi: e.

Fire Chief C. L. Cox said the trm. was an electric cook stove which parently was short-circuiting. No da: age resulted .

He said it was the policy of the F Department to send three pieces equipment to all house fires, and thf. aerial ladder trucks were assigned certain specified sections of the city,

WRECK DRAWS THRONGS TO GAPE AND MARVEL -

tpTEMBER. 1955

We Salute The

FIRE DEPARTMENf

Of

Valdese, N.C .

• I

CITY COAL & OIL COMPANY

CITY READY-MIX COMPANY

P. 0. BOX C - Phone 4121

• BRITT LAUNDERERS &

CLEANERS

Approved Sanitone Service

Phone 4001

• PONS AUTO AND

APPLIANCE STORE

• DOLLY HOSIERY MILLS.

INC.

Infants Hose

• MARTINAT HOSIERY MILLS.

INC.

Compliments of •••

VALDESE WEAVERS. INC.

THE HOSE 8c NOZZLE 5

Valdese Shows

Fire Department Constant Progress

VALDESE FIREMEN POSE WITH DEPARTMENT'S NEW QUAD.

Relatively young, as f ire departments go, Valdese was organized in 1932. With apparatus consisting of a 1932 Mack pumper, the n ew department set about the business of organizing, training to a point where reliable and efficient fire protection service could be rendered to the citizens of th e town.

No bette r proof exists that the men who helped originate the Valdese de­partmen t were s incerely in terested than the fact that many of them are members of the department today. Among these "originals" are the Chief and two As­sistant Chiefs .

Money was scarce in the thirties, then came WW II with the scarcity or un­a tainability of equipment. Despite this Valdese firemen did their job and in 1945 built. a high pressur e fog u nit on a Dodge weapons carrier.

There was a time of rejoicing in 1947, touched of[ by the delivery of an Ameri­can LaFrance Quad 750, equipped with light plant, 250 feet of ladders, foam proportione r, wet water, salvage cover s

and other gear. The quad is r adio equip­ped with a portable two-way radio car­ried on the h igh pressure uni t.

Twenty five men make up the list, two of which are paid. Regular meet­ings are held once each month with two drills in addition.

A Ga mewell alarm system notifies the f iremen to respond and in 1954 th ey answered 60 calls w ith approximately $1,800 loss.

County calls are answered, men and equipment available.

Roster Chief Lee Ribet, 1st Asst. Chief

Charles Smith, 2nd Asst. Chief Aubrey Anderson, Capt. Paul Wyatt, Capt. Fred Ribet; firemen: Geter Autry, J ames Skidmore, E. P . Winkler, Frank Goode, Reton Walker, Ulysses Grisett, 0. M. Harrison, M. Z. Hunnicut t , Huitt Shook, Mack Shook, H orace Buff, Sam Brinkley, J ack Demiter, C 1 are n c e Branch, Jim Wilson, Clifford Desker, Jean Dalmas, Car l Brinkley and L elon R obinson.

WALDENSIAN BAKERIES, INC. BAKERS OF

Sunbeam 3read and Calle

VALDESE, NORTH CAROLINA

6

Questions and Answers a . We are in the process of convert­

ing from magneto type telephones to the dial system in our town. When this work is comple ted we- will lose our old "Central" who received our fire calls and sounded the alrm. How have other towns our size solved this problem?

A. There have been many solutions to the problem you face·, usually based on the avai lability of money, manpower a nd local conditions.

Some departments have had their "fire ph one" installed in funeral homes that maintain 24-hour ambulance service; others have had the phone placed in the o!fice of taxi cab companies or other business establishments that maintain 24-hour telephone watch . . . and are willing to take-on the responsibility, and aggravation.

One of the most common solutions is the "party-line" system. This idea in­volves the installation of the "fire phone" in the fire s tation, with a num­ber of extensions. The extensions are placed in firemen's homes, business es­tablishments or other vantage points. The men who undertake to guard these phones arrange among themselves a schedule which assures that there will be someone to answer one of the phones r egardless of the hour.

About five instruments seem to be the minimum for satis factory operation on the "party-line" system, with a greater number reducing the number of hours any one man is respons ible for. On most dia l systems, 10 is about the maximum number of phones that can be installed, particularly where consider­able dis tance is involved.

a. We have a 5 h.p. electric siren that has been in use several years; how­ever it does not give the coverage we desire. Would relocation at a greater heigh help or do we need a largeT siren?

A. It's doubtful if anyone can answer your question fully because of the many variables involved. Increased height does not always give increased cover­age; in fact, it may have the opposite effect by throwing the sound "over­your-head." A siren of greater power may not be the answer either since all audible warning or alarm systems vary in their radius of coverage with the wind and the weather. This is not the fault of the noise producing machinery but gets rather involved in the laws of Physics that relate to the behavior or sound.

Just as a suggestion : Try relocating your present siren, testing it under dif­ferent weather and wind conditions. You will then be in a better position to make up your mind whether you need one of

1·eater power.

THE HOSE 8r: NOZZLE SEPTEMBER. I!

Congratulations To Our Fine

FIRE DEPARTMENT

Asheboro, North Carolina

ASHEBORO MOTOR COMPANY

Chrysler - Plymouth

Sa les a nd Service

Phones 2193-3145

266 N. Fayetteville St.

LUCAS NATIONAL. INCORPORATED

Manufacturers of Bedroom,

Dining Room, Living Room

and Kitchen Furniture

HAYWORTH MOTOR COMPANY

"Buick"

532 S. Fayetteville St.

Phone 3241

TIP TOP HOSIERY MILLS. INC.

Corner Salisbury and Ross Streets

CAROLINA TIRE AND RETREADING COMPANY

520 N. Fayetteville

Phone 336

LAUNDERETTE

807 W. Salisbury St.

THE HOME BUILDING. INC.

"Build A Home First"

P & P CHAIR COMPANY

Manufacturers of Cane Seat Chairs 8r: Rockers

Wood 8r: Sag Seat Chairs Porch Swings

RANDOLPH F.C.X .• INC.

"Feed - Seeds and

Fertilizer"

RANDOLPH MACHINE TOOL COMPANY. INC.

Custom Made

Ornamental Iron Works

FREEMAN'S SERVICE STATION

<tulf Products

455 Corner W. Salisbury

8r: N. Park Sts. - Phone 4354

CLARK'S SERVICE STATION

Corduroy Tires & Tubes - Amoco Ba tteries 8r: Recharging - Accesso ries - Wash - Wax - Lubricatiou - P. 0. Box 183 - Phone 2203

GENERAL HARDWARE AND LUMBER COMPANY

239 White Oak St.

VESTAL MOTOR COMPANY

Sales - FORD - Service 911 S . Fayetteville St. Phone 2343 and 2447

KIZER

Launderers and Cleaners. Inc.

I

THE HOSE & NOZZLE

Asheboro Department Battles To Keep With Unprecedented City

Abreast Growth

7

Asheboro Firem e n, L to R Front: J a ck Hayworth. Odell Cranford, Max Cranford, George Hancock. Ca rl Steed. Paul Hooper. Jake Pressnel. Joe Cagle. Ed Parrish. Chief C. Rush. Back Row: Roy Merritt, J a mes York, J. E. Irvine. Earl Cox.

Few other cities in North Carolina answer with the second pumper, the workhorse of the department, being have known such astounding growth unless advised by radio to rema in on used as the first-out vehicle; next is a in the last decade as the City of Ashe- stand-by in the station. A third pumper, pre-war Mack 750 and the th ird, (re-

, boro. From a modestly prosperous in reserve, is available for use. serve un it) is a LaFrance 75. o county-seat of an agricultural area, A late model LaFrance 750 en gine is <Continued on page 8)

kheboro has grown to be one of the D leaders in diversified industry .

Such growth and diversifica tion has ircreased many fold the problems of the Asheboro Fire Department. The struggle to keep abreast is a constant one, not always a ided by the ponderous :Jature of city governments.

The rapid indus trialization has been controlled fire-wise by the installation of sprinkler systems a nd automatic alarm devices.

Asheboro lists their needs as many, mcluding men, equipment, alarm sys-tems, etc., yet the Asheboro firemen look with pride upon their fire loss record.

Operating as a part-paid organization , live full-paid men and some twenty odd volunteers work in close harmony.

When a call is received, the men on duty sound the alat m, and go to the SCEne of the fire with the first pumper. Volunteers come to the station and

We Are Proud Of The

ASHEBORO FIRE DEPARTMENT

ACME-McCRARY HOSIERY MILLS ASHEBORO, NORTH CAROLINA

ASHEBORO HOSIERY MILLS, INC. Manufacturers of Ladies Full Fashion

Nylon Hoe

ASHE BORO, NORTH CAROLINA

8

Asheboro Feature (Continued From Page 7)

Visiting firemen note that the de­partment is quite well equipped with small tools, the little things that make

the work easier and safer. The visitors

note also that the Asheboro men are fi rm believers in quick response, the use of 1'1• inch lines and the indirect application of wateT. A number of the men have finished the N. C. Fire Col­lege with others completing one or more years.

Veteran Chief

All this is headed by one of North Carolina's veteran chiefs, Clarence Rush, one of the best known firemen in the State. Tall and erect Chief Rush's white head can be seen in any crowd, and the booming voice recognized. Ac­tive in both the Fire Chief's and State Firemen's organizations, years of service and the basic understanding of fire­men has enabled him to render sound advice and progressive ideas.

Hospitality

No mention of the Asheboro Fire De­partment can be made without a special note of reference to their unusual hos­pitality. Firemen in general welcome visitors, but few departments equal ot· exceed Asheboro. Work ceases upon your arrival and is not resumed until every need is satisfied. This attitude in public relations extends to the citi­zens of Asheboro, as well as to visitors and as a result, the fire department enjoys enviable support by the tax­payers.

WELDON'S CHIEF D. R. MEDLIN

Host To Roanoke Association

THE HOSE 8c NOZZLE SEPTEMBER, It s£Pl

Roanoke Association Firemen Enjoy the hospitality of the Weldon Fire Dep~~: ment at their recent meeting.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR FIREMEN

Manetta Mills

MONROE PLANT

MONROE, N. C.

Congratulations to Our Laurinburg Fire Department

TEXTILE INDUSTRY SCOTLAND COUNTY. N.C.

LAURINBURG MILLING CO~IPANY

Certified Feed & Flour LAURINBURG, NORTH CAROLINA

s£PTEMBER, 1955

Greetings And

Best Wishes To Our

Fire Department

Laurinburg,

North Carolina

FIRESTONE HOME & AUTO SUPPLIES

105 Main St.

Phone 599

ADAMS ESSO SERVICE STATION

Main Street

Phone 9127

DIXIE GUANO COMPANY

123 Fairley

Phone 63

TEXTILE MOTOR FREIGHT. INC.

Maxton Road

Phone 178

SINCLAIR LUMBER COMPANY. INC.

125 Caledonia Road

Phone 199

LEGION DRUG STORE. INC.

Rexall Dealer & Prescriptions

301 Main

Phone 464

THE HOSE & NOZZLE 9

Energy And Determination A Part

Of Laurinburg Fire Department

Personnel of La urinburg Fire Department - L toR front row: Joe Dean. Chief;

H enry Forde, Langdon Stone. B ob Ingram. Lonnie Snelling. Jack Rice. Raymond

Huggi n s. Second Row: Bill Read. R. T. Bennett, Lindo Harvell, Gilchrest Purcell.

Robert Beacham. George Jacobs, Bill Hoyle, Dyke Lytch, John T aylor, Mac Hoff-

m an.

Deep in the sandhills of North Caro­lina, heart of a large agricultural area and bolstering its already thriving economy with diversified industry is Laurinburg.

Protecting the citizens of the city and a large surrounding area of Scotland County is the Laurinburg Fire Depart­ment. The men of this organization have literally lifted their department by its bootstraps through times of fi­nancial stress. Lessons in economy learned in those eras give the Laurin­burg firemen an almost uncanny ability to make a few dollars produce much.

Organized in the horse drawn days, one of the few depar tments in their section to have a s teamer, Laurinburg is still proud of the fact that they oc­cupy their original fire station, whict, is one of the oldest structures in the city. Among other firsts in their city, the fire department housed the first electric power generating plant.

As late as 14 years ago the first piece of motorized apparatus, a Buick hose wagon, was still kept at the sta­tion, along with the old harness for the fire horses.

Following the Buick, a 1923 White chemical, hose wagon was purchased, and on it was mounted a 300 gpm pump. This oldtimer is still intact, bought by the firemen from the city, and is now in the process of restoration to its former glory.

Three years ago, with new apparatus ordered, the department was faced with a housing shortage. Seeking funds from the city to carry out this work, the fact had to be faced that there was not sufficient money to do the job the Laurinburg firemen felt should be done. With ambition typical of the profession, the men spent all the· available money for materials, and did the work them­selves; resulting in a very spacious ar­rangement with room for future expan­sion.

Of fairly recent origin is the Scot­land County Rescue Squad, whose equip­ment is housed in the Laurinburg fire s tation. This rescue unit is manned by an entirely separate organization; yet a quick check of the roster shows that many of the members of the rescue squad also are firemen.

<Continued on Page I 0>

10

MAYOR W. D. L YTCH Former Chief of L aurinburg

Fire Department

Energy and Determination <Continued From Page 9

Laurinburg m en arc paid by the call, a nswer .calls outside their city limits on the basis of men and equipment available, billing t he property owner.

Regular m eetings are held on the second Monday night of each month with rescue practice on the third Mon­day night.

Alarms are t ransmitted by Gamewell a irhorn, with one of the next projects listed as the installation of tappers in each fireman's home.

(Continued On Page 11 >

L. to R. City Ma nager GUY SMITH a nd Chief JOE DEAN of Laurinburg. N. C.

THE HOSE 8c NOZZLE SEPTEMBER,

KINCAID FURNITURE COMPANY, INC.

Manufacturers of The World's Finest Cedar Furniture

HUDSON, NORTH CAROLINA

Congratulations ...

Laurel Mills, Inc.

RUTHERFORDTON, NORTH CAROLINA

Best Wishes .. .

Town Of Rutherfordton

RUTHERFORDTON, NORTH CAROLINA

I

I

BER. h S~TEMBER. 1955

~ reteran Pinehurst

Chief Resigns Post After serving the Pinehurst Volunteer

nre Department for 26 years as its

crjd, and as a member since 1909, J . £!liS Fields retired from the active ranks ;ecently.

His retirement followed action on the ~ part of members of the department in ~ 0animously approving a proposition

111ade by Pinehurst, Inc., that all those ·ho had reached the age of 55 years ,ecome "reserve" firemen. This pro­.osal included an offer by the corpora­

tJOil to pay all membership dues and fraternal insurance (with the N. C. r1remen's Association) of the reserve torce.

--

Succeeding Mr. Fields as Pinehurst ure chief is Curtis McKenzie, who has been with the department for over 30 years but who is :;till on the active list

<Continued On Page 15)

Energy And Determination <Continued From Page 10)

Roster

Joe Dean, Chief; Hewittc Beacham, Asst. Chief; Gilchrest Purcell, 1st Asst. Chief; H. M. Hoffman, 2nd. Asst. Chief; R. Beacham, Capt.; Bob I ngram, Capt.; Bill Hoyle, 1st Lt.; H. Forde, 2nd Lt.; flremen: R. T . Bennett, Clarence Cougenour, Joe Cox, George Creed, Clyde Evans, Fred Harris, Lindo Har­vell, R. Huggins, George Jacobs, W . D. Lytch, Hector McMillan, Bill Read, C. E IJackJ Rice, Langdon Stone, (all vol­;nteers l. Paid men are: Lonnie Snelling and John Taylor.

l , to R. Laurinburg F iremen LONNIE SNELLING and JOHN TAYLOR.

THE HOSE & NOZZLE 11

Rutherfordton Fire Department Advances Under Capable Leadership

RUTHERFORDTON FIREMEN: L. toR. Capt. J ames A. Hodge, Mayor Louis W. Nanney, Chief H. C. Elliott, Fire Commissioner J ack E. Keeter and Asst. Chief Bill Walker .

Though not as old as some, nor as steeped in antiquity either, · the Ruther­fordton Fire Department serves well the textile a nd trading center.

Actively organized in 1924 at which time a LaFrance engine, still in service, was purchased. For years the Ruther­fordton firemen protected lives and proper ty with this equipment, but with the passing of time it became prudent to supplement the apparatus available.

In 1951 a Ford LaFrance engine wa:> purchased, one of the first of its type in North Carolina. This unit responds to out-of-the-city calls as well as those

within Rutherfordton. All calls are re­ceived by phone and transmitted on a general alarm siren.

Rutherfordton makes a nat charge of $100 for all outside calls.

The department meets the first Friday night of each month, drills are scheduled when needed with most of the work being done during the summer months. Rutherfordton is one of the more active members of the Western Association, and has made a name for itself with the country ham suppers it has served the visiting f iremen.

<Continued On Page 12)

Doncaster Shirt Company

Fine Tailoring In Fine Fabrics

For Over Twenty Years

RUTHERFORDTON, NORTH CAROLINA

12 THE HOSE & NOZZLE

A. R. Thompson Contractor, Incorporated Excelsior Mill

Charlotte Road Number 3

RUTHERFORDTON, NORTH CAROLINA

Rutherfordton Department <Continued From Page lD

While enjoying a 7th class rating, much better than most towns its size, Rutherfordton is not satisfied and is working toward the goal of 6th class.

For some time Rutherfordton has worked very closely with Spindale and Forest City, as well as Tryon and Chim­ney Rock. This is on a mutual-aid basis and on several occas ions has meant the difference between a large loss and a quick stop.

The citizens of Rutherfordton are proud of their fire department, not only of its fine personnel but also for its ef­ficiency and civic pride. The depart­ment has always been looked upon with respect and admiration because of its participation in many of the cultura l and religious activities.

Roster

Officers: H. C. Elliott, Chief; Bill Walke r, Asst. Chief; James A. Hodge, Capt.; William Hawkins, Lt.; Chas. Wil­kins, 2nd Lt.; Jack Keeter, Sec. Treas.

Firemen,: Creed Wilkins, Buster Mill­er, Jim Anderson, J . B. Miller, F . A. Skidmore, Jack McFarland, Morris Lynch, E. G. Lynch, John Twitty, Clay­ton McMahan, N. E. Ford, Bill Ford, Kenneth Hill, T . L. Lipscomb.

Questions and Answers a . Can you print Kodak snapshots

in the H ose & Nozzle? A. We sure can. Any good glossy

print is OK; however, we can not prom­ise to print anything sent us. Some pho­tos arc not p1 intable for various reasons; but send anything you have and you'll

1!: an answer right away.

RU THERFORDTON FIRE STATION AND EQUIPMENT

RUTHERFORDTON

NORTH CAROLINA

Congra tula tion s and Best Wishes To The

Firem en of Rutherford County and North Carolina

RADIO STATION WBBO "Twin Voices of Rutherford County"

FOREST CITY, NORTH CAROLINA

For Your "Coffee Break " Or For A Meal Visit F orest City's Quality Grade A

RESTAURANT RON & EDDY'S- Forest City, North Carolina

"Where Friends Meet To Eat" Serving from 6:00 AM to 12 Midnight Air Conditioned - Privat e Dining Room

WITHROW'S MOTEL

Box 256

FOREST CITY, NORTH CAROLINA

(

-

r

£PTEMBER, 1955 THE HOSE & NOZZLE

Citizens Manufacturing

Company

Manufacturers and Dealers in

Lumber and Building Material

RUTH, NORTH CAROLINA

Shipping Point - Rutherfordton.

North Carolina

Telephone 4942 and 3904

Security Bank

& TrustCo~npany

Serving Rutherford County

Offices in

Forest City - Rutherfordton -

Bostic - Caroleen

W. W. Hoy, President & Cashier

RUTHERFORDTON,

NORTH CAROLINA

Union Trust

Company

Member Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

RUTHERFORDTON- FOREST CITY

SPINDALE

Edwards Brothers

Milling Company (Bob and Bill Edwards)

Feed Mill - Poultry Equipment -

Farm Supplies - Field Seeds -

Garden Seeds - Quality Chix

Phone 4305 - Central Street

RUTHERFORDTON,

NORTH CAROLINA

13

14 THE HOSE & NOZZLE

Part of the members of the Newton, N. C. Fire Department, with the equip· ment used for both City and Rural service. Note squirrel-tail suction hook-up.

SEPTEMBER. IS.

Newton Firemen Get 1

Many "Outside" Call~ During the fiscal year 1954-55 N

ton firemen were busy, answeri g calls in their city and 33 outside inn;: and suburban areas.

Leading the Newton firemen i Chi! I P . V. Re itzel, a veteran of 29 ye rs the department, 25 of which h~

served as Chief. Operating three ~ panies out of one station the Chief, tlu!! paid drivers and twenty-two voluntc fmd themselves hustling in the seasons", yet are proud of their record.

The interest shown by the fireme:~ their work is indicated by the lack turn-over in the membership roster n list remaining almost constant throug! out the years. Further interest is shOT! by the willingness with which they to combat fires outside their own c1ty numbers nearly as great as found In area they primarily protect.

Visitors find themselves welcome Newton, with the firemen quick t.1 6

change ideas and just as eager Ill r ceive new ones. This one fact beco

(Continued on P age 15l

We Are Proud Of Our Most Efficient FIRE DEPARTMENT Newton, North Carolina

FIRST NATIONAL BANK HUTCHENS HOSIERY

BOTHWELL MILLS, INC.

OF CATAWBA COUNTY MILLS, INCORPORATED

YOUNT LUMBER COMPANY, INC. Contractors A US TIN SETZER BLOCK COMPANY

High Grade Building Material

SEPTEMBER, 1955

Newton Firemen !Continued from Page 14)

ap;tarent from the overall picture of ~rog;ess made by the department.

Roster Officers: P. V. Reitzel, Chief; Make

~.me. 1st Asst. Chief; Ray Cline, 2nd Asst. Chief; John Yount, Sec.-Tr eas.

Firemen: Garrison Coley, Harland Cole)', Frank Corpening, Sr., Frank Corp •nmg, Jr., Frank Self, Robert Wil­liams, Everette Deal, Bobby Lawing, Johnnie Huss, Furman Lehmons, Willie Trott, Charles Trott, H . 0. Abernethy, Paul Sigmon, Glenn Stewart, Thurmond Han·ell, Haywood Martin, Sumnie Hart­;ol; T. B. Curlee, Jr.

CHIEF P. Y. REITZEL Newton Fire Department

Pinehurst Chief !Continued From Page 11)

as under 55 years of age . Elected as­sistant was Robert Gouger; secretary­treasurer, Harold Kelly; hose captain, Ernest Hartsell ; and captain of equip­ment, George Veno.

Mr. Fields served as chief longer than any ot his predecessors. The first chief was Tom Taylor. He served a year and was succeeded by W. P. Murphy for ·1·eral months. Then came H. F. Kelly,

1909·1914 ; John R. McQueen, 1914-1916; T. H. Craig , 1916-1929; and J. Ellis Fields, 1929 1955.

In speaking of the action of Pine­hurst, Inc. in assuming the dues and msurance of the olde r members of the ~epartment, Mr. Fields said, " I want to commend them and I am sure that each member of the department appreci­ates it from the bottom of his heart. I would like to commend those members \1/ho have reached and will soon reach the age of 55.

<Continued On Page 25)

THE HOSE & NOZZLE 15

L. to R. Ernest Early, Chief Harrill, Cha s. Butler, F a ye R adford. Alvin Yelton, Bill Braun, George Callisen, City Clerk, and Sec.·Treas. of the Fire Department of Forest City.

Forest City Fire Department Consolidates Gains Made

About 40 years ago a group of citizens in Forest City saw the need of organized fire protection for their town and com­munity, and with this insight they be­gan a campaign that culminated in the establishment of the Forest City Fire Department.

As many others, Forest City's first equipment was the hose reels, followed sr.ortly by an ambitious urge to better the "working tools". In 1922 a Reo hose wagon was bought, followed shortly by a Childs h ose wagon on an International chassis.

As buildings grew and the town de­veloped, hydrant pressure became in­adequate to do an efficient job of fire fighting and in 1928 a GMC with Boyer equipment was purchased. This unit with its 500 gpm pump was the pride

of the department. Still in service, the Forest City firemen have complete faith in the performance of the pump and state they have no des ire to dispose of it.

The year 1948 saw the purchase of a Mack 750 engine, which with the Boyer GMC composes the equipment of the Forest City Department.

A total of twenty men, including the Chief make up the personnel with three paid drivers included in the list. In ad­dition to their duties as firemen, the drivers also serve as radio operators for the Police Department, working in 8 hour shifts.

Activity of the depat tment is about r.ormal for towns of its size, answering 31 alarms in 1954.

<Continued On Page 16)

Cone Mills Corporation

Florence Division

FOREST CITY, NORTH CAROLINA

16

Forest City Department (Continued From Page 15)

A coded, general a la rm siren calls the men to duty and informs them the ap­proximate location of the blaze in the town, or notifies them that the run is "outside".

The volunteers a re paid by the call, on a scale that varies with the activity involved.

Though the department answers calls outside its city limits, a d eposit in the amount of $50 must be guaranteed be­fore the equipment leaves the station, and in "dd ition must have the approval of the Mayor or a member of the Coun­cil, un less there has been prearrange­ment by the property owner.

Meetings are held once each month, with an average of th ree or m ore drills per month during the summer.

L . to R. Mayor ROBERT BLANTON and Chief ROBERT HARRILL of For­est City, N. C.

The training program is under the direction of Chief Robert Harrill, who having been appointed to the position only a few months ago, admits there is a great difference between being a fire­man and trying to manage a department.

Roster Officers: Rober t Harrill, Chief; Jess

Hendrix, Asst. Chief; C. C. Lowrance, Capt.; C. B . Gur ley, Lt; George Callison, Sec.

Firemen : Tom Moore (Driver), Alvin Yelton <Driver), Ewell Crotts <Driver), Chivous Philbeck, Bill Brown, Sam Blanton, Furman Toney, Foye Radford, Howard James, Ernest Earley, Charles Butler, Gulmer Yelton, Arthur Roach, Frank Dorsey, Sevil Horne.

Questions and Answers a. We would like to make a map of

our surrounding territory and show on it all water resources, including fish ponds, lakes, and streams. Is such a m ap published for North Carolina?

A. Consult your County Farm Agent, or other agricultural agency, with re­gard to obtaining aerial maps. These maps would give you the information you want to exact scale and vit·tually the~tire s~tehub~nm~p~inth~ manner.

THE HOSE &: NOZZLE

Don't Miss A Single Issue of The

FOREST CITY COURIER Rutherford County's First and Only

SEMI-WEEKLY NEWSPAPER Published Every Monday and Thursday

FOREST CITY, NORTH CAROLINA

SEPTEMBER. 1!:

-----------------------

Paul Doggett Oil Company

Distributor

SHELL PETROLEUM PRODUCTS

Service Is Our Business

Telephone 3333

FOREST CITY, NORTH CAROLINA.

Town of North

Forest City, Carolina

Mayor Robert R. Blanton

George C. Callison. City Clerk Paul Kennedy, Chief of Police Thomas Petty. Superintendent of Public Works Miss Mary Lee Callahan. Secretary Mrs. Stella Womack, Secretary J. Tolliver Davis, City Attorney

W . Carl Huntley

James T. Padgett

- Aldermen -

Parris D. Price

Howard Neighbors

C. Everett Smith

IS sEPTEMBER, 1955

)Iaxton Render

Firemen Efficient

t ~faxton, a name made famous to maM· in the a rmed ser vices during ww II, is still a force to be r eckoned ~ith in the fire protection service of their county and section of the state.

THE HOSE & NOZZLE

Steadily Protection

Organized abou t 1900 with hose reels, a nd little else, the men of that day fought, as do their present day counter­parts, for more and better equipment. Success came in the form of the pur­chase in 1914 of a Ford Model T hose wagon, but not satisfied, efforts were continued until in 1918 a Nash chemical a nd hose combina tion was acquired.

An interesting sidelight into the his­tory of the Nash is i ts present status. The Maxton Chief of Police bought the old unit from the town, and has painstakingly r estored it to new con­dition. This old fire truck can b·~ found at most of the gatherings of the a ntique car lovers in this state, and is driven by its owner on all the tours taken by the owners of the old vehicles.

ASST. CHIEF JAMES DR ENNAN Maxton F ire Departm ent

17

In 1938 a more modern fire engine was needed and a Ford LaFrance 500 pumper was bought, which, according to members of the department, con­tinues to render yeoman service when called upon.

when water is used, meet monthly, usually combining business and train­ing sessions.

CHIEF ED CARROWON Maxton, N. C.

1943 was the year another 500 pumper was added, Oren equipment on a F ord ch assis.

The firemen praised the Town Board for their generosity in sharing a vail­able funds for fire service needs, hav­ing recently established the p. a cticc of annua l hose purchas::s.

A general alarm siren serves to call <Continued On Page 20) Maxton firemen are paid by the call,

We FIRE

Are Proud Of Our

DEPARTMENT

MAXTON, NORTH CAROLINA

MAXTON SUPPLY COMPANY General Mercantile

Phone 31-W

• • • • LOUIS J. ESSEY. LTD.

Clothiers

• • • • HESTER-KINLAW FURNITURE CO .. INC.

" E verything F or The Home" P. 0. Box 206 - Phone 258

• • • • MAXTON SERVICE COMPANY

Crown Dis tributors Fue l Oil 8c K erosene

• • • • HASTY VENEER COMPANY.

INCORPORATED

DUNN'S AUTO SALES New 8c Used Car s

P hone 276

• • • • PROGRESSIVE STORES "Home of Better Values"

• • • • MAXTON OIL & FERTILIZER COMPANY

Cotton Seed P roducts

• • • • HASTY INSURANCE AGENCY

Phone 69

BULLARD INSURANCE AGENCY Phone 57

• • • • Congra tulations to Maxton Fire Department

1919 - ED CARROWON COMPANY - 1955 On Duty 24 Hou rs A Day

18 THE HOSE & NOZZLE SEPTEMBER. IS! S

BROWN MACHINE COMPANY

Phone 237

ELKIN, NORTH CAROLINA

ELI(IN FURNITURE COMPANY

Manufacturers of Bedroom Furniture

ELKIN, NORTH CAROLINA

CHIEF J . A. HELMS Monroe, N. C.

-- ------------------------------------------------Chief J . A. Helms, of Monroe, N. C.,

veteran of 32 year s service, has spen t the major portion of his life in the service of the people of his city.

Chief Helms has two sons, one daugh­ter, five grandchildren, and in addition to his service with the fire department has a lso served as Monroe's Chief of Police and as Deputy Sheriff.

THE BANK OF ELKIN Member Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

Commercial Banking

ELKIN, N. C. -JONESVILLE, N. C.

CRIFFIN MOTOR CO.

Incorporated

UNION MILLS CO.

Pontiac Cars- GMC Trucks

Sales - Service Monroe, N. C.

1411 Concord Ave. Ph. At. 3-3135

MONROE, N.C.

OTEMBER, 1955

We Are Proud

Of Our

Volunteer

FIRE DEPARTMENT

Elkin, N.C.

ELKIN - JONESVILLE

BUILDING & LOAN

ASSOCIATION

• • SUPER TIRE SERVICE

"A Deal for Every Wheel"

689 North Bridge Street

Phone 246

• • ELMORE'S MUTUAL

INSURANCE

COMPANY

• • HUGH A. ROY ALL INSURANCE

109 North Bridge Street

THE HOSE & NOZZLE 19

Unusual Ideas And Training Give Elkin Firemen Top-Level Efficiency

Chief Ted Brown (far right) directs Elkin Firemen on care of hose.

There are few professions in which men can be found who will gladly give their time, money and all-out effort to help their fellowman as in the fire service. Typical of such is Chief Ted Brown of the Elkin Fire Department. Chief Brown operates a successful busi­ness of his own, yet anxiously seeks the opportunity to create a better place in which to live by the direction of the fire department.

As an industrial center, Elkin has its

share of industrial hazards; however, the loss record is such as to indicate that close cooperation exists between the fire depat tment and management of the various enterprises.

Unlike many departments its size, Elkin enjoys an adequate and well lo­cated fire station, good equipment and a level of morale among the firemen that ts unsurpassed.

Credit for the efficiency of the de­partment must be given to a rigorous training program, designed to maintain

<Continued On Page 20)

We Foll<s At

CHATHAM MANUF ACTURINC

COMPANY Are Proud Of

THE ELl I VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT

Its Public Spirit and Devotion to Duty

20 THE HOSE & NOZZLE SEPTEMBER, IS

ELKIN FIREMEN AT WORK ON MAINTAIN EFFICIENCY

Elkin Dept. (Continued From Page 19)

efficiency, and the firm belief by the leaders of the department that efficiency is based on familiarity. Following this trend of thought, the department not only concentrates on developing its skill in the handling of equipment, but relies heavily on the knowledge of each man of the buildings in which he may have to fight fire.

Close cooperation with the telephone company results in one of the most ef­ficient alarm relay systems ever devised for a volunteer fire department. The opera tor receives the call, and by a

prearranged list, notifies the firemen by telephone the exact location and

sounds the genera l alarm.

Rosier

Officers : Ted Brown, Chief; E. F . Har­ris, Asst. Chief; Dixie Graham, Sec.; Carl Boyles, Fire Commissioner ; George E . Royall, Mayor.

Firemen : C. M. Holcomb, Sig Hil­comb, Gilbert Meed, Jr., R. M. Harris, H. G. Harris, Bill Harris, Clyde Hall, Herber Mounce, Carl Young, J . C. Brown, J . L. Cothren, Dr. S. M. Beale, John Edd Ratledge, Joe Harris, James Caudle.

Maxton Fire Dept. (Continued From Page 171

the men to duty, with their respor. anywhere it is felt they can be service.

Calls are received by the Police De partment and t he alarm sounded ;.hem.

Rosier Men of the Maxton fire dcpartm

are: Chief Ed Carrown, Asst. C James Drennan, Elbert Jones, M Kirkpatrick, Bill McLean, Morrison 1\' Kenzie, J oe Covington, Joe Clark, G Spero, Louis Spero, Woodrow Holloway and George Hale.

""STOP FIRE and DISEASE'' In Industry and Business . .. . for

I FIRE PREVENTION CLEANER PREMISES HEALTHIER SURROUNDINGS

• LOWER COSTS

We Su ggest .. . Th e Sanitary Container System for Modern Trash Removal

Serving North Carolina With Container Rentals

Serving Winston-Salem and G reensboro With Cont ract Hauling

SANITARY CONTAINER SERVICE BOX 927

CORPORATION HOME OFFICE

WINSTON-SALEM. N. C. DIAL 40842

sEPTEMBER, 1955 THE HOSE & NOZZLE 21

Hard Work And Steady Gains Characterize Morganton Fire Department

OFFICERS AND APPARATUS OF MORGANTON, N. C. FIRE DEPARTMENT

Morganton, primarily an industrial center, is intermixed with the activities of agriculture and retailing. From a small village whose early history dates far back in the settlement of the west­em section of North Carolina, the city grew and in 1901 became aroused to the need of fire protection. In that year hose reels were purchased and the fire department organized.

Since that date progress has been the keynote of the fire department with the men exerting every effort to give the citizens of Morganton the needed protection from the ravages of fire.

Keeping pace with the developments of history, Morganton acquired a horse in 1907 and the horse-drawn wagon is >till a fond memory of many of the older citizens.

StiiJ abreast with the times, the year 1918 saw the a cquisition of the first motorized apparatus, a Model 40 Ameri­can LaFrance, still preserved in excel­lEnt condition.

1924 was the year of progress and Morganton became a two-engine fire de­Partment with the purchase of a Model 15 LaFrance, still in service as a rese1·ve unit.

Then the thirties. Like aJI other cities,

and citizens, financial s traits plagued the fire department and through this period of time the department was kept at a peak of efficiency only through the efforts of the firemen. The work of these men maintained the standards and through their foresight held-on until the better days came.

In 1941 a LaFrance Quad was bought, and for the first time an ample supply of ladders was available to com­bat fires in factories that were almost inaccessable with the meagre supply of ladders from the engines in service. The Quad also brought additional pump­ing capacity to relieve the necessity of overworking engines in large fires.

Most recent addition to Morganton's apparatus is a 1955 LaFrance GMC hi­pressure unit, fully equipped including the latest of radio and PA systems.

A total of five paid men and a class 6 rating give the citizens a favorable insurance rate, with the firemen steadily seeking to improve the facilities.

In September each year a two weeks school is held, during which the men of the department are put through a course of intensive training, supplement­ing the scheduled monthly drills.

The alarm system, Gamewell air horn,

has one circuit at present, with plans for the installation of two additional cir­cuits to cover the industrial sections considered the greatest hazards.

Furniture and hosiery manufacturing, along with allied industries, constitute the principal business hazards; however, a check of records indicates that close watch and inspection, along with close cooperation between the fire department and the management of the industries, has held the fire loss to a low figure.

Like many other departments, Mor­ganton does answer calls outside the city limits on the basis of men and equipment available. F or this service, the city is paid a flat $1,500 per year by the county.

The firemen agree that their greatest need is additional paid men and a more complete alarm system. Realizing that all cannot be accomplished at once, they continue their fight to render greater protection to the people they serve, con­fident that the future will bring prog­ress, as has the past.

Leadership Much of the credit due the fire de­

partment can be directly traced to the activities of Chief S. E. Hern. "Ed", with unstinting energy has led the bat-

CContinued On P age 22)

22 THE HOSE & NOZZLE SEPTEMBER. 19!

Morganton Dept. (Continued From Page 21)

tle for better equipment, and faciliti for the greater part of Morganton's re­cent history. A patient man, v.ith uncanny insight as to the workings human nature, Chief Hern mainta::J a steady growth and improvement 11.1·

in the Morganton Fire Department Roster

Officers: S. E. Hern, Chief; W. T. H nessee, Asst. Chief; Hal 1\tcGmr \Drive r >, A. G. Walker CDriverl, R. Hennessee (Drive r>, R. Fender IDm-er

Firemen: K. R. Williams, J. Sanfor L. B. Sweezy, Sid Dellinger, F. C. S derth, K. Y. Lewis, D. Scott, B. Huf man, J ack Abee, E. C. Isenhour, T Seagle, Bob Crump, Paul Bauguss, Mitchell, Mack Browning, Cecil Sa ders.

PATRONIZE

YOUR

ADVERTISERS CHIEF ED HERN. Morganton Fire Department

We Appreciate The Untiring Efforts Of The

FIRE DEPARTMENT OF

MORGANTON, NOR T·B CAROLINA

RAINBOW GRILL

205 East Union Street

AIR-CONDITIONED

Phone 1460-J

BURKE LUMBER COMPANY

" Quality & Service"

P. 0. Box 337

Phcn e 13 or 121 4

SMALL'S FLOWERS P. 0. BOX 3

Phone - Day 777 Night 888

WHITEW A Y SHELL SERVICE Complete Car Service

MIMOSA INSURANCE AGENCY CUTTING-CROSS CHEVROLET

lNCORPORATED Sales - CHEVROLET - Service

104 N. Green Street Phone 1061

BURKE COUNTY BUILDING & LOAN ASSOCIATION

All Accounts Up To $10.000 Insured By Federal Savings & Loan Ins. Corp.

JUDGE BOWERS & SON. FRANK G. BOWERS Representing Nat ion-wide Insurance Companies

" Insure and Save the Mimosa Way"

Phone 586

STATE BANK OF BURKE " Sturdy as Old Table Rock"

Member Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

s&PTEMBER. 1955 THE HOSE & NOZZLE 23

Lincolnton Department Serves Large Area With Diversified Equipment

MEN AND APPARATUS OF LINCOLNTON. N. C. FIRE DEPARTMENT

Like most other departments, the firemen of Lincolnton had as their firs t equipment hose reels. Many citizens of the town recall the early days when the firemen would run with their reels to the scene of the fire, arriving so winded that they could hardly carry out the work to be done.

Unlike most town s of its day, Lincoln­ton missed, or rather skipped the horse­drawn equipment. Use of the reels was continued through the era of the horse and near the end of WWI the depart­ment acquired its first motorized ap­Paratus.

This was a L aFrance chem-hose wag­on and was the pride, not only of Lin­colnton, but of the entire county. Horses rear ed, children screamed when

1

the new truck rolled to a fire, while at the same time, no price could h ave bought the feeling of satisfaction and Pride of the men who rode it.

Growth soon demanded additional Protection and in 1925 an American LaFrance 75 was added to the apparatus list. ThiS unit, sti ll in service, is cherish ­ed by the Lincolnton firemen . . . the mere mention of it serves to set off a detailed e xplanation of the eng ine's ability to pump water.

Then came the thirties, with munici-

palities, like individuals, suffering fi­na ncial s tra its; however , the demand for protection grew again and in 1940 a 500 gpm engine was purchased. This un it served as " first-out" until it was traded-in on a 1954 Ford F-750, equip­ped with 500 gpm pump and built by Howe.

This engine, with its 500 gallon tank serves both the town and the s urround­ing rural area. Lincolnton, being the only incorpor ated town in Lincoln Coun­ty, f inds itself in the county-wide fire fighting business. With this in mind, the unit was bought to ser ve a dual pur­pose.

Pride of the department is the 1952 65-foot LaFrance aer ia l. Few towns in Nor th Carolina of 7,000 population have s uch apparatus. With its 192 feet of ground ladde rs, lighting plant a nd many other accessory items, it is easy to sec why the Lincolnton firemen delight in ownersh ip.

The a larm system is an a ir horn, con­trolled by a B & B trans mitter with five street boxes, and five m or e on or­der.

The firemen meet and drill twice each month, va1 ying the ir activities wi th the weather and the pressure of business.

With four full paid men and the re -

mainder volunteers, Lincolnton h as a unique system by which the men actual­ly receive payment. The volunteer s are paid by a system of fees, which vary with the activi ty of the fire and the duration of their stay, e tc. This money goes into a gene ral fund, accumulating each year until just before Christmas when it is equally divided among the members.

With only 47 calls thus far in 1955, and a very low loss, Lincolnton firemen feel they have made progress toward the reduction of loss that has been their aim in the fire prevention program.

Rosier

G . W. Toby, Chief; L . M. Kuck, 1st Asst. Chief; Woodrow Armstrong, 2nd Asst. Chief; C. C. Randall , Capt.; J ames A. Shuford, Sec.; M. L. Huggins, Treas.; Frank Kuck, Lt. ; J . T. McLean, Lt.; A. Ray Sma ll , Lt.

F iremen: A. E. Mullen, George Page, H . A. H oneycutt, J . T. Armstrong, <Driver>, H . B. H oke, Cecil Stroup, Miller Boyles, John T . McLean <Driver) F . J. Cos tner <Driver>, Hollis Hender­son, Walter Avery, Ke lly M. Kiser, H . W. Wilson, J. C. Broom, Hugh Brackett <Driver !, Robert Lynch, Bobby Costner , 0 . R. Medlin.

24

Visiting Around By J OHN C. WALLACE

Most impressive thing seen lately is Lake Logan up at Canton. Western Assoc. met there, on what is the private grounds of Champion Paper & Fibre Co. Beauty cannot be described. A lake teeming with fish, very nice buildings, 3700 ft. landing strip, everything me­ticulously taken care of. Noth ing was spared to make the firemen happy. The meal ... you'd just think the tale was stretched.

Gastonia Chief Farris, gone, but a most friend­

ly group around No. 2 Station. About to rub the paint off, but had the appara­tus sparkling.

Rockwell Rockwell has a brand-new City Hall­

Fire Station. One of the prettiest build­ings around, particularly for towns its size. Unusual space in the fire station. Can easily accommodate four vehicles. Found Chief Baker of the rural depart­ment. He explained th e work they are doing to perfect their organization. This is a case of the rural and city depart­ments working out of the same station .. and standing-by for each other.

Salisbury Charlie Burkett has the most trou­

ble with his floors. Street covered with apparatus, everybody standing around, v.atching the floor, waiting for it to dry. They've tried about everything on tltat concrete ... nothing seems to hold very long. Had to climb in a window to get in Charlie's office.

Candor No peaches this year, but chicken is

plentiful. Meet every Thursday night, and most of the time, somebody has something to cook. Chief Parsons is in­clined to make them work before they eat .. . get through quicker, he explains.

Sandhills Harry Greene, of Raeford, can eat

as much as he talks, and enjoys both. Never saw a group jump into the idea of a parade as quickly as the Sandhills gang. Did a good job.

LET THESE FIREMEN BRING YOU THE NEWS

SUBSCRIBE TO

THE HOSE & NOZZLE

ONE YEAR S2.00

THE HOSE & NOZZLE SEPTEMBER, 1.

F iremen and Their Families are Always Welcome at

HOTEL ZINZENDORF Reasonable Ra tes "Traveling Man's Home"

Winston-Salem, N. C. 232 N . Main St.

Phone 21121

Opera ted by Wally Dunham. Forsyth County Fire Commissioner

T. W. Garner Food Company Makers

Preserves - Jellies - Sauces - Relishes 4045 Indian a Avenue P. 0 . Box 2840

Winston-Salem 1, N. C.

LINCOLNTON INSURANCE & REALTY COMPANY

108 Eas t Main Street Phone RE 5-5071

LINCOLNTON, NORTH CAROLINA

SETH LUMBER COMPANY, Inc. Building Headquarters

Phone RE 5-7431

Lincolnton North Carol ina

DUKE Pc.Q~R COMPANY ~ t/u /J""-J~

327 First Ave., N.W.

Hickory, North Carolina

HICI( ORY AUTO PARTS, INC. Wholesale Distributors Automot ive Supplies

Distributor s for Royal Triton Motor Oil for Western Nor th Carolina

317-19 First Ave .• N.W. Phone 2181

HICKORY, NORTH CAROLINA

sEPTEMBER. 1955

Pinehurst Chief cContinued From Page· 15)

•·Up until 1930, these men gave their Jenices without any compensation whatsoever. I think we have had one of the finest fire departments of any toll-11 its size in North Carolina. I say this because of the se-rvice it has reo­Cered the town of Pinehurst.

"I am sure some of you will recall the Carolina Hotel fire in the spr ing of 1918 when the east wing of the m ain 1uilding was afire from top to bottom. You could see the blaze coming out of the ventilators on top of the building from anywhere in town. I consider this one ot the worst fires we have ever had. And then the fire at the H olly Inn and also at the Pinehurst Inn where the hallway and entire kitchen wcTe ablaze and the boys put tha t one out. Those are the ones that could have ~r.eant a lot to the future of Pinehurst bad we not been able to put them out."

WHAT ARE

YOUR PLANS

FOR

FIRE PREVENTION

WEEK?

THE HOSE & NOZZLE 25

Building Firm Destroyed By Fire Near Mount Airy

The Kirkman Building Supply Com­pany at Bannertown near Mount Airy, was destroyed by fire on the night of July 17.

however, including the plant's office

building and a dwellin~. The building

was valued at about $2,500, and ap­proximately $20,000 in lumber, machin­ery, and other building supplies were lost, according to T. R. Kirkman.

The local fire department was called shortly after the blaze was discovered bu t firemen were unable to save the plant, which was collapsing when they arrived.

Nearby residents first noticed the fire and called the Mount Airy F ire Department. The cause of the blaze was not immediately dete· mined.

Kirkman said a carload of insulating materials had just been placed in the building and was destroyed by the fire. Seve· al buildings close by were saved,

PRODUCE RS OF ~--------------------------: EXPOSITIONS OF

BETTER LIVING TRADE SHOWS

With

COMPLETE

EQUIPMENT

CELEBRATIONS

SPORT SHOWS

STYLE SHOWS

FOOD and HOME

SHOWS

A Reliable Fund Raising Organization For Police,

Firemen and Civic Clubs For 25 Years

Flag Decoration; FOR ANY

OCCASION

FLOAT PARADES FOR

FESTIVALS, CENTENNIALS. CONVENTIONS, ALL HOLIDAYS

PROFIT BY Our Production

STAFF'S YEARS ~---------------------------OF EXPERIENCE

When In Need of Funds Write - Phone or Wire Our Representative Will Call Without Obligations "Service Always First"

And Associates

Suites 216-17 1615 Gervais St. Columbia. S. C.

Telephones 2- 1241 -- 2-1007

Best Wishes To Our Fine

FIRE DEPARTMENT Lincolnton, North Carolina

ECONOMY AUTO SUPPLY

B. F . Goodrich Life-Saver

Tubeless Tires

Phone -- Regent 5-5141

• WESTERN AUTO ASSOCIATE STORE

" Everything For The Automobile"

DRUM'S FUNERAL HOME

Ambulance Service

On Call 24-Hours

Phone -- Regent 5-5321

• HENKEL CONCRETE COMPANY

Transit Mixed C oncrete Motz Avenue -- Phone R E S-7314

26

$50,000 Fire Sweeps Charlotte Building

Flames leapt through a china and pottery retail building on Wilkinson Blvd. in Charlotte on July 11, causing an estimated $50,000 worth of damage.

The rambling frame building housed the Carolina China Market at 5501 Wil­kinson Blvd. Fire raged from around noon to 1 :30 p. m.

The long low structure collapsed in its center and on its east wing ann was estimated to have been 50 per cent destroyed.

G. W. McKinnon, owner of the estab­lishment, first discovered/ the blaze when a passing motorist came into the shop to tell him there was smoke com­ing from an end window of the attic.

Mr. McKinnon said he and the passer­by then went to the attic with several fire extinguishers and tried to put out the smouldering blaze coming from the roof of the attic near the center of the building.

Their efforts were unsuccessful and Mr. McKinnon said he sent a maid, who was in the building at the time the fire was discovered, to call for volun­teer fire department aid.

Five volunteer fire departments an­swered the call and by 1 :30 p. m. had the fire under control. A city fire de­partment truck also arrived on the scene at around 1:20 p. m.

Estimates as to the total damages inflicted by the flames varied, but Mr. McKinnon ventured a rough estimate of $50,000.

The flames were confined chiefly to the east end of the building, with the west end apparently escaping damage.

However, Mr. McKinnon said he had approximately 6,000 tropica l fish, which he sells, in the west end and he said many of these probably were killed by the thick smoke which filled the build­ing.

He sa id he had "around 20,000" worth of Insurance on the building.

At least eight volunteer fire depart­ment trucks from Woodlawn, Wilkin­son Blvd., Pinoca, and Moore's Chapel units were present with volunteer fire­men to fight the flames.

Mr. McKinnon said only he, the maid and a "customer or two" were in the building when they first were notified of the smoke pouring from the window.

After futilely fighting the blaze they left the building.

"The whole inside was going when I left it," he said.

Neither Mr. McKinnon nor any of 1he firemen could explain how the fire began. The owner said there was nothing ;tored in the attic.

THE HOSE 8c NOZZLE SEPTEMBER. IS

Office rs of newly organized Midland Volunteer Fire Department - L. b II. Front Row: Asst. Chief Gilbert Black. Chief Bob Hamilton, Asst. Chief J. B. Jor· dan. B ack Row: Capts. Jack Hartsell, Joe Hartsell, Hal LiUle. Howard HartselL

Questions and Answers

a . We hope to buy a new pumper in the near future, but will need some help in financing. Do all apparatus compa­nies offer finance plans? What is the best method of financing fire equip­ment?

A. There is no best method of fi­nancing anything - if you are able to pay for it otherwise. Most fire apparatus manufacturers offer some· type of defer­red payment plan, usually based on a period not to exceed two years since city officials cannot contract beyond their term of office·. There is also of­fered a lease-purchase agree, which amounts to the same thing, under which the apparatus is "rentEd" with the "rent" applying on the purchase price until full payment is made.

Normally six per cent rates apply, with insurance, etc., added to the over­all cost. Quite probably your local bank will work with you on the idea, pro vided you have a reasonable amount to invest as a down payment.

Most apparatus companies require ap­proximately 25 to 33 1/ 3 per cent down, with those building on commercial chas-

sis, that the chassis be paid for plus il!l

additional amount.

lC you have a reasonably certain m come, there is no reason some plan

financing can not be found.

a . Our truck came from the factO!"!

equipped with a governor. Now that the engine has been broken-in, we are ha ing quite an argument as to whether th! governor should be removed. \Vbat the common practice on governors?

A. As far as we know, there is 1:

"common" practice with regard to gO\· ernors; however, there are two schoo of thought regarding them. The finl maintains that full -throttle and enl!in r.p.m. should be available at all time; and under all conditions. The seco line of thinking is to retain the gover· r:or as a means of curbing heavy-footec drivers inasmuch as the governor is Sf!

above any possible needed pump spet:

This thinking varies among dep<m ments, but our personal opinion fa\'01"! keeping the governor. Any engine w run too-fast for safety, considering weight and mass involved. Let tt b a little and be sure you get there.

MORGANTON HARDW_ARE CO.

MORGANTON, NORTH CAROLI A

sEPTEMBER, 1955 THE HOSE & NOZZLE 27

Hickory Firemen Efficiently Protect Heavily Industrialized Center

Quietly, without fanfare, the Fire

Department of the City of Hickory has

assumed its place among th e leaders

oi the fire service of North Carolina. 11 is described by firemen as a "nice"

dtpartment, meaning well-rounded in all the phases of the fire servic~ as

well as showing steady growth.

The Hickory Fire Department has a full-time Chief and thirty-two other

full-time officers and men, twenty part­piid men who receive a monthly salary and nine volunteers. Included in the ft:ll-time officers are a Director of Training and a Director of F ire Pre­vention. Included in the part-time fire­men are two Assistant Chiefs, a Captain, Lieutenant and the Secretary and Treas­urer.

Apparatus The department has eight pieces of

apparatus which are housed in three stations. The equipment consists of two 1000 gpm pumpers, three 750 gpm pumpers a nd one 500 gpm high pressure fog truck, one 65-foot aerial truck, and one city service ladder truck. Also, a Chief's car, a Fire Prevention Bureau car and a pane-l truck that is used for fire alarm maintenance.

Fire Alarm System Capt. M. W. Bumgarner, Supt. of the

Fire Alarm Division, has charge of the operation and maintenance of 98 boxes tn four circuits. In addition, there are two other circuits for tappers in the firemen's homes. Bids are soon to be received on a new alarm system with a c~pacity of 400 boxes.

PERSONNEL AND APPARATUS OF HICKORY'S CENTRAL STATION

Training

In 1954 Capt. H. L. Yount was made

full-time training officer, and a rigirl training program was begun. This pro­

gram included classroom instruction, standard drill evolutions, films and text books with special emphasis on salvage operations. The practice of on-the-spot study of manufacturing, business build­ings, hospita ls, schools, hote ls , etc. was initiated with a ll on-duty companies par­ticipating, utilizing walkie talkie and two-way radio on the trucks. Each of the buildings of the types listed a· e visited twice yearly by all firemen. A modern drill tower is now being sought to further inplcment the training pro­gram.

Fir e Prevention

The National Board of Fire Under­writers Fire Prevention Code was adopted by the City of Hickory in 1954 and Capt. L. H. Moore was made Di­rector of Fire Prevention. Quickly en­

acted was the practice of inspeding regularly all m anufacturing, business and public buildings, with hazards in a ll

buildings being brought to the attention of the management, with a re-inspection follow-up to check on compliance. The Bureau also works closely with the building and electrical inspectors of the city.

Hickory is an industrial city and <Continued On Page 28)

HICKORY FIRE DEPARTMENT-S TATIONS NO. 2 AND NO. 3

28

Hickory Fire Dept. (Continu€d From Page 27)

furniture plants, a long with their al­lied industries, present cause for many potentially large fires. Hosiery and knit­ting is another large industrial hazard, as well as mills handling textiles and plastics.

In 1952 the city asked for recom­mendations for a 4th Class rating, which were received and have recently been complied with. The City of Hick­ory no wcnjoys a 4th Class rating.

Hickory fir€men are well equ ipped

CITY MGR. H. L. BURDET TE Hickory, N. C.

with small gear, including Air-Paks, smoke ejectors, salvage equipment, all sizes in fog nozzles, power plants for lighting and power tools, Multiversal nozzles, ladder pipes, portable pumps, walkie-talkie radio, etc.

<Continued on Page 29)

There Is Always Something Cooking A t T he

SOUTHLAND CAFE 227 - l st Ave .. N. W.

HICKORY. NORTH CAROLINA

THE HOSE & NOZZLE SEPTEMBER, 11

CATAWBA DAIRY, INC. Fresh Milk From Local Farms

Dairy Bars for Your Convenience

HICKORY, NORTH ·CAROLINA

SEARS, ROEBUCI( and COMPA.NY

236 First Ave .. N.W. Phone 3205

HICKORY, NORTH 'CAROLINA

DEL-MARK, Inc.

P. 0. Box 756 -- Phone 2109

7 - 14th St., S.W.

HICKORY, NORTH CAROLINA

Joel Miller Tile & Marble Company

Estimates 'Cheerfully Furnished "Why Pay More When You Can Buy

It For Less" Office - Hickory 3809

Residence - Hickory 5163 Newton Highway

HICKORY, NORTH CAROLINA

I

I

I

sEPTEMBER, 1955

Hickory Department 1Continued from Page 28)

In 1954 the department answer ed 278 alarm~. 71 of which were outside the C.ty, 91 of the total were building fires, 11th a total fire loss for the ye3I cf !46,195.

Roster Rosier of full-time firemen: E. G. Moser, Chief M. W. Bumgarner, Platoon Capta in &

~upl. of fire alarms. D. R. Bolick, Platoon Captain. H. L. Yount, Captain in charge of

.raining. L. H. Moore, Captain Director of fire

Jrevenlion. Station Captains: L. S. F rye, J . C.

Bry~n. H. W. Sigmon, J . E . Tate. Firemen: A. T. Anderson, R. J. Fisher ,

W. R. Short, J . R. Moss, C. S . Moose, J. C Dykes, W. E. Cook, S . 0. Cook, J. K. Lingle, R. K . Wilfong, D. D.

MAYOR D. S. MENZIES Hickory, N. C.

Peters, W. J. Cronk, J . C. Mull, Louis Herman, T. E. Fulbright, Boyd Lynn, R. L. Bumgarner , R. J . Clark, K en Ab ­bott, Harry Conley, He rber t Poovey, R. 0. Wilson, N. G . Whitener, J . F. Lafone.

Roster of P art-time firemen: J. E. Buff, Assistant Chief G. B. Shell. Assistant Ch ief C. R. Jenkins, Captain A. W. Gilbert. Lieutenant Joe W. Shuford. Secretary & Treasur­

er. Firemen: B . W. Bennison, E . D. Cook,

N. T. Dea l, A. 0. Hall, G. R. H enkle, P. N. Huggins, H. E . Keeve1·, R. G. Ram­seur, D. Z. Rozzelle, D. E. Shuford, C. R. She ill, M. V. Sudderth, C. C. Trues­~ale, H. P . Bolick, C. V. Cline, D. E. Cody, C. D. Huffman, M. L. Keever , K C. War lick, H . E. Whitener , J . W. Witherspoon, H . L . Yoder.

THE HOSE & NOZZLE

STEELE RULANE

SERVICE, INC.

MORGANTON - HICKORY -

LENOIR, NORTH CAROLINA

SPAINHOUR'S DEPARTMENT STORE

246 Union Square HICKORY, NORTH CAROLINA

RHYNE HOSIERY MILLS Fine Nylon, Rayon & Mercerized

Hosiery for Men

HICKORY, NORTH CAROLINA

KNIT-SOX I{NITTING MILLS, INC. Manufacturers of Men's, Misses' and

Children's Hosiery

HICKORY, NORTH CAROLINA

BLACKWELDER OIL COMPANY Distributors of

American Oil Company Products Fuel Oil & Kerosene

HICKORY, NORTH CAROLINA

29

----· ---------------------------------------OLD HICKORY CO., Inc.

P. 0. Box 480

HICKORY, NORTH CAROLINA

30 THE HOSE 8c NOZZLE SEPTEMBER, 1.

MIDST ATE

CONTRACTORS

Incorporated

General Contractors

"We Pave The Way"

1028 First Avenue, S.W.

Phone 7651

Hickory, North Carolina

BEST WISHES ...

Caldwell Furniture

Company

Manufacturers

Bedroom Furniture

LENOIR,

NORTH CAROLINA

ROYAL CROWN

BOTTLING COMPANY

HICKORY. NORTH CAROLINA

Hickory Chair Company

Makers of Fine Chairs and Upholstered

Furniture for Over 40 Years

HICKORY, NORTH CAROLINA

COMPLIMENTS OF ...

Bernhardt Furniture

Company'

Manufacturers

LENOIR,

NORTH CAROLINA

SEPTEMBER. 1955 THE HOSE & NOZZLE 31

History Of Lenoir Fire Department Is One Of Work And Courage

Spa rkling like a golden nugget in the h1lls is the Lenoir Fire Department. tt is outstanding in ma ny ways; yet rnost impressive is the consistent prog­ress, m a d e largely through the efforts of the firemen themselves.

Lenoir has had a fi re fighting organi­zation for almost half a century. The oldest records indicate it was about 1880 that t he first organization, known as the Bucket Brigade was formed. The equipm ent available at that time se€m5 to hav e been wooden buckets-filled with w ater.

This para phenalia had its limitations but the men who made up the organiza­tion w ere brave and strong hearted, and what they lacked in equipment was made up m coutage and determination.

J . R . Nelson, Sr., who was a member of the organization in its early days a nd later its c hief, used to recall that when the cry of "Fire" was heard, the fire­men h urried to the scene of the fire with the ir buckets and formed a line from the well or branch, if one was near e nough, to the burning building.

The first man dipped up a bucket of water , handed it to the one nearest him i n line who in turn ha nded it to the o n e n earest him until it t·eached the on e a t the head, who, after throwing the water on the fi· e wo~ld hand the bucket back to the one next and so on until it again reached the one at the branch or w ell ... who would refill the buck e t a nd repeat the process until the fire was out .. . or the water exhausted.

If a la rge building caught fire and

it became very hot, the men nearest the fire were sometimes compelled to drop out and let fresh men take their places. To those who never witnessed a fire fought by the bucket brigade, it may a ppear to have been very slow, but it was the only means available at that t ime.

A supply of water was very necessary in those days, as in the present, and as the braches were not always nea r enough to furnish the water needed, it was found necessary to impound quan­tity of water and keep it for the emer­gency that might arise. Along in the early nineties, cisterns were constructed and gutters from the roofs of buildings so that rain water could be caught and stored.

H a nd Pump Bought The water buckets having been found

too slow and ineffective, the firemen began to look for something more ef­fective. After making some investiga­tion, they found it possible to purchase a ha nd pump and reel. So one was ac­quired a nd it was a Red Letter day in Lenoir when it arrived.

Some people said the rig wouldn't work, but after the first fire they were forced to admit that the new pump could throw a fair sized stream of water through the small hose.

This pump was rolled by the firemen from place to place and if the fire de­veloped some distance from where the pump was kept, the men were pretty well winded after rolling the pump over the streets and especially in the winter

season when the s treets were muddy. J . E. Shell, <still living), who was

fire chief during the hand pump era, recalls that on one occasion the town branch was pumped dry with the hand pump. He also says that it was not at a ll unusual for sand to get into the pump pistons and force the firemen to shut it down for a general cleaning. After this was done, pumping would be resumed ... a nd the fire put out . .. if the building had not burned down.

Mains Installed Water again became the need of the

community, so along in 1908 plans were made and a modern system of water mains was installed. The town now had plenty of water, but it could not use the old pump and hose. The pump was sold to Mr. R. L. Gwyn, who still r etains it as a souvenir, and fire hose was bought to fit the hydrants.

After the hose was delivered a horse and wagon were provided to carry the t>ose; however, the streets were so mud­dy that the one horse could not pull all of the hose, so it was divided to re­duce the load.

The first fire station was a small wooden building located where Belk's s tore now stands.

See For Yourself A look at the sidewalk in front of

Belk's store will show small dents in it. These dents were made with a sharp pick and were placed there to roughen the surface so the horse could get a foot­hold in icy weather without danger of

(Continued on Page 32)

LENOIR FIREMEN PRACTICE "PUBLIC RELATIONS" WITH REGULARLY SCHEDULED OP EN-HOUSE AND VISITING-DAYS.

32

History Of Lenoir (Continued from Page 31)

falling. In 1911 the f ire boys canvassed the

citizens and secured enough that a new horse could be purchased, so the one horse fire equipment now became a team.

Movie Finances Early financing of the fire dEpart­

ment was by a privilege tax levied on a picture show in Lenoir, whereby the fire department received 5% of the ticket sales. The town did not appropriate very much for the work of the fire depart­ment, and it should be kept in mind that the firemen not only gave the ir time, but their money as well to estab­lish and mainta in the department.

In 1912 the old city hall was built and on completion the fire department mov­ed ... and for the first time was housed in a city owned home. In 1913 a bell was purchased and placed in the tower, and for more than 13 years this bell tolled its terrible message of fire. The bell still hangs in the tower, serviceable today.

First Truck In 1918 the first truck was bought,

an American LaFra nce 40, combination chemical and hose truck , at a price of $6,500. The purchase of this truck, like the purchase of the hand pump, brought some criticism, but the rank and file of the citizens approved and had con­fidence in the men of the fire depart­ment.

In 1924 another purchase was made: a LaFrance 75 at a price of $12,500. This truck is still in service.

In the summer of 1934 a V-12 La­France Quad was purchased, which with its equipment totaled about $20,-000

In 1925 a start was made towards the installation of a fire alarm system. The s tation equipment was purchased and one box was wired on the city square, but lack of funds halted the completion of the system. In 1931, the fire depart­ment worked out a plan of imaginary boxes and arranged a series of blasts of the f ire horn to announce the ap­proximate location of the fire. This horn was bought from Asheville when that city changed from a volunteer to a paid fire department and is still in use. Air for the operation of the fire horn was then, and is today, provided by an air compressor from an old s treet car.

The fire horn caused much harsh criticism, and many people objected to its rough roar, but those who heard it call firemen to their rescue had no further criticism to offer.

<Continued on Page 33)

THE HOSE & NOZZLE SEPTEMBER, I!!'

Fire Destroys Homes And

Warehouse At Clinton

He added that two barrels of tar t the warehouse exploded, hurling t:; over the warehouse and the adiO!Il::,; houses.

Fir e destroyed the Carolina Tobacco Warehouse, Equipment stored in it and three houses nearby in a fire in Clin­ton on the night of July 8, causing total damage estimated at more tha n $208,000.

Fire Chief Herman Bunch said the fire may have been caused by lightning.

The Clinton Truck and Tractor Eqq_ ment Company had considerable eql:!t­ment stored in the warehouse. Its lc: was estimated at about $45,000, wJ:!t was covered by insurance. Damage t' the warehouse and the tobacco equy. ment was estimated at $100,000, par.!i covered by insurance.

BLUE BELL, INC.

World's Largest Producer of Work Clothes

LENOIR, NORTH CAROLINA

LENOIR MILLS, INC. Manufacturers

Flour - Meal - Feed "Quality & Service Since 1915"

LENOIR, NORTH ·CAROLINA

UNION NATIONAL BANK

Lenoir, North Carolina

~------------------------------~1 LENOIR WOOD FINISHING

COMPANY, INC. A Finish For Every Wood

Phone Plaza 4-9081 LENOIR, NORTH ·CAROLINA

LENOIR HOSIERY MILLS, INC.

Phone Plaza 4-3443

LENOIR, NORTH CAROLINA

sEPTEMBER. 1955

History Of Lenoir «Continued from Page 32)

Lenoir Hose Co. No. 1 was formed in !909 and was the immedia te forerunner cf the present department. The com­panY as formed consisted of 16 men with z. s. ~Iiller chief. The- department, w ith tte exception of drivers, r eceived n o !diaries but were paid fees on the bas is of calls.

Toda y Today, under the leadership of Acting

Ch.ef A. Y. Cottrell, the L enoir depart­ment is well known for its efficiency . Ope ating as a fire fighting unit in the m1dst of vast furniture m a nufacturing 1s no easy task. Fires are frequent and only extreme alertness and a modern alarm system enable the Lenoir firemen to maintain their enviable loss r ecord.

Lenoir is the heart of one of the most completely interlocking radio nets in the North Carolina fire ser vice. Com­pletely radio equipped, th e department maintains contact with a ll neighboring

•partmento;. Morale is high with the firemen sin­

ce ely believ.ng in their work and hold­ing the utmost confidence in their lead ­ers.

Special equipment enables the depart­ment to give exceptionally good service m their county calls, which ar e answer­ed with a special tanker combination built for the specific purpose.

Smoke

No story about Lenoir's fire depart­ment would be comple te without men­tion of Smoke. This highly inte llige nt Dalmation rides the apparatus on every can, barks furiously if the emergency Phone is not answered promptly, and above all, enjoys the love of every fire­man.

Atop the first out engines are special non-slip rubber pads ... Smoke's "seat", and as the e ngine leaves the s ta tion on an alarm, Smoke's howl equals the Wail of the siren.

A special friend of Smoke's is Chief Cottrell who can scarcely approach the station for the joyous leaps and cavort­ing of the dog.

«Continued on P age 341

THE HOSE & NOZZLE

Winter Park .. Wrightsboro Departments Praised

The Winte-r Park a nd Wrightsville Fire Departments were commended for their fine work in the past at a meet­ing of the W ilmington Insuran ce Agents Association of July 12.

Wrights boro Fire Cr.ief Allan H. Per­ryman and J ohn H . Mintz, members of the board of directors of the Winter Park department, w ere guests of honor a t the m eeting, at w hich Hat ris Ligon, president of the insurance agents group, paid tribute to the two fire depa rtments.

Ligon praised the two departments a s being the only two in the county which passed the standards set by the National Board of Fire Underwrite r 5 a nd thus have obtained a rate reduction for their districts.

33

The w ork of the-se volunteer fire­men was outlined by Ligon, who said that they have saved their communities huge losses by answering calls almost daily.

Under the leadership of these two groups of fire-fighters, a t least fivP. other volunteer units have been or­ganized in the county. The Seagate, South Wilmington, My rtle Grove, Og­den, and Cas tle H ayne Fire Depar t­ments also r eceived high praise at the m e eting. These departme nts a r e ex­pected to meet the standards required by the National Fire Underwriters in the nea r future.

The seven departments h ave a tota l of eleven pumpers, one of which is a Tr actor Tanker with a Hale 500 gallons per minute pump and tank capacity of 2,000 gallons. Also one wate r carrier, a Tractor Tanke r with tank capacity of 5,800 gallons.

HIBRITEN CHAIR COMPANY~ INC. Manufacturers P . 0 . Box 759

Phone Plaza 4-9061

LENOIR, NORTH CAROLINA

HIBRITEN FURNITURE COMPANY Manufacturers

LENOIR, NORTH CAROLINA

BLOWING ROCK

CHAIR COMPANY

LENOIR, NORTH CAROLINA

SPAINHOUR FURNITURE

COMPANY, INC.

LENOIR, NORTH CAROLINA

34 THE HOSE 8c NOZZLE SEPTEMBER, 1955

LENOIR'S FAMOUS "TANKER"

This unit, built to the specifications of the Lenoir Fire Department, has been examined and copied by many. Lenoir fireme~ ha ve added equipment to make it one of the most versatile fire fighting rigs for rural use.

BANI( OF LENOIR

P. 0. Box 271

LENOIR, NORTH CAROLINA

HAMMARY MANUFACTURING CORPORATION

FURNITURE

LENOIR, NORTH CAROLINA

Lenoir Fire Dept. (Continued From P age 33l

Roster Officers: Chief G . C. Courtney, Act·

ing Chief A . Y. Cottrell, Asst. Chief J. D . Matheson, Sec-Treas. W. L . Clay, 1:. Lloyd Huntley, Lt. Robert Boyd, Lt. Eugene Es tes; Mechanic Ra lph Barlov. .

Co. No. 1: H oward Watts, Walter Lentz, Ray Harris, H . E. Sumlin, C. \". Pilkenton, Ralph Helton, Earl Hall, D. T. B u mgarner, L . L. Wa ters, Leonard Huffstetler.

Co. No. 2: J. A. Clifton, Ma ck C. Ed· misten, Sam Williams, T om Chandler, A . H . Na il , Ca roll S ulli van, G arland .4.d· kins, Cha rles Poovey, G eor ge Green. Jesse Ch ilder.

Volunteers: W. P . Morrow, J ack Rob­bins , Edward Green, Carl Buchanan. C'harlcs H ouse, 0 . B. Bernhard t , Thom­a~ P utman .