Sioux City's motorized fire department, valued at $300,000, is acknowledged to be one of the finest in the state. Swiftness and efficiency co-operate when a fire alarm is sounded. If the call is at night the firemen spring from their beds and swing down the brass sliding rod to the, room below where the motor fire apparatus is in readiness, and the company is well on its way to the fire in less than 15 seconds of time. If the call comes during the day the speed in answering the alarm is increased by reason of the men being awake and fully dressed.

Absolute fearlessness is a prime requirement for firemen. They must be free from fear of personal Injury. And ready to undertake the most hazardous tasks if the occasion arises. When the gong of the fire engine sounds its warning notes along the city streets all traffic draws aside to give unhampered room to the vivid red motor in charge of the uniformed firemen, which is speeding to some fire, from which danger might threaten the entire city, if it was not promptly quenched. The sight of the of the fire company, and the sound of the gong never fail to awaken a thrill of excitement as nothing is so terrible as a fire, and death may lurk beyond the smoke and flames.

Watched Department Grow.

Fire Chief George M. Kellogg. who has held his present position for a period of 13 years and has watched the development of the department from a country town hook and ladder company, operated by man power, to the present highly developed motorized organization, stated that in all those years only two firemen have been killed while on duty at fires. These men met their death during the Moore Clothing Company fire, which occurred on the morning of March 26, 1914, at 4:50 o'clock. Frank Fulton. an unmarried man, and Seeley L. Lawton, a married man, both young and enthusiastic firemen , were working side-by side near the wall of the building, when an explosion blew the brick front of the store outward and buried them alive. It was some time before the men were missed, but when their bodies were finally recovered, the general opinion was expressed that they bad been killed by the falling wall and had not smothered. A heavy truck which stood in front of the building at the time was crushed and completely demolished.

Ladder Fell.

A serious accident, which resulted in the crippling of R. M. Rockenfield, a fearless fireman, who has now been retired on pension, happened about 17 months ago; during a fire at the Bainierley grocery, 315-17 Fourth street, above the Olson sporting goods establishment. A ladder was placed against the side of the building and Rockenfield was the first man up. He was closely followed by Timothy Donovan and Art Fehrman. Before the men reached the floor on which the fire was located the ladder slipped and fe1l, precipitating the men to the pavement below. It was thought at first that all three had been permanently injured but Donovan and Fehrman recovered and are now working at the headquarters station with Chief Kellogg. Mr. Rockenfleld who had a leg and an arm broken and other injuries was unable to resume his work in the department, and is now receiving the pension, amounting to half pay, which is provided for such cases by the firemen's Pension fund.

Organized in 1874.

Volunteer firemen organized the Sioux City fire department away back in 1874 the first fire fighting apparatus ever operated here was a hook and ladder truck, which was purchased second handed at Council Bluffs for $50, the money being raised by popular subscription. On November 10, 1874 the department was organized in an old courtroom. A. J. Millard long since dead, was nominated foreman, John Dineen, who died about a year ago, was first assistant, R. A. Broadbent was second assistant, E. P. Stone, secretary; James Hutchins, treasurer, and W. W. Dart. was steward. The organization was called Sioux City Engine Company No. 1. A year or two later, a steam fire engine and hose carts were added to the equipment The two-wheeled fire carts were pulled by the firemen but the steam engine was hauled by horses, which were usually used to haul a city truck. When the fire bell sounded the volunteer's firemen would rush from whatever occupation they were engaged in and assume their duties as firemen. The city team would snort and gallop to the firehouse to be hitched to the fire apparatus and run pellmell to the scene of the fire. Water was pumped from cisterns located in different sections of the town.

Thirty-five years ago the city had advanced to a point where it could afford to pay salaries to firemen, and from an organization which was composed of part volunteers and part paid men the city hanged the company into a paid fire department having 18 men, including the fire chief and assistant. Three horsedrawn carts were added to the equipment. and the department continued to grow until it had 23 head of horses to draw its apparatus About nine years ago the first motor apparatus was purchased and added to the equipment, It was a motor pumping engine Then came the chiefs first automobile Previous to that time he had driven to fires in a buggy drawn a spirited bay horse. The use of horses in the department was doomed, as the new motor apparatus was purchased from time to time the horses were discarded. The last fire team was retired in August, 1920. Fifteen motor vehicles, which have succeeded the old styled equipment, are valued at $150,000, including the aerial hook and ladder truck, which cost $11,000. This is the most expensive truck in the department, and has shown its utility at many fires. Eleven of the motors are in active service, and one is held in reserve, ready for emergencies. Real estate owned by the department is valued at $100,000, and includes the eight fire station sites and seven buildings now in the fire system.

More Men Needed.

Chief Kellogg has recommended to the city council that 22 men be added to the fire department, to supply the increasing needs of Sioux City, which is one of the most rapidly developing cities of the middle west. The force has not been increased since 1918. During the six years since that period many new pieces of equipment have been added, and the department increased in every way except in manual strength. The personnel is divided as follows: One chief, two assistant chiefs, nine captains, 11 junior captains, 24 drivers and 31 hose and ladder men, making up the total of 78 men. The official staff is composed of Fire Chief Kellogg, John Yeager, first assistant chief; Charles B. Kuhl, jr., second assistant chief. No. 1 engine company, John J. Markl, captain; D. P. McDougall, junior captain. No. 2 engine company, J. W. Gunning, captain; J. A. Wulf, junior captain. No. 3 engine company, P. 0. Murphy, captain; Theodore McElhose. junior captain. No. 4 hose company, K. B. Gantt, captain; Oscar Forsman, junior captain. No. 5 hose company, J. J. Malby, captain; R. W. Shelton, junior captain. No. 6 engine company, A. B. Berg, captain; Eric Waldron, junior captain. No. 7 hose company, R. W. Thompson. junior captain. No. 8 hose company, E. Ernst. junior captain. No. 1 hook and ladder company, Harry Colvin, captain; T. D. Donovan, junior captain. No. 3 hook and ladder company, Ed Roth, captain; Fred Bankston, junior captain. No. 4 hook and ladder company, William Brink, captain, A. S. Mackay.

Seven Fire Stations.

Davenport was in festive garb to celebrate the thirty-first annual Firemen’s Tournament sponsored scored by the Iowa State Firemen’s association. On the first day, Aug. 4, 1909, thousands of visitors crowded into the city to witness the biggest and best tournament yet held.

The State Firemen’s association had been in existence since 1878, though its articles of Incorporation dated from 1886. The first tournament was held in 1879, and it became an annual event thereafter. In the early days the contests included races between companies pulling hose carts, hand engines, and hook and ladder wagons, besides individual dual foot races.

Horse races had been added as early as 1897, but not until 1902 did this feature become a regular event, and not until the following year were rules formulated to govern what came to be the chief attraction at subsequent tournaments. These races were confined to the fire-horse teams of the paid departments in the larger cities.

Horses Carefully Selected

For the first two or three years the paid-department races were comparatively slow. As competition grew more intense, however, the rival cities exerted special efforts to obtain fast horses as carefully selected as thoroughbreds. Various breeds were crossed, to produce strong, fast, and steady teams. With practice came smooth hitches and lightning hose couplings.

As a result, the Sioux City team of Paddy and Prince set a world’s record of one minute and 15 seconds in the free-for-all race hejd at Clinton in 1908. This was ten and two-fifths seconds faster than the time made by the victorious Clinton team at the first race held in 1902. Although fire-horse races were held in neighboring states, the regulations were different. Only the Iowa tournament Iowa tournament rules prescribed that the race begins with a bunk hitch instead of a running start. Consequently, outside teams never entered the Iowa free-for-all race, which was advertised as open to the world. The winner of this race, or the winner of the race open only to Iowa departments, therefore had a right to claim the world’s championship.

Sioux City’s champion team was entered in the Davenport tournament, but Clinton, Davenport, and Des Moines all had intentions of winning. For several days before the tournament opened, eleven teams from six cities, were in training at the Davenport racetrack. Red Oak and Council Bluffs had each entered one team; Clinton, Davenport, and Sioux City each sent two teams; and Des Moines was represented by three entries. A skeleton firehouse was built beside the track in order to simulate a real fire station.The tournament officials met on the evening of Aug. 3, when the team captains drew lots for the order of running. The positions were:

The teams competed consecutively, racing against time, and the fastest performance won, provided all the rules were kept.

Dead was Capt. Valois Linden, 40, commanding officer of engine company No. 4. Three of the injured firemen were reported in critical condition.

Speeding south in Nebraska street at 45 miles an hour, the engine truck smashed into a ladder truck rolling west in Fourth street shortly after 3: 30 p.m. The impact hurled the ladder truck across the intersection of Fourth and Nebraska. It piled into a passenger car, sheared off a traffic signal pole and overturned against the Toy National bank building, shattering several windows.

Capt. Linden, a 10-year fire department veteran and father of seven, suffered a crushed skull. He died at a hospital about two hours after the accident.

A pedestrian standing near the bank, Meyer Sigal, 38, 3236 Summit street, said’ he was "frozen in his tracks" when he saw the trucks approaching the busy corner. Sigal suffered an ankle injury when the ladder truck was hurled at him.

The engine company ‘truck, in which Capt. Linden was riding in the cab, was answering the alarm from its station at 14th and Nebraska streets. The ladder truck, from station 3 at Fifth and Wall streets, was racing west on Fourth.

As the heavy vehicles approached the intersection with sirens blaring, passing motorists swung to the curb. The trucks swerved when drivers saw the crash coming, then the heavy engine-pumper struck the ladder truck broadside with violent force. As it caromed to the -southwest part of the intersection, the ladder truck hit a car driven by Herbert Donnelly, Elk Point, S. D., who had stopped near the corner to apply their brakes and swerved just before the impact.

Answering Box Alarm

Firemen said the box alarm was turned in from the auditorium where a pile of hay, which was being used in connection with paving of a parking lot, was on fire. The alarm was timed on fire department records at 3:35 p. m. Firemen said it was standard procedure for five companies - three from headquarters and one apiece from the Wall street and 14th stations - to answer a box alarm - which usually indicates a major fire in the business district. The three - companies from headquarters proceeded to the -auditorium and extinguished the blaze. Firemen said the cause had not been determined.

Robert Miller, assistant fire chief, said when he arrived at the fire Leo J. Perleth, a watchman at the auditorium, told him he turned in the box alarm. Perleth is a retired Sioux City police captain.