The Development of Fire Fighting in America

-The Development of American Industries of Fire Fighting since Columbus- "A Peculiarity common to all nations is the fact that not until the industries of peace and the armaments of war had been well developed was attention paid to procuring safeguards against conflagrations; and when it was at last realized that means for the extinguishing of fire were necessary, so little was attempted that the results were entirely inadequate.
Even in the United States, noted the world over for advanced methods of fire-fighting, the marked improvements have been so long in coming that half the men alive today can remember the time when the most marked changes were made.."