National Republican., 1873-05-24
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
ANNUAL REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE.

The Condiiien and Requirements Of the
service-The Steamers Almost Worn
Out-One Third OF the Horses Incapaci-
tated-Not One Foot Of Hese In First
Class Conditisu--Ameuut Of Property
Destroyed Duriaa the Year-The Fire
Aiarm telegraph.
The following are the more material por-
tlons Of the report Of the FIRE commissioners
submitted TO the Legislature afew days ago,
together with the report Of the chief engineer
and Of the superintendent Of the nre-alarm
telegraph
wAsHIroTop. D. O.. May :, IsTa
To ne HrcsiisasT NJ %. ooots, eo,~nori
In accordance with law the undersigned
commissioners Of the FIRE department Of the
District Of Columbia beg leave TO submit the
following report Of the department from the
1st day Of April, 1872, to the Sist day o
March, 1873, inciusivei The reasons for not
making the term embraced conform 10 the
District fiscal year Is obvious, and conse-
quently we have determined TO make the
history Of the department complete, begin
ming with April I, 1872, tho point Of conclu-
sion Of the last report. II gives US great pleas
ure In this opening TO bear testimony 10 the
increased efficiency OF tho work OF the depart
ment and to refer with pride TO the constant
activity, vigilance and Intelligence Of both
officers and men, who have realized the fact
that the strict rules laid down for their gov
ernment and rigidly enforced, instead Of being
q drawback, are their greatest aid. That the
morale Of the force is good can be inferred
from the fact that while several Of the mem
bers have been tried for minor violation OF
the rules, the offences committed only merited
and received slight punishment In the shape
OF fines and reprlmands, there not having
been q single case Of dismissal during the
year, and only one change made, that being
the result OF a resignation.
Il has been and will continue 10 be the OBJ
lcct OF the board to keep the standard Of tho
force TO the highest possible point OF efficiency,
and to this end no dismissal will be made ex-
cept after full investigation on charges pre-
ferrcd In regular form and testimony given
under oath, thus insuriug to each member
permanent employment and pay so long as
the duties intrusted to him are faithfully per-
formed.
The report Of the chief engineer, herewith
transmitted, shows that the average Of fires
during the past year have been greater than
during the past several years, accounted for
10 part by the large fires at the G-strect wharf
and the National theatre, both OF which, how
ever, were admirably managed, and not
withstandlng the combustibIe material In
each, their spread was prevented.
BUILDINGS.
The buildings occupied by the department
remain unchanged and are as follows 0ffices
for the commissioners, chief engineer, secre-
tary and treasurer, rooms 81 and 30, Colum-
bIa building; central Office, Are-alarm tele-
graph, No. 462 Louisiana ayenuei i've engine
houses and one truck-house. The houses OF No.
I, No. 4, and the truck are In good conditions
and beyond the incidental wear and tear %
oil property will need no repairs.
The house OF No. 2 company u sadly In
need Of repairs, which were asked for in the
last report The roof OF the building Is en-
tirely worn out, and should at once be re-
placed with q new one. The stable Is dark,
close aud unsuited for the purpose, and new
one, adordlng proper ventilation, should at
once be erected.
The house Of No. 5 company, besides being
cid and nnserviceable, Is located within the
area OF the proposed extension Of the Capitol
grounds, and must be torn down at once and
a new one built In the eastern section OF the
city.
The house Of No. 8 company, to which
your attention was called year ago, Is really
nnlnhabitable. Besides this II Is unsuited for
the purpose on account Of Its small size, the
men being cramped for room, the stable too
small, and the frst floor being Just sufficient
60 crowd the two pieces OF apparatus In. The
location Is a bad one, aud II now house
Is erected 1t should be placed ut point much
further north.
In addition to the above the commissioners
feel II their duty to urge upon the Legislature
the necessity OF providing at least one more
engine company, to be located In the north
ern section Of the city, and new truck com
pany, to be placed In the western section.
In support Of this request II Is ut neces-
sary to call the attention Of your body to the
vastly increased boundaries Of the improved
city, the immense Increase Of buildings In
rows, with Aansard roof, q style heretofore
unknown In this District, In some Instances
fhRr hainR mi N
dwellings In one square.
In this connection we beg leave to quote
from the report OF the commission which In
yestigated the Boston FIRE; "We cannot all
10 sec that there was want Of preparah on
for so great an emergency;" and commend
Il, born Of their bitter, costly experience, to
your Thoughtful attention.
In our experience Of the past year three
alarms In entirely different sections Of the
city have occurred In the space OF three
hours, and two within an hour. Under the
present arrangement the truck, most I'm
portant piece Of apparatus, Is compelled TO
run 70 all alarms, and In the event OF two
large fires occurring simultaneously you can
at once foresee the result.
By way Of still further impresslng the i'm
portance OF this upon your minds, II may not
be out Of the way to state that slx or soyen
years ago there was more apparatus In SER
Vice In this city than at present-the three
Government steam engines being that referred
10. II Is true that they were here for the pro-
lection OF the vast Government stores, since
removed, but II Is equally true that they re-
sponded promptly to every alarm turned In
and aided In the extinguishment OF oil fires
without regard to time or place.
APPARATgs. .- .
The apparatus consists OF four second class
Amoskeag steamers and one Slllsby slx-hoso
and two trucks, one In fair repair,
the other almost worthless, but neither Of the
modern style used In other departments.
Thfee OF the steamers have been In constant
active service since the organization OF tho
department, nearly ton years ago, and the
other two about eight years. In the large
northern cities eight years Is the average
period Of use for this class OF apparatus.
From time to time, as IL became necessary,
we have caused them 10 be repaired, but they
cannot DO used with perfect safety more than
ono year longer. Even now the chief engi-
neer has deemed 1t wise, as q precautionary
measure, TO prohibit the engineers from using
more than sixty pounds Of steam instead OF
one hundred and twenty, the capacity when
purchased. New crown sheets and new hues
have been placed In Nos. !, and during
the past two years, and they have been other
wise extensively repaired; but now the out
side sheet OF the boiler shows signs Of decay
and must be replaced.
The hook and ladder truck turned over to
this department by the General Government
and referred TO In the last annual report, was
thoroughly repaired, and has since been in
constant service. This has recently been still
further improved by the addition Of three
new combination ladders, under the patent Of
the chief engineer, which adds greatly to Its
efficiency.
Another want long felt, was fuel cart, by
which the steamers, when on duty at large
hre, could be supplied with fuel from the
nearest house. This has been built and put
In service.
The hose-carTiages are now In good condi-
tion, and only need rtpalnting.
HORSES.
In common with the citizens aud depart
ments throughout the country the depart.
m snt suffered by the rayages Of the eplzooiic,
losing three Of the most valuable animals,
leaving the Oldest and almost worthless ones
still on hand. As proper animals are one OF
the most essential requisites for the working
OF the department, the board, after consul
tatlon with the Governor, determined TO pur-
chase such animals As were necessary to