Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-12-09
The District Fire Deu.r,w.u,
ORGANIZATION OF THE NEW BOARD OF CON-

ORGANIZATION OF THE NEW BOARD OF COM
MIssIONERs.
The new board of Fire Commissioners-Messrs.
Williams, Morgan. TAFT, Collins, Hume, Reed,
ard ThomRs-met last evening and or ganized BY
the unanimous reelection OF Mr. Joseph Will
hams as president, and Mr.. William X. Collins
as vice president.
The president submitted a communication
from the Governor stating that he had con-
cluded to abolish the Office of secretary and
treasurer OF the board. He recommended that
they elect one of their number to keep the
minutes OF the board, and that they audit all
claims brought before them and transmit them
TO the Auditor, who in turn would submit them
to the Controller for payment. Mr.. w. b. Reed
secretary of the board.
MIR. Morgan stated that since the last meeting
there have been two vacancies in company No.
y one by expulsion, the other by resignation.
M Morgan stated that he had authorized
Daniel Kurtz TO act until the meeting of the
board, and asked the approval of his action, and
the appointment was confirmed. Mr.. W. r. COL
Inns named Mr.. John Thompson to fill the other
vacancy, and it was approved,
Mr.. Collins moved Jnat the rules of the old
board be adopted as the rules Of this board till
otherwise ordered; which motion prevailed.
The chief engineer presented his report for
the month of November, showing that there
had been y alarms during the months test, 2
false, and actual, entailng a loss of $50, on
which there was no insurance.
The Superintendent OF fire. alarm telegraph,
in lengthy communication, again called stten-
ton TO the urgent necessity of a thorough recon-
stIuction of the fre-alarm telegraph. 1t would
take sI5 900 TO construct a line with 100 boxes,
and the Legislature, at its last session, had
appropriated only S45 900 to do the work. Of
the 100 boxes proposed, none could be put upon
the public buildings, and he thought that as
Congress had at its last session agreed to dsfray
one third of tae expenses OF the fire department
they might be induced las they would need
twenty boxes on public buildings, &c, making
the cost of the work $50 OOO) to appropriate one
half of that amount, S45,OOO, for the cOnstruc-
ton OF a fire alarm telegraph. He recommended
that the Endorsement of General BabcOck aud
the Secretaries of the Navy and the Interior be
obtained, and that our Delegate in Congress be
requested to introduce such a bill at the earliest
practical period.
The board approved the communication, and
Messrs. Williams, Morgan and Hume were con-
sntuted a committee TO attend TO the matter.
The superintendent of fire alarm telegraph
also stated that one day last week MIR. Henry
Eekert, who resides at No. An 18th street south
east, had removed the telegraph wire from the
top of his house and thrown it upon the ground.
Under the law, aay person guilty of mOlesting
Inc boxes, insulatOrs or wires of the fire alarm
or police telegraph was liable to a tine of from
ten to nifty dollars. On motion of Mr.. Collins,
the case was re erred to Commissioner Thomas,
with instructions to notify the superintendent
whether or not it was advisable to prosecute the
offender.
The designations of VIM. II. Lewis. of No. l.
and Robert T. johnson, of hook and ladder
company, were read and accepted.
The application of Charles Mann for rein
statement in the fire department was read; also
the request of James Barron, Lewis Lepreux
and Others for appointment in the department.
MIR. Hume nominated Mr.. VIM. A. Shedd, to
ill the vacancy in the hook and ladder COM
Pany occasioned by the resignation Of Robert
johnson.
1t was determined to amend the rules of ex-
animation so as to make the chief engineer and
his assistant constitute the examining board.
MIR. Collins introduced a resolution. which
was unanimously adopted: That the chief en-
gineer and assistant chief engineer of the fire
department be, and they are hereby, author
lied and instructed to examine each and every
member OF every company under their direc
ton as TO the fitness OF every such member
mentally, morally, and physically-to perform
the duties required of hin as member Of the
ire department Of this District, and to report
to this board at their earliest convenience the
names of ali such members as in their opinion
are unable or incompetent TO perform such
duties, with a statement showing the nature of
such inability or incompetency in each case.
1t was decided that the first and third We'd
nesday nights of each month be the regular
meeting nights of the board.
Adjourned.