National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-12-08
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT,

REPORT OF THE BOARD OF FIRE COMMISSIONERS
EXPENSES AND ESTIMATES.
WASHINGTON, D. e., Nov. 10, 1874.
To The Honorable the Board Of Commissioners fOI
the District Of Columbia:
GENTIEMEN: The Board of Fire Commission
ers take pleasure In complying with your request
Of the 18th instant, ind have the honor to submit
the following report and recommendations:
The buildings occupied by the department are
once for Commissioners and Chief Engineer,
RON 81, Columbia building.
Fire-alarm telegraph, Central office. No. 49,
Louisiana avenue.
Fire engine houses.
One truck house.
The houses of Companies Nos. l and aud that
Of the truck are in good condition, and beyond
the replacing Of the Incidental wear and tear to
all property will need no repairs. The house OF
No. 2 company requires considerable repair, in
GLIDING new roof, and we urge that, as this house
has to undergo extensive repairs to make it habit
able, the house be raised one story so as to make
the headquarters of the department at that point,
it being the most central, and thereby eOneen.
trating the business Of the department at one Of
the engine houses. The chief engineer, by this
Arrangement. would be near one engine company,
and, in addition, by the aid OF the telegraph. he
would be in communication with the whole de.
partment.
The Government is building a new house fol
Company No. 3, which, when completed, will
leave that company well of in that particular.
APPARATUS.
Our apparatus now comprises four second class
Amoskeag steam fire engines and one second
class Sels0y rotary steam hre engine and seven
hOse-carriages, in good condition, and two hook.
and-ladder Told style) trucks, and one fuel cart
and one telegraph repair wagon.
Three Of our steamers have been in constant
service since the organization Of the ire depart
ment in 1854, and the other two for seven years.
In the large Northern cities ten years is the
average period Of usefulness for this class Of ap
paratus. From time to time we have caused
them to be repaired, but they cannot be used
with perfect safety much longer.
Engine No. is now in the chop undergoing ex
tensiye repairs, and when repaired will be almost
There Is no denying the fact that the equip
ment Of this department, so far as the number oil
steam fire engines and hOok-and- ladder trucks is
concerned, is far from being safe satisfactory.
The old engines should be exchanged for new
ones. The two trucks are Of the old style, and
should make way for the new style Of trucks
such as are used in Cincinnatti, Chicago, New
YORK and other cities.
In addition to the above, the Fire Commission
ers feel II their duty to again recommend the
necessity Of providing at least two more engine
companies, one to be located in the northern sec
ion Of the city and the other in the northeastern
section Of the city; also, new hOok-and-laddeI
company for the western section OF the city.
Eight or ten years ago there were more steam
fire engines in use in this city than there are al
the present time. The Government had three
steam fire engines in service, in addition to the
apparatus belonging to the District Of Columbia
II the companies now proposed, and herein recon-
mended, are added to the present force the de
partment will then have the same number that
we're in service at the time the General Govern
ment disbanded its IRE brigade.
HORSES.
The stock belonging to this department con
sists Of tWenty-eght horses, twenty Of which
are in good condition. The remaining four, being
incapaeitated through age from active service
should be replaced by serTioeable horses.
HOSE.
There are now in the possession OF this depart
ment seven thousand feet Of good, serTtceablt
leather hose and enc thousand feet Of serTieelblS
kAzG Ill II HFFFo ri Nfaa ian
ton Of q few bursted sections, which can be re
paired.
FIRE-ALARM TELEGRAPH.
One OF the most pressing needs OF our depart
ment is the reconstruction and extension Of thu
Saving Of yaluable time by the use Of the cleo
trio hre-alarm elects the rescue OF millions oil
dollars worth Of valuable property from thu
flames every year. Without u the best organ
lied force Is comparatively inefficient; with t thu
usefulness OF the department is increased In 4
ratio which makes the expense Insignificant II
our city was one OF the first to adopt the IRE
alarm telegraph, but that was many years ago
and now large portion Of the most valuable
property in Washington and Georgetown Is out
side the limits Of the area guarded by the wires
This may result at any time in disastrous con
Migration. Worse than that Is the fact that the
protected, and Misplaced coincidence in the alarm
boxes may lead TO worse results even than thu
absence Of the telegraph.
As stated above, Washington adopted the cleo
trio hre-slarm many years ago, and now the old
fashioned crank boxes furnished US then the besi
In use) are not always reliable. An alarm turned
IN IRON them BY ignorant, careless or reckless
hands may strike the wrong number, and mis-
lead the hremen, thus wasting, instead Of saving
time. The wires, too, have been % long in u.s.
that they have become unreliable In Transmitting
signals, and are subject 70 frequent breaks
Then, too, numerous complaints arc made b.
citizens Of the unpleasant humming Of the wire
attached to their residences, while the work o
detecting and remedying the imperfeetiOas Il