National Republican., 1875-06-03
BOARD OF FIRE COMMISSIONERS.

BOARD OF FIRE cOhM1ssIONERs'
Meeting Last Night-Ths Annual Report
Resolutions and PrOmotiOns-General Busi-
ness.
The regular meeting Of the Board Of Fire
bia building; the president Joseph Williams)
in the chair, and w. b. Reed, secretary.
REPORTS.
The report Of the chief engineerwas submitted,
showing that during the month Of May there
were 10 alarms Of FIRE, with an estimated loss OF
$3.50; insurance, 400. On the 3lst ultimo
engine company No. removed from the tempo
rary quF rters which they had been occupying
since last November into the new house on Della
ware avenue. At the same time he turned over
to the architect Of the Capitol the temporary
ferred from company No. to company No. 4. J.
T. Norris was transferred from company No. TO
company No. S. Levi Mollng was appointed tenn
porary engineer Of NO. 1, vice John NJ. Moore,
suspended. F. H. Myers was appointed tempo
rary fireman, vice MOlinR, promoted, and Morri-
son CoOmbs temporary private, vice Myers
The report of the superintendent of fire. alarm
telegraph was submitted. 1t showed that sixteen
alarms of fire had been sounded during the month
of May. The wires and instruments under his
charge were in as good working condition as can
be attained, considering age, system, &c. The
Applications for positions were received from
Edward Hoy, Theodore Scribner and jacob W.
Chas. MerrIIett was reduced from the position
OF foreman of No. at his own request and placed
as private in the truck company. The chief en-
gineer was authorized to fill the vacancy.
A large number Of bills were submitted and
properly referred.
Commissioners Reed, Collins and Morgan were
appointed a committee to prepare bill, to be
submitted to Congress relative TO the storing Of
explosive oils in the District.
A COMPLIMENTARY LETTER.
The president laid before the board the follow
ing letter:
FRANKFoRT-oN-THE-MAI@X, H. @GIEIRTI!AlNSY' z I!lSY'
Tothe Secretary Of the Board Of Fire Commissioners,
Fire Department, Headquarters Washington:
DEAR SIR: Being desrous Of procuring some
general information relative to the organization
Of your department, together with some account
of apparatus and supplies you have in use, COM
prsiDg fire. engines, hOse-carrisges. hOOk-and lad
der trucks, and telegraph machinery for signalling
fires, SC, the undersigned would be under great
obligations to you il you would kindly favor him
with copy Of one of the annual reports published
by your honorable board, either for the year 1874
or earlier in case such report should have been
issued Of late; and should be glad to learn which
is the tavOrIte steam hrc-engine with your de-
partment, and whether possibly a few photo
graphs may have been occasionally taken repre-
sentiDg your most important steamers.
Having obtained information 10 the effect that
your department is one Of the best manage4 in
your country, it would be very gratifying to me
to thus procure some more detailed and accurate
account Of the organization and the workings
thereof, and trusting that you will kindly ex-
cuse the liberty have taken Of addressing you
upon this subject, and awaiting the pleasure of
your Obligng communications in connection
Herewith, have the honor TO remain, dear sir,
yours, very respectfully,
IS Oberlunder, Frankfort on the-N Main. Germany.
The secretary was directed to furnish all tina
Information in his possession.
The board then adjourned.
ANNUAL REPORT.
The president laid before the board the report
of the operations of the department during the
.Hrrr No. Eha Il NF
the department at that date, Of which the follow
ing is an abstract. After speaking of the etti-
cheney Of the department and the desire to keep
the st?ndard OF the force to the highest possible
point, il says: "The Commissioners deem it their
duty TO again recommend the necessity of pro-
vidug at least two more engine cOmpaRies-one
to be located in the northern and the other in the
northeastern section Of the city; also, one new
hook and ladder company for the western section
of the city. In support Of this request II IL but
necessary to call your attention to the increase in
the size of the city within the past eight years,
with no corresponding increase in the number of
engines, &c, with the same period"
THE APPARATUS.
The apparatus now consists of four second
class AmOskeag steam FIRE engines one Silby
rotary engine, seven four-wheel hose carriages,
and two Old.style hook and ladder trucks, both in
fair order, but neither being Of the modern i'm
proved style in use in other cities.
Steamers No. l, No. and No. have been in
constant use since the organization OF the paid
department in 1854, and should be replaced by
new ones. Engine No. has been thoroughly
repaired during the past year, and is now in first
class order; engine No. needs q set of new fues,
with that exception it is in good condition; heat
ers have been attached to engines No. l, No. ,,
No. and No. 5, and greatly add to the efficiency
of them. Relief valves and shut-oft nOZZles have
been placed in use with all the engine co onpanies,
and will, in great measure, lessen the damage
from water. The hose carriages are all in cOndi-
tion, and will require no repairs of any masni-
tude.
STOCK.
There are tWenty-eight horses in use, twenty
four Of the number being first-class. No hose has
been purchased during the year. The amount on
and 20 feet of gum hose in bad condition. The
report also recommends the necessity of iucreas-
ing the number of tre-plugs and that they all be
fitted with ten-inCh outlets. The very frequent
alarms oil fire OccasiOned by accidents from the
use OF eXplOsivecOal oil. The commissioners
also call attention to the low price at which
an inferior coal oil is furnished is temptation to
the poor especially to purchase and use it. Some
regulation is very much needed In the sale OF this
inferior quality of coal oil, which will conine its
use to the care of responsible parties and forbid
the sale Of ii for family use, and thus preclude
the recurrence of fires UccasiOned from its use by
ipcIutiOus parties.
The honsc of No. > company is in very dilapi-
dated condition. and is greatly need of new roof,
and We urge, as the roof has to be made new, that
the house be rOiSed one story, so as to make the
headquarters OF the department at that point, it
being more central than the present location.
The chief engineer TOnld then, when at head
quarters, be near one engine company, and would
always be in communication By telegrLphy with
the whole department.
FIRES AND ALARMS
The whole number OF alarms Of ire during the
year was 119; Il were false, . were chimueys, l
was test alarm and l32 were for fires, which in
vClyCd loss Of SOS, 900, WIKI insurance on the
same Of SSg. 100. The number Of fires Of this year
compared with those OF last year shows an in-
crease Of tweuty-three over the former and COM
pared with the average Of the past ten years an
Increase of thirty-tWO. The total loss OF this
year, compared with that Of last year, shows an
increase OF $GI,56S, and compared with the aver
age loss per year Of the past ten years, decrease
OF $50 OJO.
The entire telegraph OF Washington city, in
cluding the central-Otfce apparatus and ins:ru-
meuts, is defective in system, and owing to old
age is rapidly going to decay. That portion in
Georgetown is in good order and perfectly relil-
Bile. This was erected in 1872; the former was
erected in 1854. The number Of stations used to
notify the department is seventy-lYe.
STREET SWEEPING.
Id 4og D