The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-02-02

RETRENCIMENr AND REFORM.
An Unexpcctd Trial Of the Fire De
parfment.

! An Uuexpcctd Trial Of the Fire De-
partment.
A LIVELY SCENE ON BROAD STREET YESTER-
DAY-ALL OF THE CITY FIRE APPARATUS AT
woRK-wuAT THE DEPARTMENT CAN DO IN
CASE OF GENERAL ALARM-THE WORK or
THE COMMITTEE on RETRENCHMENT AND RE-
FORM, &C.
1t was stated in the Dispatch some days
ago that the Joint Committee on Retrench-
ment and Reform of the City Council were
visiting the several departments with q
view of ascertaining and, il possible, with
out detriment to the public service, re-
lucing the expense of the government.
They have now reached the Fire Depart
ment, and are making thorough inyesti-
cation into its affairs and management.
The Committee on the Fire Department,
not being satisfied with the usual method Of
inspections, determined at recent meeting
to "turn in" an alarm upon some fine day
when the unSuspecting men were in their
workshops and discharging their daily dl-
ties, and make a fair test of the time in
reaching fire and getting on water.
Yesterday was fixed upon as the day, and
about 1 o'clock the hour chosen for the
trial. The time was selected while the
Retrenchment and Reform Committee were
in session in order (at their request) that
they might see the working Of the Depart
ment and all the men together Station
(Broad-Street engine-house) was selected as
the point from which to give the alarm,
because it was central box, and the place
OF meeting of the two committees was in
the Council chamber, over the engine-house.
Just before l o'clock the members OF the
two committees went into the engine-house,
examined the apparatus, inspected the
quarters Of the firemen, and questioned the
men as to their duties, &c.
The orders OF the Chief Engineer have
been such that the Church Hill steamer (F)
and the Main-Street steamer (C)were notre-
Quired TO respond to an alarm from Station
6; but some time ago the chairman OF the
committee told the Chief to direct these two
companies to come to the box named in case
there should be second alarm. This was
all the Information that the Sremen had
that something was up"; but why their
orders had been changed they were not
made aTare until yesterday when the alarm
was given.
The committee appointed & time-keeper
and Kept record Of the tisse OF all the
companies, from which ofcf9l figures the
following summary is made:
Tsle alarm was turned in sit 1:15 P. NJ.
Company A's (Broad-Street steamer) hose.
carriage was hitched up and left the house
in twenty-five seconds, asrd the engine in
tlrirty-siX seconds. Leaving the house, the
steamer took the plug at the southwest cor
ner of Tenth and Broad streets, and in five
minutes and thirty seconds commenced
work with fair stream.
Company 3 (Third-Str enginc) reached
the plug at Ninth and Broad streets (steame,
| nd orrinf in mil n11ta for
seconds from the time the alarm was SOUND
ed, and had stream ON in seven minute:
and ten seconds.
Company D from Brook avenue ant
Marshall street, reached the plug at TeEtt
and Marshall streets in five minutes nnd
thirty seconds, and commenced work ir
eleven minutes and twenty-five second!
from the time the alarm was given
The stream from this engine looked more
like column of thick mud than anything
else, and after brief time the steamer wa:
put to work at the psgg at which Company
AS steamer had wol2ed, where there wa!
no mud. Subsequently the steamer wa!
moved to Eighth and Leigh streets, In or
der that the members of the Retrenchmen
! Committee might see whether the officer!
in the water department. were dischargine
4 their duty properly ia keeping the pipes
clear Of mud.
4 L (hook-and-ladder srulck) left theilShouse
! in thirty-six seconds. This company
went to. the corner Of Tenth and Broad
streets and put up their INTERROGATION
Ladder in four minutes and twenty
seconds, and made it ready for use in five
minutes. The top splice was run ap in
eight minutes.
Company G (Tenttl-S Street Hose company
came to the plug at Tenth and Broad streets
In three minutes and ten seconds, and were
then ready for work fresm that plug; but
by direction of the Chief Engineer at.
tached their hose to Company A's engine,
and were ready with their stream in five
minutes and thirty seconds.
Preparations were now made to turn in 0
second alarm, SO as to bring out the only
two remaining steamers of the Department
viz, G, from Main street near Twentyrfrst,
and +, from Twenty-tifth street near Broad.
The Chief Engineer OF DEPARTMENT turn
ed in the second alarm at 1:31 P. III. Com
pany shose-carriage came up to the Tenth
and Broad-street plug in five minutes and
thirty seconds, and the men were ready TO
90 to work with plug-stream in six
minutes; but they were ordered to wait for
| the engine, 81 Shich came up in seven minutes
and forty seconds, and commenced work in
Zen minutes. sa%t
FPS steamer reached the plug to which
that company was assigned in seven minutes,
and commenced work in ten minutes and
twenty seconds.
AT the conclusion of the trial the men
were assembled in the Broad-Street engine
house, and the roll OF the Department was
called by Mr.. d, a. Cardwell, clerk OF the
Fire Department. One captain and five
| men were absent, the captain having by
leave gone to the country for hunt.
The inspection attracted a very large
crowd OF spectators, who appeared to be
much interested in the exhibition.
The Retrenchment Committee will next
take up the payroll of the Fire Department.
TEE Tom KARL CoNGERT.-Mr. Tom Karl
reached the city last night ut IL O'Clock, and
will sing tonight in Mr.. Wheat's concert at
Association Hall hls finest operate selec-
tions and ballads. He IS In fine voice, and
~, ySFd tn nf.s Ete