The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-04-04

| SURhNCE PAID TuEREON-SOME ,OF. THE
! NEEDS OF THE DEPARTMENT-REcCM-
Observation-Disclosures AND DISBURsE-
MENTs IN THE WATER DEPARTMENT
CONDITION OF THE WORKS AND REsE4-
yOIEs, &C., &C.
The annual reports of the. Cbief Engineer
OF The Fire Department, required by city
ordinance, and the Superintendent Of the
Water W orks, have been prepared and are
now In Mayor Carring,on's bands. They
will, probably, be forwarded to the Coun-
Gil on Monday next. The most interesting
and important features Of the, two reports
are printed below: ..ss.
The Fire Department.. ..
The annual report OF the Chief Engineer
OF the Fire Department embraces tabular
statement OF the fires that have occurred
during the year, the loss. and the insurance
thereon. The Department was called out
50 times during the year,: The whole loss
amounted to S1l4,S70, upon which insu-
| rance TO the amount or S53, 1877 Al wps paid.
! The loss, which is much heavier than the
year previous, is accounted for by reason
of the disadvantage under which the De-
partment in part labored, and other circun-
stances over which the men had no control.
The two most destructive fires occurred last
| winter-at. the penitentiary and T.. c. VIII
liams & Co.'s factory-the aggregate loss
being about 100000. The fire at Williams
Il Co.'s factory, it is believed, could have
been put out in its incipiency bad there
been a supply OF water available when No.
6 Hose Company arrived on the ground.
The Chief dwells upon the importance OF
increasing the water-supDly in plugs.
NEEDS OF THE DEPARTMENT. ,,..
The Chief Engineer next refers to the
needs Of the Department, and urges the
Counci. to supply them. He asks for new
eneine-houses for steamers Nos. 3. 4, and 5,
so arranged That the object for which they
are intended may be fully met. The horses
are too far from the apparatus at Nos. and
4, and consequently many seconds are lost,
in case OF an alarm, in the horses going
from the stables to the engines and hose
carriages.
He urges the establishment Of hose COM
pany in the vicinity Of the Exchange Hotel,
where there is an abundant supply OF water,
and where the pressure is very great. Such
a company will cost annually about 81 300
$4,000 less than a steamer company. AS an
unanswerahe argument for the establish
ment Of such companies in the business
heart OF the city, the Chief refers 10 the
services rendered during the past few years
by the Hose Company on Tenth street.
He also urges the necessity Of equipping
another hook.and-l bladder truck company,
and cites as one reason the fact that 4 diSas-
trouS fire might occur in remote sections OF
the city at the same time, and the present
truck company could not serve both.
He urges very strongly the importance Of
erecting in the centre Of the ciIy man.
I, hon nctr, hr al nj 70 fbaf ba
fremer who are at work in remote parts OF
alarm OF fire.
SAFETY OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
The Chief says:
There is another matter OF great import
ance that should he attended to. Two
year, nSo, soon after the burning Of the
Brooklyn Theatre, by which so many lives
were lost, a resolution was offered in the
Board Of Aldermen to ascertain and report
as to the safety of the Theatre and other
places OF amusement in case Of fire or
panic. That committee visited Ill the places
Of amusement in the city and made report,
suggesting many improvements. such, as
the strengthening OF floors and increasing
the number and enIarsng the outlets in
nearly every case. This report seems to
have been overlooked, and fear a very inn
portant public duty Is being neglected. We
should be warned bv these distressing
horrors that are occurring around us. and
do everything IN our power to avert them
from our midst. ..-s-.---~;
About two years ago the city bought
supply OF hose for tue Department, which
was then greatly in need Of good hose. The
hose has been much used since that time,
and now show signs OF weakening and often
bursts; and we shall very soon be in need
of another supply. recommend that 5000
feet Of the best oak-tanned leatber~hose be
bought during the present summer.
THE NEW oRDINANcE-HEADQUAR
The Chief next congratulates the Council
upou the organization Of the, Fire De
partmeut and the adoption Of the new ordi-
nance which went into effect last year: !
Since the passage, OF the new ordinance
the committee. has established an office,
known as the Headquarters Of the Fire De-
partment, for the preservation OF the re-
cords, correspondence and other papers OF
The Department, and forsplaclng on exhibit
ton models and drawings OF improvements
in machinery and tIre-apparatus, at No. II
Tenth, street.. am greatly in hopes that IT
will soon be in communication BY telegraph
or telephone with all stations in the city.
=.
The two inspections OF last year ;fully
reported in the Dispatch at the time) are
next referred to- T.i - :...f ~: -. g..
In concluding his report the Chief says:
I hope I may be excused for adding
word OF personal nature. will also take
this occasion TO repeat what have already
! said in reference to the organization OF the
| Dtpartment-tba the most, important con-
sideration that enters into the question OF
sunpressing tires and of preventing their
spread (other things being cquaD is the
saving Of time in reaching fires. To be sue
cessful in its work the Department must
attack the fire before 1t has gained headway.
| To be successful, in other words, the De-
partment must put out the fires when they
are IN their incipency; anG this Is why we
fneed the improvements in engine-houses.
| I believe the Council and our citizens gene
rally are gradually being impressed with the
Importance OF this arm OF the city service
and OF the perilous duties that often lie IN
the path of the fremen. -, =:
The strength Of the Department shouia
not be impaired by false economy. AS l
have already said, the chief value OF our
Fire Department consists, in its ability TO ar
rest the progress OF fire in its lnclplency.
I remei ber that it was only short time ago
that an effort was made TO deprive the De
nartment OF the use OF one OF its most en-
cient companies, under the mistaken idea
that the Department was already excessive
when the size and population OF the city
was taken into consideration. This was
rraye error, indeed But I am not sur
oor;ea5 thot come AZ the Warmest friends