The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-03-20
ENGINE-HOUsES.

! The houses occupied bv some OF the
steam hre-eUgines, not having been built
/ expressly fer such, are not at all adapted to
! the purposes for which we are using them.
! | would. therefore. recommend that they be
remodelled. so that no time be lost in start
/ ing the apparatus upon an alarm OF fire,
! Moments lost in starting result Very S.
riOu>ly sometimes, and the Department is
often I'll iec'ed to very severe criticism
when II IS bey ond the power OF the men TO
remove the c1u-es OF the delay.
Since the last report Steamer No. has
been thoroughly oYerhauled. repantcd, and
j. now in almost az good condition a. when
first built. steamers Nos and both are
in need of new set OF fucs. which it is
hoped they will have during the present
year.
FIRES AND LOSSES DURING THE YEAR.
The Department was called to respond
during The past year 10 G3 alarms Of fire and
1 false alarm, involving loss OF Sl25, ,072 80,
upon which Insurance to the amount Of
$3.50 81 was paid. In addition to the
above Il Sill alarms were reported. the fires
in those cases being cXtngushed hy the
>ta'ion-men at the engine-houses or police
men. with loss OF about $500.
OFFICERS AND FIRE DISTRICTS.
Under the pre.ent ordinance the city is
divided into three fire districts. The First
district embraces all that potion east OF
Fourteenth street and from The river to the
northern corporation imits. The Second
district is from Fourteenth to Fourth
street, and from the river 10 the corpora
t0n limits nOrthward. The Third district
from Fourth street WeSlwardly, and from
the river TO the corporation line nOrlhward.
The First district is under the command Of
Third Assistant Engineer T.. T. Snead, and
embraces Steamer Companies Nos. and ,.
The Second district is under command u
second Assistant Engineer y. l.. Fuqul,
ana embraces Steamer Company No. 3,
Hook-anG-L Ladder Truck Company No. |,
and Hose Company No. g. The Third is
under command Of First Assistant Engineer
j. +. Wlnglield, and embraces Steamer
Companies Nos. and 5.
ALARM BOXES.
The Chief recommends that additional
fiji e.alarm stations be pul up, and says:
Under the present arrangement IL often |
occurs that an alarm j. given for a fire that !
is far removed from box, ana the men are |
nece- sarily deceived as TO It's whereabouts, |
and, with the apparatus, have 10 pass over |
great deal Of ground that would be avoided |
the less thickly-settled parts OF the city. |
Besides this labor being entailed upon the |
men and horses. the fire in the meanwhile |
is making alarming progress during the
time lost In reaching exact locality. |
VALUE OF FIRE APPARATUS.
The value of the apparatus in the Depart
ment, as near as can approximate, amounts
TO the following sum total 1925, item zed
as follows:
steamer No. /, $500; h0se-carriage,
300: three horses, Si0O-total, $3.50.
Steamer No. >, $4,000; hoSe-carriage,
5000; three horses, $i50--tOtal, $3.50.
Steamer No. 3, Sl,jQ0; ho,e.carriage,
3l7j; three horses, S4J0-total, -, l2j
steamer No. +, $500; hose-clrriaSe,
3l7j; tbree horses, S45O-totol, SLIPS
Steamer No. 5, Sl,500; hose-carriage,
:l7j; three horses, S450-tOtal, S212j.
Hook.and-Ladder Truck Company and
g 1000; two horses, S3OO-total,
3 800.
Two h1nd-hose reels, No. G, $50; one
b,o6-hosa and laGdpr-tFUck. - o. Otal,