The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-10-04

The Fire Department..

| sEhl"ANNUAL INSPECTION or THE DEPART-
| MENT-A FINE DIsPLAY-TBsT ALARMS.
| The Council Committee on the Fire De-
partment met at their headquarters yester-
day evening, and after transacting some
routine business proceeded, as required by
the ordinances, to make an inspection OF
the department. The following members
OF the committee were present: Captain
John j. King, chairman, and Messrs. Ed
ward Cohen, John Rankin, John T..
. Hughes, William NJ. Turpin, and George
j. Hooper, Jr. The following officers Of
the department accompanied the commit
tee: Chief George w. Taylor. First As
sistant Chief A. l.. Fuqua, Second Assist
ant +. T. Snead, and Third Assistant w.
! G.. Fuller. Ex-Chief George A. Ainsle
was present by invitation.
Hook-and-Ladder Truck Company No.
2 (Reuben Burton, foreman) and Hose
Company No. Cd. +. Walthall. foreman
on Tenth street between Main and Cary,
were the first objects OF official attention.
After an inspection Of the house. horses,
and men at this place an alarm was sounded,
and the hose company went to the plug OPP
posite their house and had on a stream Of
water in forty-seven seconds. The truck
was ready to leave the house on the first
alarm In fOrty.fiye seconds and on the Sec
ord alarm In ffty-fye seconds.
Steamer Company No. 2-IIerman Paul,
foreman--on Main street between Twen-
tieth and Twenty-first streets. was next
visited, and responded to the call to start
as follows: The engine in 80 seconds and
the hose-carriage in 80. The company was
then called to Twenty and Main
streets. The engine arrived on the spot in
4 minutes, the hose-carriage got in in 2
minutes and seconds, and the company
had plug. stream on in minutes and 1
second.
Steamer Company No. l, Church Hill
j. II. Redwood, foreman-was the next OBJ
ject OF attention, and in response TO orders
the hOse-carriage was hitched up and ready
to leave the building in 81 seconds, and the
driver OF the engine was in his seat and
sung out call right" in 4G seconds, al
though one OF the horses that came to the
pole has arrived at that age which would
entitle him to be retired IL he belonged to
the regular army.
At the house OF Steamer Company No.
4, on Third street, Foreman James Il.
Pemberton was at the head OF his COM
pany and his engine ready to leave the
building in 40 seconds after the gong
sounded. and Driver Gilman was out in
the street with the hose-carriage in As see
onds. Gilman pulls the "ribbons" " on
the best trotter in the department
Steamer Company No. is located tenn
pOrariy on Brook avenue near Marshall
street. and is occupying n sort Of camp
quarters, awaiting the completion OF their
handsome new engine-housp, which Is
to1 ot ~
nue. and Marshall street. Foreman l.. c.
Jinkins said the committee would have to
make allowance for appearances, under the
circumstances, and in the hitching-up test
give due credit for the fact thai one CT his
horses had only been in service few days.
and did not respond to the alarm with the
same promptness that he did TO his meals.
The hose-carriage hitched up in l minute,
and the engine was ready to start in min
ute and seconds.
AT the Broad-Street engine-house near
Ninth was found Steamer Company No. 3
j. r. Sheppard, foreman-and hook-and-
ladder truck No. &c. VI. Stone foreman.
In thirty-five seconds from the alarm the
truck was ready TO go and George Jennings
was holding the reins over his faithful
BAYS. The engine hitcbed up in fifty sec
OuuS anu lUt nOSt-CuI i ldSt III SlANN -uNts
Some OF the harness OF the horse of the
hose-carrmge got unavoidably caught and
caused little delay.
After the inspection at the different en-
gine-houses the whole department was
brought ont in front OF the Council cham
Der, on Broad street between Ninth and
Tenth. and reviewed.
The different engines, trucks, hose, car
riages, and horses presented an exceeding
y creditable appearance, and the gallant
firemen themselves were the subjects OF
universal commentator. Every company
had its full complement OF men present,
and as they passed in review marched with
soldierly bearing and training.
An alarm, turned in at the corner OF
Fifth and Main streets, brought out num-
Der of the companies Of the department to
the spot in a very creditable space OF time,
the average being about four minutes.
After the inspection and review the COM
mittee expressed themselves in the highest
terms OF praise at the creditable showing
that the department had made, and ap-
pointed committee, consisting OF the
chairman and MessrS. Cohen and Hooper,
TO prepare suitable resolutions expressive
OF these views to be read to the different
companies and communicated TO the effi-
cient and jealous officers Of the depart
ment.