The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-06-04
FlREMEN IN SESSION.
Roanoke in the Front Rank as
Usual.

DANNILLE, June 3.-lSpecial Tho
Junior Hose Company from Roanoke
are quartered at Hotel Normandic.' They
have swung to the breeze the following
sign, Headquarters Junior Hose Com
panY. Roanoke wants the next conyen-
tion.''
Secretary George G. Cummings and
delegation from Norfolk, and the Hope
Fire Company of Berkeley are here.
The first session of the fifth annual
convention of the Virginia State Fire
mems Association was called to order at
2:30 this p IN. by President N +. Reid,
chief of the Danville fire department.
After prayer by Rev. Ii. M. Hope, the
president introduced Mayor Graves, who
welcomed the firemen in tho city. Sec
rotary G. &. Cummings reported the
progress of the association during the
past year. Statistician Llewellyn Look
abill, of Roanoke, submitted his report.
which is as follows:
would recommend that each city and
town appoint building inspector, whose
duties shall be to inspect all buildings
In course of erection. Many fires arc
caused by the careless manner in which
buildings are erected. Often the ioists
arc put in the chimney fues and the
Notwithstanding is often mado to servo
as backs for chimncys. Tho statistics
OF this State will show that tho many
fires arc caused by defective fiues. The
Inspector of buildings is more urgently
required in the larger and growing
towns Of this State, where Buildings of
three, four and five stories in height arc
built up against each other. The legis-
int
Many of tho towns which | Shall
mention with fire organizations arc
totally unable to resist tho fire fond
Tho legislature has passed law re-
curing that all large buildings and
public places Of amusement DO required
to put up fire escapes. This law is not
being enforced.
The service in our State embraces
tho following: Richmond, with the
Gamewell fire alarm, is manned and
equipped as follows: l chief engineer, Z
cngincmcn, 0 hostlcrs, helpers, 3
tillcrmcn, paid, call men, 9 assistant
engineers, II captains and IL lieutcnants
and l secretary and 81 call men,
engines, 4 horse hose wagons, two
wheel hose carriages, 3 hook and ladder
trucks, 35 horses, 1880 feet Of hose.
The number Of fires for the year 1900
was as follows: 100 regular alarms, 35
still alarms, . second alarms and spe-
cial calls; grand total, 1853, involving q
loss of Sl0i, 60S.56, on which there was
an insurance to tho amount OF $337,-
2S0.25.
Lynchburg, with the Gamcwcll
fire alarm, has l chief, 4 foremen, .
engineers, 0 drivers, &c hoscmcn,
engines, hook and ladders, 4 hose
wagons, hose cart, 1000 feet of hose,
IL horses. For the year ending January
81 there were 45 alarms; loss, Sla3,-
45s.67; covered by insurance to tho
amount of S2GG,40 Tho cost of run
ming the department for tho year, S13,-
154.TS.
Danvillc, with the Gamewellc fire
alarm, has l chief, l captain, station
mon, II call men, engine, hook and
ladder truck, 1900 feet Of good hose, .
hose reels, horses, pair patent har-
ness. Cost cost of running tho depart
ment, $4,000.
Alexandria, l chief, 100 men, 2 steam
ers, hook and ladder truck, l wagon.
e horses, $500 feet of hose; cos of run
ming the department, $4,000. Total
loss by fire, $4,000.
Roanoke has chief, . assistants, not
paid, drivers, paid; 40 active yolun-
tcer call men, Z reel and hose carriages.
y
feet Of hose and horses, Al alarms for
the year 1890, Loss $500. The yearly
appropriation is $1,000, and special
S2l 200 appropriation for the improve
ment of tho fire department has been
made, as follows: Gamcwell fire alarm
system, hose wagons, engines, engine
house and hose.
Hampton has one engine, hose car
rage, hook and ladder truck, horses,
3 drivers, paid chief, paid; engineer,
paid; 90 volunteers, 10000 feet of hose.
There were two fires last year, loss
5000.
a recapitulation is as follows: Rich
mond. paid, 119; Lynchburg, paid, AZ;
Norfolk, GO; Danville, paid, 2l; Ports
mouth, $50; Alexandria, sl2O; Roanoke,
40; Winchester, rs; Shenandoah, &c;
Salem, 90; Bedford City, 25; Charlotts-
vile, 25; Stanton, 20; Radford, Is; Lex
ington, 10; Bristol, 25; Buena Vista, TO-;
Wytheville, is; South Boston, 10; Berk-
ley. 40; Petersburg, %; Hampton, 90;
Fredericksburg, 25; Suffolk, %; Lees
burg, 90; Farmville, Is; Manchester, 90,
Grand Total, 1888
Tho amount invested in equipment of
the service in this State is about
$4,000
The fire loss in this State during the
year 1890 is estimated at $3.50. OC0.
l find that the discipline and organ
ization is not as perfect as it should DO,
moro especially in the volunteer con-
tingent.
Richmond is the finest equipped paid
department, with Portsmouth following
as the volunteer.
1t is conceded that the Roanoke fro
department is tho most efficient in this
State as tho small loss with the number
of fires will show