Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-01-01
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
Improvements Made During the Se"r-The
Largest Fire.

Largest Fire.
The Fire Department IL, by legislative
enactment. under the direction ana con-
troll Of the Board Of Fire Commissioners
composed Of the following members-Viz''
John II. Frlschkorn (presideno, JEFFERSON
Ward: G.. Watt Taylor (yice-presidenp'
Marshall Ward: Joseph l.. Levy. Monroe
Ward: Charles f. Taylor. Madison Ward;
Frank +. Burke. Clay Ward; and James
r. Sheppard. Jackson Ward. These gen
tlemen make study OF the requirements
OF the department. and its present EN-
cheney speaks well for their administra-
ton. The officers are w @. Fuller, Chiei
Engineer; George G. Shaw. First Assist
ant Engineer; r. 7. Snead, Second AS
sistant Engineer; and G. +. Paynter,
Secretary.
While no new buildings have been
erected during the year. all of the old
ones have been thoroughly repaired and
OVerhauled. One new chemical fire en-
CINE has just been ordered, and will be
located in the central portion Of the city.
The need Of this piece Of apparatus has
long been felt and IL IS confidently be-
lieved that IT will soon pay for itself
In saving Of damage usually done by
water in small fires.
A new hose-wagon has recently been
delivered to the Laurel-street company.
and one will soon be built for the Main
street company, which will retire the
las. lcel in the department. Three thousand
feet Of good hose have been added, and
minor improvements made all along tho
line. There have been no fatalities among
the force. and the only death in the year s
record was lhat of Hcutensn mt Gibbs, OF
ELEine Company No. 6. The fire-loss
IS known to be comparatively small for
the yea although the exact figures can
rot be gwen just now. Most of the loss
occurred In n few large fires. Through
.he aid Of the department. quite a num-
be" OF persons have been taken from
burning buildings during the year.
An ong the most notable fires were those
at Allen d Ginter's, January 18th, and the
thermometer below zero; Wallerstein &,
Co.. April 1st: Leftwitch Bros, July 18th
S II. Halves Il CO., November 18th, and
Charles r. Taylor e. CO., j. a. Kratz
Fruit and Canning Company, and others,
November 10Th.
FIRE-ALARM DEPARTMENT.
This department is also under the direc-
ton and control of the Board OF Fire
Commissioners. who have done all in
their power 10 make the system the ef-
fective handspring TO Richmond's we'll
organized Fire Department
The following are the members Of this
department. the first three serving in
regular turn as operator I'm the central
Office W. II. Thompson. superintendent:
6. T. Paynter assistant superintendent;
a. Stephan. foreman of construction: T.
w. Bowry. lincman and messenger There
have been six new street and forty pri-
vate stations and about twenty direct
acting tapper-gOngs added during tho
year.
The system has been completely reor-
gained by the addition Of a new six
circuit repeater. switchboards, galvano-
meters. and about forty miles OF new No.
10 copper wire to lessen the burden on
the old repeater. a new trunk-line Of
poles has been run down Broad street to
the new City Hall. cables run from pole
on Tenth street underground and through
the building to the operatingroom, which
will be on the fourth floor. All the in
struments wires etc, in the present
central Office have been so fixed as to
be- able to cut them In on the wires rum
ming 10 the Hall at short notice.
The Council during the year very kindly
appropriated the money and private fire
alarm boxes have been put in all the
public schools and charitable institutions
Of the city.
The system now comprises sixteen sets
telephone instruments. III stations GO
Of which are private) twelve still-alarm
boxes. over 175 miles of aerial wires. p
electro-mechanical gongs. 145 direct-acting
tapper-gongs. set testing instruments.
two sly-circuit repeaters, eight
automatic trips for releasing horses
s.yI from
1900 pounds. with go cells gravity. and
go cells Samson battery for furnishing
the electro-motive power for the general
working OF the system.
The record Of alarms shows that lO]
first alarms. five second alarms, seventy
one still alarms. and seven special calls
We're received at this office and trans
mitted TO the Fire Department during the
year OF the first alarms twenty-seven
We're received between midnight and A..
NJ; twenty were received between A.
NJ. and noon; twenty-SiX were received
between noon and 6 r. NJ. and thirty
were received between 6 +. VI. and mid
night.
During the year this department erected
the Polce-Patrol system for the Board Of
Police Commissioners and now has thu
care Of this system added to its regular
work.
This system comprise &c nineteen street
boxes. about twenty miles Of No. 10 hard
drawn copper wire, and central-ofiice
outfit. located at the Second Police-Sta-
tion. under the charge of Captain j. i.
Angle. with Sergeants Cosby. Shinberge:,
Brooks. ami Allen acting alternately as
operators. The system has recorded LIZ
messages during the year. and there have
been nine boxes added. Each boss has n
ha a y
conversation can be held between central
office and officer on his beat.
This system is relayed through the fire
alarm office, through which all signals
pass, and is looked after electrically by
a nj dcpartmcnt.