The morning times., 1895-12-30
FIRE FORCE MlDEQOl7E
Continued From First Page.

time be hauling No. around the suburb
This kind OF fire protection is ut par
| with the sometime police policy of the
| suburb, in which one bluecoat was sup
posed to cover ten square miles. 1t is
! worthy of note that in Anacostia and
Hillsdale there are 1900 people, Which
fact means an ordinary city without a
steam fire engine in the nineteenth century
| and with three Commissioners.
What is true of Anacostia is true Of every
suburb of Washington with the exception
perhaps of Mt. Pleasant, where the hearts
of its people were recently giaddened by
the magnificent gift of a chemical engine.
which might save the town with the as
sistance of rain for forty days and forty
nights.
Bennings, Takoma, lexington, Petworth
Brookland, Brightwood, Ivy City, and all
of the adjacent cities are at the mercy of
Providence and accident. 1t is bad enough
TO be expected to pull an engine weighing
from 1000 to 5000 pounds with horses,
not without reprOach, over the asphalt,
hut when the dirt roads are struck, the
absurdity and Inefficient folly of the
department are apparent to the dullest
comprehension.
ENORMOUS FIRE TERRITORY.
Chief Paris estimates that the territory
he is expected to guard is about twelve
square miles in extent and this is easily
below the fact. For this purpose he has
at his command ten steam engines and
three trucks. This is five-sixths OF an
engine to the square mile. In his op.sion
good fire protection demands one engine
to the half-mile square, SO that the
inadequacy OF the system stands out in
glaring vivid coiors by this simple state
mcDt.
Some Of the engines, said Chief Parris
have more than a mile and a half square
to cover, which is three times as much as
they ought to have. For instance, No. 1,
on X street, between Sixteenth and Seven
teenth streets, is supposed 10 cover West
Washington, and truck B is to cover the
same territory. No. O.. on U street, between
Sixteenth and Seventeenth streets, covers
a part of Georgetown and is supposed to
be capahle of making the rapid transit
of protection all through Bright wood and
Columbia road.
Ii is popularity supposed that there are
two engines in reserve, but in case of
a general alarm there is actually no re-
serve. The very serious question pre-
scnts itself, what would become of the
city should it be necessary To turn in two
general alarms at the same, or approxi-
mately the same time on any one night or
day?
The fire fiend would simply take his
violin up 10 the top of the monument and
fiddle away while Washington was burn
ing. A division of the forces would be
almost as bad as calling Off all the engines
to one point and leaving the other at tile
mercy OF the flames.
MEN ARE ALSO LACKING.
1t is also Incredible that, either through
parsimony or neglect, the engines of Wash
ingtou are equipped with ten men. Chief
Paris has been asking for at least two
more to the engine. The pay of these
men is $50 month, which fact speaks for
itself.
The chief engineer is now praying Con-
gress for additional equipment, but for
much less than in his Judgment is reason
ably necessary. He thinks that the city
ought to have six more steamers. making
q total for the ordinary emergency Of
sixteen. Baltimore has about that num-
ber, with less territory to cover
These sixteen steamers would be fairly