The evening times., 1896-04-03

Fire Chief Joseph Paris is a man OF
axioms and action. To see him in action il
| is necessary to attend an exciting conflagra-
tion where his tall form towers above the
hustlng fire laddies and his stentoran
commands can bc heard above the cracking.
roaring flames, as ie directs the movements
of his fiery clement fighters. To hear his
axioms, call ON him in his quiet retreat
| from the busy hustle of the city-firc head
| uuarters-on the basement floor of the
District building. There was where a rep
| rcsen,atiye Of The Evening Times found
him today.
Chief Paris is never off duty. day or
night. Even after he has retired to his
bed the changing lire bells are liable To cln
him forth in ram, snow or gale TO command
his force OF fire-f eh;crs. He found time
when the reporter, called, however. TO
Inakc some useful AMI important sueres-
tons as to what Should be done III case of
fire.
His first piece of advice was to keep
cool and not get eXCite,! and lose Seli-cDn-
troll. 4 big biaZe i, enough to contend with
without having Il lot Of GnCOni rollal l.
people TO handle. one .! the highest reqiu-
sites of Il coed fireman is to keep col,
metaphoricaliy speaking, in the lace Of
the hottest IRE. faniCS result III a greater
UuItbtC bl ltliiS at t'IIilliefdiICnS III pub
lie halls, tbcIicrs. churches and the like
than the actual burning or crushing OF
people by falling walls. II people did
not become uECCntrollahly excited there
would ne but ;cw panics.
DEPARTMENT NEVER DELAYS
Another fact that should be borne in mind
il that the fire department never deLnys.
Very often, though, there is serious de-
lay in sending IN an alarm. Then il is that
iault-iinders complain that the engines
did not reach the scene for such and such Il
length of time. II sometimes happens that a
fire company will 20 ont wit4out an alarm.
on what is known as "a blaze In other
words, when the watChnian on duty ut he
engine house sees the reflection Of fire
against the sky. In several Instances az
mis- kind. c-pc, iul!y bet wecn the hours OF
midnight and daylight. when the streets are
deserted. fire C"Inpan .es have made the run
and commenced Operations as the alarm
was being sounded.
The instantaneous automatic alarm boxes
i'll the government departments hotels and
other large structures are snnctin.e- a
source of delay Ia the fircmcn. Some OF
Ihesc boxes notably those in the Govern
nIeut Printing Office are so constructed
that by brca King the pane of glass on thci.
fronts an alarm OF fire is communicated to
the nearest keyed or keyiess street box
aud the number OF he street box is sounded
on the bells and in the firc-;ilarm room AT
Headquarters. The watchnlan, or whoever
else sets off the automatic house hex in the
excitement of tb" moment thinks he has
then done all mat Is necessary. Not st, for
as soon as The number Of the street hUI IS
repeated III lie engine or truck house, the
company at once starts peii Nell for the out
side box. which is frequently several blocks
distant from the burning building. The
chief or his assistant. finds no one there to
III
valuable time is lost III locating it.
THOSE AUTOMATIC ALARMS.
Those who send in an automatic alarm
from a structure should then proceed as
quickly As possibi. tu the general street
box, which is in electric communication
with their building, and wait there for the
arrival Of the engines and tracks 10 direct
them To the premises that are ablazc.
otherwise the fircmeu Will not know where
to reach the fire unt!l il has gotten q stiff
headwav.
+ Chief Paris pointed oat the recent con-
fllGration at the Census office. in Old
Mdrini Hall. L street. between Ninth AMI
Tenth streets. a al Illustration The alarm
was sent IN from an inside automatic box.
which was connected with the street box
at Ninth aui streets. When the fire
apparatus arrived AT that corner there was
10 one to direct them TO the blaze, and they
rushed UP Ninth street aud aloAc + losing
valuable time in Trying la Locate the fire.
A piece of advice. to- Il person i'll q burning
building. where hC or She cannot get down
stairs. l. To stay ia the room with the door
closed long as possible. Opening the
doors and windows gives the fire draught
aud increases the persons danger.
The chief advises all families to learn the
location of The nearest fire-hoX Ia their
dwellings. and where the keys are kept
Teach tire children where the boxes ar. to be
found. Another piece Of informa ion which
should he generally known is that a person
can pass through the dcDsesr smoke without
suffoCating by spreading a wet cloth over
the mouth ana nOstriis.
person can tell The general direction or
a fire by the first number sounded in the
alarm. For instance, "T12'' would be
III the Seventh police precinct, or George
town, ''421" in the Fourth precinct. or
South Washington. and so on from the
First to the Ninth precincts.