Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-01-01

TT
di,ional horse has been added TO the big
Hayes truck, which now. with three
horses abreast. looks just at 1t should.
and greatly relieves the tremendous
strain which has heretofore been on the
two horses. as formerly driven. 1he
doors OF all of the engine-houses nave
been vestibulsd. and n general touching
up has been given the entire department
apparatus.
EXCELLENT DISCIPLINE.
The discipline OF the department IL ex-
cellent, and there has been no serious
infraction OF rules. etc. during the
year There is one death to record-that
OF Engineer John Mackie. Of No. Com
pany-whlch occurred on the 9th Of April.
and deprived the department OF one OF
its Oldest and most influential members
The Chemical Company has done good
work since its organization, extinguish-
ing great many fires and saving thou
sands OF dollars in water-damage.
The department is TO be congratulated
that there were no fatalities TO record
during the year, and the fre-loss Is
known to be comparatively small, al
though 1.-The exact figures cannot be given
Just at this time. Most OF the loss oc-
Of the department quite a number Of
persons were taken from burning build
ings during the year. Three thousand feet
OF good hose have been added. Electric
indicators for throwing up the number
OF the box from which an alarm is sent
have been placed in each of tho engine
houses.
Among the most notable fires were
those at the establishments Of J. II.
Bargrove & Co, Rosendorf & Co., j.
y. & r. :. Christian. Lower passwords.
Champion Plaster-Works. ST. Claire
Hotel. W. II. Rennie. Thomas Stage,
Griffith Mayo & Co.. r. r. Taylor & Co,
Ms Guda +. \. Stumpf Randolph
paper-box factory, and Sanger Hall
The Fire-AIarm Department.
This department Is also under the di-
roction and control Of the Board Of Fire
Commissioners. who have done all In
their power TO make the system the
effective handspring 10 RichmOnd's we'll
organized fire department. The following
are the members Of this department, each
serving TN regular turn as operator IN
The central office: W. II. Thompson.
Superintendent; George l.. Painter, As
slstant Superintendent: Stephan. Fore
man of Constructions =. G. Randolph,
and T. q. Minor. Iinemen There have
been new street and private stations,
10 direct acting poncs. and about - miles
Of wire added TO the system during the
year. The system has been completely
reorganized by the addition Of new
six-crcuit repeater switch board Ohe
handsomest in the South, IA vonome-
tiers, individual auxiliary gong, cts,
and about fifty miles Of No 10 copper
wire 10 lessen the burden on the old
repeater. The system now comprises l6
sets Of private telephone instruments
Zone in each engine and officers housed,
l53 stations az OF which are private,
If still alarm boxes. over 1876 miles Of
aerial wires % electro-mechanicai gongs
l55 drect-acting gongs, set Of testing in
struments, 2 siX-circuit repeaters. 8 au-
tomato trips for releasing horses,
three-number GameweI indicators y
large bells weighing from 500 10 100
pounds, and one 100 pound bell work
cd electrically from this office. with coo
cells Of gravity. POO cells storage. and go
cells Samson battery for furnishing the
electrO-motive power for the general
working OF the system.
The record Of alarms shows that there
were 40 regular alarms and 10 still
alarms. making a total Of 20 alarms
received at this office and transmitted
TO the fire department during The year.
THE POLICE PATROL SYSTEM.
The Police Patrol system. which. cleo
trically, is under the control OF this de-
partment continues TO grow IN strength
and usefulness. and has given genera
satisfaction during the year There were
1,25l wagon-calls and 705 telephone mes
sages sent over the system The greatest
number Of calls were received
from boxes a. %. %. p. 123 12i, and
2ll Stations 32i Third and Byrd, and
81. Twelfth, near Clay. have recently
been added to the system, which now
comprises y street-statiOns. relays,
eight-inch eiectro-mechanicgl gong di-
re-actng gongs. 4 galvonometers, /
operating desk. 1 four-pen and one
pen registers, % sets telephone instru-
ments, SO cells gravity and A. cells La
Clancehe battery. and about Is miles of
copper wire, with central Office located
at the Second Police Station under the
charge Of Captain f. 3. Angle. with
Sergeants Cosby, Talley, Brooks and
Al en- acting alternately as operators.
The City Hall clocks are also under
the charge of the Fire Alarm Department.
which has kept them in first-class order
There are 40 of these clocks, and all are
worked electrically from the COCK in the
tower. The 40 cells Of Since and Is cells
of Samson battery required TO work them
are kept In the basement with the fire
alarm battery. The wires to these clocks
centre in and are controlled from the
central Office on the fourth floor. The
dials to the tower ock are lighted every
evening by a machine worked from the
office, where there is also located a cock
30 off fftFbf in, D..