The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-01-03

on the two horses, as formerly vi F,"'
The doors Of all the engine-Hou7e i.SN
been vestibuled. and general tou-hins
I'D given all the houses.
4 magnificent hook and ladIT '.N
with C5-foot extension ladder and I'll inc
verv latest appliances for fighting hre'
including tho life gun. life net Temper
ladder etc. has been placed In tis Lah-
rcl-street house. 20 take the pace "'
The old one. which was worn out anu
dangerous. o-,
The Chemical Company has done go"i
work since its organization. eXunsulshlhs
a great many fires and saving thousands
OF dollars I'm water damage
OTHER IMPROVEMENTS.
To the general equipment Of The depart
men, mad been added Miller smoke pro
tectors. Cooper hose Jackets. six Rex hre
extluguishers. Smith hose gate, ana ne"
trips for releasing horses. o....,
30 2 engine has been painted ana htted
with now valves No. engine mas also
been fitted with new valves, ana hef
wheels have been painted. No engine
house has been painted. and the Chieis
buggy supplied with new wheels
The department has sevefal tIl'a
d,rin, the wear very effectively aided the
Health Department IN pumping out sub
merged cellars.
me discipline OF the department has
been excellent. and there has been no
serious iufract.on Of The rules during the
year.
Although on several occasions the Men
were dangerously near being caught uhder
falling walls. the department 10 To DC
congratulated that there are no fatail-
ties 10 record during the year ana ihe
fire loss. with the exception Of the craze
street Baptist church ire. where most o.
the loss occurred. IS known 20 De small
although the exact figures cannot just
now be given.
Through the all OF the department a
number OF persons were taken from
burning buildings. live thousand ieet
OF good hose have been added, ana elec-
trio indicators for alarms placed IN eacn
engine-h0use. The most notaple IRE OF
the year was the Crace-Street church
fire which not only consumed the church.
Lut set fire 10 great number of otheT
buildings. some more han block away.
FIRE-ALARM DEPARTMENT.
The Fire-AIarm department is ais
under the direction and control OF tho
Board of Fire Comm isioners. who nave
done all in their power 10 make the
system the effective handspring 10 Rich
moud's well-Orgauized Fire Department.
The following are tie members OF I'M
department. each serving IN resular tut
MS operator at the central Office. W. H.
Thompson. superintendent; George T..
Pavuter. assistant superintendent; a. Ste
phan. foreman OF construction; =. g.
randolph and c.. T. Guiiett. lineinen.
There have been one new street ana
one private station. ten direct acting
eones. and about forfy-iive miles added
10 the system during he year.
The system now comprises nineteen ser
OF telephone wire Instruments zone in ehcn
engine and officer house,. all OF which
arc working on metallic circuits. 10 sta
tions G3 Of which are private), Il Sill.
alarm boxes. over 22j niles Of aerial wires.
o. electric mechanical gongs. li5 direct
acting gOngs. set Of testing instruments,
six-circuit repeaters. automatic trips
for releasing horses. three-number
Gamewel indicators. 70 large bells (weieh
inc from SO 20 100 pounds. and one
1.50l-pound bell. worked electrically 'om
this Office with Coo cells storage ana go
cells Samson battery. FOR furnishing the
electric motive power for the general
working OF the system. The record OF
alarms shows that there were IA regular
box and 100 stnl alarms. making total
Of 2Ss alarms received at this Office and
transmitted 10 the Fire Department dur
ing the year
POLICE PATROL SYSTEM.
The police patrol system. which is cleo
tricaly under the control Of this depart
ment continues TO grow In strength and
usefulness, and has given general salts
faction during the year. There were LIT
wagon calls and 2.706 telephone messages
sent over the system. The greatest num-
her Of calls were received from boxes
q. o. 23 a. 12S. l2i. "a. This system now
comprises p street stations. relay
! eight-inch electro mec hanical gong
direct acting eongs galyano-meters> ]
operating desk. fOur-pen and / one-pen
register 20 sets telephone instruments 81
cells gravity and = cells Samson battery
anI about fifteen miles OF copper w're
with central Office. located at Second
pOiice-station under the charge o, Cap
tain J. Il. Angle with Sergeants Taliey'
Cosby. and Brooks. and Allen acting al
ternately as operators.
The city Hall clocks are also under
the charge Of the Fire-Aiarm Department.
on September 10Th last. AZ $50 J. Vi.
ms city was reached by one or tho most
severe storms ever experienced IN this
locality. All OF the city lines were tenn
porarly disabled Many Of them fell on
electric-light and other heavily charged
wires.
Immediately after the storm every Nom
Der Of the fire-alarm force. together with
such extra help as could be obtained.
started ont on tour OF temporary re-
pairs. and. although they could not get
any Of the circuits 20 work that night.
yet much good was done. and every pre-
caution was taken 10 guard against fires.
such as promptly notifying the CHIEF en-
Cineer OF the Fire Department ana getting
a detail from every company 10 patrol
their district. ordering the current OF both
power and electric-lght circuits cut on
and notice that under no circumstance
must they turn on the current until a
thorough daylight inspection had been
made.
DAMAGE BY STORM
II would. perhaps. require a volume 70
give In detail the damage the system