Evening star., 1898-12-05

|
the entire river front of the Washington
| and Georgetown channels; all the import
| ant and valuable merchandise handled by
| the railroads which have their ternini in
! the Baltimore and Potomac depot; the
| warehouse of the Adams Express Com
| pany; dwelling houses; the government
| buildings, such as the Smithsonian Institu-
| ton. the National Museum, the Depart
| ment of Agriculture, the Medical Museum
etc, there are only two engine companies
| one located on North Carolina avenue be-
tween oth ana Ith streets northeast, the
| olher on Virginia avenue between Az and
| oth streets southwest. The area thus en-
! efaced comprises five square miles; the as
sessed value of the buildings. including
! government property, is S24 Ill 400; the an
| nual value of freight and expressage to-
| gether with the shipping interests at the
| river front, is S3,G3D00o, making a grand
total OF $40 400. protected by the two
| companies above mentioned, at an annual
cost of less than $40 600
| AGAIN the entire district known as
Georgetown. including all of the territory
! west of Rock creek, is protected bv only
one engine.
IN the rapidly developing portion of the
| Dlstflct known as Anacostia there is only
one engine which has been placed there
| "llnln the last eighteen months. Thus it
| coud be shown that the entire number of
| engines distributed throughout the District
| Is grotesquely inadequate to meet It's needs
Last year the chief engineer requested an
| addition to his department of six engines
and four trucks. The Commissioners fear
| ing that this number might not be allowed
cut it down to five companies every one of
winch was denied. They have again urged
| the Importance of charging this branch of
| the service, and it is hoped that more lib
! eral legislation will be enacted
A chemical engine should be provided for
| the nefshborhood of Tenleytown and CIeye-
! land Park. An additional engine should be
paced IN the northern part of Georgetown
ana a truck assigned to the territory west
OF Rock creek South Washington should
nave truck and an additional engine An
| engine should be located Immediately west
| OF the Executive Mansion. between Penn
syIVan!a avenue, the river and Rock creek
! Within the past four five years a num-
per Of high apartment houses have been
nulit in the vicinity Of Mount Pleasant and
occupied by many families ShonId fra
| occur in one of these structures ladders
| would be Indispensable. The nearest truck
| 70 ms point Is at the intersection of New
hampshire avenue and NJ street From
| TINS point to Mount Pleasant there is a con-
| tihuous steep upgrade. 1t will be seen
| therefore, that the necessity for the Ioca-
ton OF truck in this vicinity cannot be
| The general condition of the engine bousas
| is very good. Those which have been re-
| cehty bulIt are models in every respect
| anu While not so extravagautly construct
| ed as similar types of architectur in some
| cities, they contain every convenience and
| 3;e entirely satisfactory. A few of the
| oIder houses are poorly situated and lack
| ing in many necessary accommo6a tions
| Ihey should be replaced with modern
| structures, which would afford comfort TO
| the men and the necessary facilities for a
| more ready response to alarms
| Inc Commissioners urge an increase in
| the salaries paid in this department. in
| order that the firemen may be compen-
sated IN a measure commensurate with their
| hazardous duties. 1t is hoped that this
| recognition may ne accorded them in con-
| necnon with the next annual appropra-
| ton.
| The care of sick and disabled horses of
| the department has hqeO a of
| concern, and had not the District veteri-
| marian placed at the disposal of the Com
missioners his private hospital facilities the
| department would have been totally unpre-
| pared for emergencies Of this kind. The
| horses are frequently injured or burned
and at such times hospital treatment is alb
/ solutely essential. 1t is proposed to erect
a stable on ground owned by the District,
where all the horses of the District govern
| n:ent may be properly cared for in case of
| disability, and an appropriation is requested
| for that purpose.
| During the year the attention of the Com
| missioners was called to the large number
| OF alarms incorrectly struck on the engine
| house gongS, often causing serious delay in
| reaching fires. Investigation showed the
present system of receiving and transmit
| ting alarms to be. with very slight change,
| the same which was introduced in 1873
| On the strength of this fact $4,000 was
| secured for the addition of a story to No.
| IA engine house, located on Sth street be-
| tween d ard E streets northwest, for the
/
| headquarters and the sum of $}1,j10
| provided for the installation of the most
| modern equipment known to the service.
| The building is about completed. The cabi-
! net work and '.rniture. which have been
| especially designed, Will soon be in place,
| and it is believed that the first of the year
| will see the new system successfully in
| auGurated. With this Improvement the DIS
| trict will, so far as mechanical appliances
are concerned, have fire alarm equipment
second to none in the country, and there
| need be, thereafter, no occasion for the in
| correct registering or striking of any alarm.
Provision is also made for the Substltu-
| ton of new fire alarm boxes for all old
| ones. Every box now has a device to pre-
| vent it's burning out by electrical disturb
| ances. The number of signal circuits has
| been increased from seven to twelve and
| the number of alarm circuits from four to
! six. Should two more boxes be pulled at
the same time the alarms will be accurately
received, recorded and transmitted
| Better provision is also made for the turn
ing in of alarms. Heretofore each police
| man has been provided with key and du-
plicate keys were placed with the occu-
| pants of stores and houses near the boxes
| Under this system there was often serious
| delay in getting the keys. Each box is now
! provided with little glass door, covering
the key hole. in which the key is perma-
| nently located. To turn in an alarm it is
! only necessary to break the glass, open the
! door and pull the hook. While this has
| been the occasion of a number of false
| alarms, turned in by mischievous boys IAN
| heavy fines or jail sentenceS), it is believed
the novelty has worn off and that this de-
| vice will materially benefit the department
| and the citizens.
| Sea1er of Weights and Measures.
very noticeable improvement is observ
| ed in the office of the sealer of weights and
| measures. thorough system of book
| keeping has been inaugurated by which
careful record is kept of the work of the
| office. The examination of scales and meas
| ures has been faithfully and economically
| pursued, with results gratifying to pur-
chasers, but in many instances disastrous
| to dealers. A little reflection will demon
| strate the Importance of the faithful ad-
ministration of this office when it is con-
sidered how much depends upon proper
| weight and measure, especially with the
poor, who buy in small quantities. 1t can
| be readily seen that in order to protect
! them close scrutiny and constant super
vision are absolutely essential.
review of the work of the office shows
| the receipts for last year to be $3, 763.3 so,
While for the present year ending Novem-
| Der 30, 1898, they were $661620, a net gain
! of 81, $3.50.
| The incumbent of the office, Mr.. W. c.
Haskell and his assistant, Mr.. John d.
I n,aft 1aJ y,t g..