Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-03
WANTS MORE ENGINES
Cc~1issioner Wight's Views of Fire
Department Needs.
TIE EQUIPMENT NOT SUFFICIENT
The Lesson Taught by Conditions
During Recent Fire.
CITY WITHOUT PROTECTION

Th,. ire at Smiths lumber yard early
yesterday morning in The opinion of Com
missioner Wight. who has immediate
CHARGE of the fire department. again dem
onStrated the necessity for a further in
erase in the strength of the department,
which today consists of fourteen steam en-
giues two chemical engines and four
Trucks The current District appropriation
act provides for an increase of the depart
ment 10 the extent of a truck company in
Columbia Heights. one in Georgetown and
"a chemical company in Tenleytown- Mr.
Wight hopes TO he able to place these three
new companies in service early in the com
ing year. But he feels that. even with their
addition. the department will not be as
strong as it should he, believing that there
should at least be another steam engine
company in South Washington, one in
GEORGETOWN and a truck company in South
Washington. MI. Wight also feels That 1t
will be well 10 have one or two more chem
iCaI engine companies He is therefore eA-
pected to recommend TO his associates that
a further increase of the fire department to
about this extent be asked of Congress
when il meets next December.
During the fire at Smiths lumber yard
yesterday ii became necessary TO can INTO
service there eleven of the steam engine
companies and three of the four truck com
panies. and these companies remained IN
service a the fire for several hours rms
left in quarters but three steam engine
companies Nos. >, and IL, truck b. and
th, two chemical companies. No was
transferred from Georgetown to the house
Of No. l. X street between 10th and nth;
No was transferred to the house of No.
>. u street between 14th and 18th streets.
while the other four companies remained at
their respective houses. No. IL being located
in Mt Pleasant the truck at New Hamp-
shire avenue and NJ street. one of the chem
zeal engines on ID street between 18th and
18th streets. and the other at Brightwood.
The whole District was. therefore, left for
several hours with only these six companies
IL quarters
Need of More Reserve Engines.
While recognizing the necessity for the
calling into service of so large number of
the companies of the fire department at the
South Washington fire. Mr.. Wight is of the
opinion that the department should be so
enlarged as 10 enable it to keep in reserve
several more companies than We're in quar-
ters during the progress of this fire yester-
day. This, however, cannot we'll be done
until the strength of the department is in
creased By the addition of several more
companies even than those provided for in
The current appropriation bill
The fire yesterday morning demonstrated
also the necessity for some arrangement
by which fire alarm headquarters can COM
municate directly with the officer in charge
OF a fire. In Baltimore and other cities
every fire alarm box is provided with a
telephone appliance. by means of which
fire alarm headquarters can be directly
communicated with. When box is sound
ed in these cities a man is stationed, upon
the arrival of the companies of the fire de-
partment upon the scene of the fire at the
box. and there he remains until the compa-
MES return TO their quarters. By this ar
rangement the officer in charge at the
scene of the fire can be Immediately reach
cd hsrg .hx- bar Full irafr 70
fires occurring in other parts of the city.
Here there is. unfortunately, no such con-
venience. 1t being necessary to communi-
cate through outside telephones with the
officers in charge of fires
New Telephone Service.
This means of communication is. of
course. very unsatisfactory in every way.
Therefore Mr.. Wight has instructed Mr. W.
c. Allen. the District electrical engineer, to
equip the District fire alarm boxes with
telephone appliances. Mr.. Allen Is already
al work in the matter, and It is expected
that within a reasonably short time every
box in the District will be so equipped, and
comparatively little expense. When this
IS accomplished a man will be stationed at
the box sounded Immediately upon the ar
rival Of the companies on the scene of the
fire, and direct telephone communication
will be thereby established between fire
alarm headquarters and the officer in COM
mdnd at the fire
II having been charged that box 536, 4th
and y streets southeast, was first pulled for
the Smith fire. and that il failed to work,
whertupcu box % located just within the
navy yard. was pulled, Commissioner Wight
Investigated the matter today. with the re-
suit that n found that the navy yard box
was the first one pulled. at 12:59 o'clock a.
H., while box J36. which is located almost
directly at the scene of the fire, pulled
a minute Iater. The pulling of the navy
f.~.zy hill IL 1l.l
stance four engine and two truck cOmpa-
MES 10 the scene. caused the companies to
run several squares out of their way, and
for that reason somewhat delayed their ar
rival at the fire, il is stated. II is under
stood that hereafter the naval authorities
will be requested to direct that the navy
yard box be sounded only for fire in the
yard.