The evening times., 1899-12-05
FIRE DEPARTMENT 1NADEouAT

| practicable basis.
FIRE DEPARTMENT INADEQUA1
The Advance In Building Materia
Retardn Intended improvements.
Reference was made in the last annua
| report of the Commissioners to the made
quate number of fire companies forf tn,
| protection OF the District. Much stres.
was laid upon this fact, and the Commits
| sioners appeared before the committee:
of Congress and urged an enlargement o.
the department. Although Congress die
not give the full number asked for II
did provide for two additional truck CON-
| panfes, one to be located in Northeast
| Georgetown. and one in Mount Pleasant
and a chemical company, TO be located In
| Tenleytown. Following its recent custom
| no provision was made for the men to man
these companies. it being considered by
| Congress allowable to wait until the build
! ings were erected, and the men needed for
| actual service before providing them.
As soon as the bill was passed steps
were at once taken 60 make study of
truck houses in other cities, plans and
specifications We're prepared and bids ad-
vertised for the erection" OF Dt ire three
houses. Unfortunately, building material
increased in price, and the cost of building
was so much advanced that the bids re-
ceived were in excess OF the amount avail
able after the purchase of the sites. The
plans for the buildings were modified and
reduced as much as possible consistent
with good service, new bids were invited,
all of which proved higher than the first
bids. and on some of the houses no bids
were received. This was a serious dis
appointment to the Commissioners and to
the people living in the vicinities where
the new companies are to be located. 1t
was. however, unavoidable, and, nothing
apparently remains to be done except to
ask Congress for additional amounts that
will make the available, moneys sufficient
to erect these buildings This will be done
as early as possible Tafter Congress con-
venes, and when the money is appropriated
the buildings will be very rapidly put to
completion
The addition of these three companies.
making total of twenty three companies,
while very much appreciated. is only a
part of what is actually needed in order to
properly protect the District, especially the
outlying portions Of it. In the estimates
already submitted the Commissioners have
again made an urgent appeal for number
OF new fire companies some for the centre
of the city, especially in the southern part,
and some for outlying suburban places Ii
would seem only necessary to state the
facts in order to secure the appropriations.
Such, however, is not the case. state
ment OF the facts, strong, earnest, and con-
tinuous appeals have failed TO secure the
relief sought. There seems only one thing
to be done-continue persistently urging
this much needed increase of the Fire De-
partment until the city is sufficiently sup
piled with companies and apparatus. The
record. for efficiency which this depart
ment has earned in the past has been
maintained throughout the last year. While
there have been no extraordinarily serious
confagrations, there have been a large
number Of fires, in all of which the de-
partment has rendered prompt and efficient
service. the records showing that not only
mas 1t saved much property, but many
lives.
The various engine houses have been
kept in excellent condition and a visit to
any one of these would well repay the cit
iZen who would take the time to inspect
them. They are always neat and clean.
and to the men who work so hard during a
fire. but pass much idle time waiting for
an alarm, an intelligent and interested yis-
itor is always welcome. Under the direc-
tion Of the Electrical Engineer improve
ments are constantly being made in the
fire alarm headquarters and in the system
OF receiving and transmitting alarms, every
device known as of value being used 10
prevent errors and to add to the efficient
equipment of the department
Attention is again invited to the neces-
sity of an additional stable, where sick and
disabled horses of the department may be
treated. At present there is no provision
at all by the District for such treatment
of horses. but each year. with an addi-
tional number of horses, the necessity for
a stable is more and more apparent The
appropriation is again asked for, and It is
hoped that this year it will be granted.
Provision having been made by Congress
for an extension of the telegraph
and telephone system of the Po-
lice and Fire departments under the
efficient direction of the Electrical En-
gineer. great improvements have been
made In this particular branch Many of
the overhead wires, which were so dis
figuring to the city. have been placed un-
derground. thus doing away with unsight-
ly poles and wires; an entirely new sys-
tenn Of switchboard and the receiving and
of messages has been inaug-
urated, and the central office is now main
tained in the rooms of the new fire alarm
headquarters. where there has been INSTALL
ed metallic-circuit switchboard, with
Of 200 drops, at which two oper-
ators are constantly engaged serving eight
hours for each trick of duty. All the tele-
phones OF the District Government other
than those connected with the telephone
central ofice are now connected
with this District central office, afrording
. most complete and affective service.
Much care and attention is given to the
Of such lines as are still
overhead; an additional appropriation is
asked with which to continue the good
work Of burying the wires. also for further
equipping the service by complete tele-
phone connections, which will increase the
efficiency in every department.
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.