The times., 1899-10-31


The citizens OF Tenleytown have been
provoked TO indignation by what some Of
them term the criminal neglect Of the
District Commissioners to provide the viii
Iage with protection against fire" They
point out the fact that Congress appro-
priated money that Tenleytown might have
the ordinary means Of defence against fire,
and that The Commissioners have failed TO
apply the appropriation to the purpose for
which it was intended. A villager who
claimed to represent the sentiment of the
people of Tenleytown said to Times re-
porter yesterday:
Had the Commissioners done their duty,
and had they expended the appropriation
as provided by Congress, the fire of Sunday
night, which destroyed property valued at
$500 and which threatened TO devastate
the town, could have gained but little head
way after its discovery. The citizens Of
Tenleyuown believe that the Commission
ers have been lamentably weak and indis-
Greet in the administration Of their Office,
and suaYe denials viii not shake their con-
viction on this point"
Joseph Paris, Chief Engineer Of the Fire
Department Of the District of Columbia, in
his report for the year ended June So 1893,
called attention 10 the exposure Of certain
sections 10 fire. He dwelt upon the need
for more engine companies, as follows:
The generous increase in the force during the
past year resulted in good work on the part Of
the hremen- While the damage done during the
past twelve months greater than during the
preceding year, tie general results show that the
rfFnfHf ted
number Il more serious confagrations. Had II not
been Tor the destruction Of the power house Of the
Capital Traction Company the losses would have
been les than during the preceding year. Tins
immense structure filled with the most mdamnfa-
bic and costly material. caught IRE in the night,
and the flames spread with such Tapidty that il
would have been impossible for any department
20 have saved the building from ruin. II was be-
cause OF the destruction Of TINS building that the
lossll amounted 10 ssiS. .S3G-
While the figures show a decided increase in the
number OF alarms turned in, the losses compare
more than iav0Tabiy with those Of past years.
This Improvement in the work of the department
Is due 10 the action OF Congress in providing an
increase IN the yumber of engine companies which
enabled the fremen 10 reach the conaagratious
and get the flames under control in a shorter
time than heretofore MIth tie increase As rec
commended il Is hoped that there will be still
further improvement in this direction
The establishment OF engine mp3uies H. 10
Gated on Fourteenth Street northwest, between
KENYON Street and kenesaw Avenue; y, located
a. the corner Ol North Capitol aud Quincy
ii.
ci the chemical engine formerly in tnC house oc-
cuped by Engine Company No. II 10 Bright
wood mas been a great benefit TO the owners Of
property in the parts Of the District in which
these companies are located. i was due 10 the
work OF these companies that several serious fires
were sverJed- These companies. however, cover
only part Of the outlying territory, and at least
one more engine company, one chemical engine
company. and one truck company are needed al
this time 10 protect the valuable interests IN the
northwest portion of Georgetown and the suburbs
n HH "a -H.a
section 0i the District which viii he protected by
these companies include Cleveland Park. Oak
view, Ienieyt0wn, and numerous other well pop
ulateo villages
The estimates submitted to the Com
missioners by Chief Paris and in turn
submitted by them to Congress, included
the following:
House. lot, and furniture for a chemical
engine company 10 be located in Tenley-
town, S15, 600"
The Commissioners, in their report, de-
clared that "a chemical engine should be
provided for the neighborhood Of Tenley-
town and Cleveland Park" The estimate
was allowed and the appropriation made.
But no chemical engine company has been
provided for the neighborhood Of Tenley-
town and Cleveland Park" The nearest
company is No. :, in Georgetown in NJ
Street between Thirty-second and Potomac
Streets. The steamer and reel would have
two and one-half or three miles of rough
End hilly road TO cover before they could
reach TenleytOwn. Then again, No. s.
with a single exception. is the heaviest Of
fifteen steamers in the department, weigh
ing $500 pounds. No. il. the most power
ful engine in the department weighs only
seventy pounds more No. was built
al the Manchester Locomotive Works end
has been IN service since November 2S,
1886 Il is Of the dOuble-upright crane
neck piston type, and has 2 pumping
capacity Of 700 gallons a minute
soon after the passage Of the District
appropriation bill Commissioner Wight
whose specialties are the police and fire de-
partments. il is said, went 10 Tenieytown
accompanied by Capt. Lansing H. Beach
Engineer Commissioner. The object Of
their visit was 10 examine sites for the en-
giue house which was not 10 be. Mrs Alice
L. Hunt presented q petition signed II is
said by ninety property holders. recon-
mendiug a site. which. il is claimed, the
citizens had agreed was eligible and which
conformed TO the desire Of the Commission
ers that the lot should be on grade, so
that we VIII neither have 70 cut down nor
I'll in." The site was offered 10 the District
at 2S cents a foot. Some time after the
Commissioners settled the site question By
purchasing a piece Of land from Thomas z.
Waggaman for which. IL is alleged, they
paid 30 cents Il was further charged that
the lot was not "on grade" The citizens
held that the site selected was not the most
desirable one but they waived their objec-
ton to this. in the hope, they say, that an
engine company would be located IN their
village. They say the only explanation the
Commissioners have given them is that the
price Of building material has advanced so
much that the style Of engine house they
had determined on cannot be built within
the appropriation.
The citizens assert that more Of the ap-
preparation than was necessary was con
sumod in the purchase Of The site. Alto
gether. there is unpleasant friction between
the Commissioners and the residents OF
TenleytoWn.