The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-12-26

department now being compiled by
Clerk William TANNER show that the
number of alarms responded to during
1899 were 23S. which is very large COM.
pared with several past years,th num-
ber responded to in 1898 being 173 and
in 1897 only 131.
OF this years alarms, 159 were ordl-
nary bell alarms. "A were false, "a were
still and one was a general alarm. The
number of still alarms is exception
ally large, there being only eight in
1898. This is owing to the fact that
since Chief Walker has been in office
any slight blaze extinguished without
the aid Of the fire department has been
listed as a still alarm.
The total fire loss for the year was
slSS,l20 which was completely covered
by insurance, as may be seen from the
fact that on this amount there was
$500, 1000 worth of insurance. The total
loss for 1898 was s1345OS.54 and for
1897 was $50, 769.
SEVERAL BIG FIRES.
There were several large and de-
structive fires during the past year,
notable among which was the blaze on
the evening of Feb. II, when n half a
block of buildings and dwellings on
the West Side were completely de-
stroyed, the loss being nearly $4,000.
Another destructive fire was that of
Jan. 20. when the First Baptist church
on Scranton street was totally de-
stroyed.
on Feb Ii, Cusick's barn in the rear
Of Washington avenue was burned and
$4,000 damage was done. The most
destructive blaze of the year, and the
one found most difficult to fight, was
that in the buildings on Lackawanna
avenue occupied by j. d. Williams &
Co. and John II. Ladwig, when dam
age to the extent of $4,000 was done
Another large fire. and one which while
/ II lasted was probably as fierce as any
ever witnessed in this city, was the
one on July 4, in Jones Bros barns an
| other buildings in the rear of Pine
| street. when some $4,000 damage was
| done.
The department has really done ex.
cellent work during the year. when the
! fact is taken into consideration tina
! In every large fire, without exception
| the flames had gained great headwaS
/
There were, fortunately, no death.
directly attributed to fire during tht
year, and though a number of firemer
were injured their injuries were not o
serious nature.
NEEDS OF DEPARTMENT.
Chief Walker is at present engage
| in preparing an estimate of the run
nil Df . H.
during the coming year, and those VIII
are in a position to know say tina
100000 will be about the amount o
| money asked for. Just how much o
this will be carved off by the estimates
committees remains to be seen. but ac
cording to the chief himself the cit!
fire department at the present time il
far from being in an ideal condition.
The amount allowed last year by tn
committees was $43,61436 and enough
extras to foot this up to about $50, 90
were later transferred from various
other appropriations for fire depart
ment puposes.
In an interview with a Tribune maj
yesterday on the present condition o
the department, Chief Walker gave on
some interesting facts. He stated tha
the 1000 feet of cotton hose lately or
dered purchased by councils would b.
received the beginning Of next week
This added to that at present in us
Will make about $500 feet of good hos
now possessed by the city. In addi
ton to this, there is about 500 feet O
fair hose and upwards of 5000 feet O
bad hose now in use.
Regarding the bad hose, the chic
says no qualifying adjective too stron
can be used to tell how bad it is. 1t
age ranges from eight to eightee
years. Some people may doubt the las
figure, but Chief Walker positively af
firms that hose purchased In 1882 I
now in use in North Scranton. In fact
all of the poor hose is confined to tn
companies in that end of the city an
the one in Green Ridge. At the fire i
the house of Roger Grimes, on Ma
Aug avenue, about a week ago, seve
lengths of hose belonging to one Of tn
North Scranton companies burst befor
a stream could be got on the buildinr
which was all the time burning merrill
away,
MORE HOSE NEEDED.
The chief says there is an impera
tive need at the present time for 400
feet of hose to place the department i
proper shape to cope with a large fir,
All Of the departments five engine
are now in excellent shape, the Frank
lin. General Phinney and Crystals a
having been thoroughly repaired an
remodeled during the past summe
Several of the hose wagons are, (how
ever badly in need of repair, the chic
says. Notable among these are tn
wagons of the Cumberland, Williar
Connell, Franklin and Liberty com
panies. The William Connell wagon
in such bad shape that the driver ha