The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-14
THE ALERT Fire LADDIE
His Duties Not Entirely in the
Midst of Flames.
Work in the Engine House n Con-
slant Adherence to Labor-Minor
Chance for Recreation of the
Warrington Contingent Compared
With Their Brethren Elsewhere.

The life Of Washington fireman is. t.
use well-known phrase. not at all Q
bed Of roses" Everyone knows the risks
| attendant on the public duty CT fremen,
but II one were to ask the mea whom
| he sees heroically plunging into to;teriny
structures. enveloped in flames, what
would reply the ordinary everyday work
| about an engine-house.
Those pretty turnouts. those engines.
| shining in the sun like FURNISHED silver,
| the well-groomed horses with their twin
harness glinting brightly In all its metal
parts-these, and the thousand and one
things about tine station-houss, keep the
| men themselves generally very busy. In
many Of the larger cities, such as Chi
cago and New York, the engines ara
enameled. so that. although thsy do not
look quite as handsome as those In
Washington, they afford a great saving Of
labor to the tiremen themselves.
OF course the fireman has his off mo-
ments in which he can amuse himself as
best he can. Although he may not gam
Bile he can play cards. read, smoke, dis
cuss politics with his companions, etc..
but all this time every man in fire COM
pany is supposed to be ready to spring In
stantly to his post the very moment an
alarm is turned in. However, 1t Is only
when a man has done his chores" as
they say in the country that he is allowed
to relax. These same chores include
every kind Of domestic work that can be
done about the engine house. even to
making the beds. A man as soon as he
becomes member Of fire company has
his peculiar work about the engine house
assigned him, and this he must do regu-
iarly and faithfully every day he is on
duty.
Every sixth day each fireman has day
| of, the schedules being arranged by the
company commanders so the different
shifts will come to each man in rotation.
Thus in twelve-man company two are
| always absent on leave. The regulation
number of men to a Washington fire COM
pany is ten, but owing to the fact that
| those firemen whose quarters are in
| course OF construction are apportioned OF
| to the various engine houses. that num-
Der is. at present, somewhat increased.
| Unfortunately. Washington frenen Lave
| not provided for them these means for
athletic recreation which is accorded
| their brethren in other cities In Chi
1
| an immensely popular game among the
! firemen. and courts have been built In
which proficiency in that noble athletic
| exercise is warmly encouraged by the
chief Of the Chicago Fire Department and
| the various company commanders. The
| building Of these courts is the work Of
the men themselves, and all expenses are
| betrayed from q pool made up by each
| company.
IL o,kv 49,, -
/ pass away the time that might hang
heavily upon their hands by card-play-
| ing to some extent, the game known
as new forty-fves" being much In
| vogue. In every engine house, too, there
is a checker board, and many OF the play
ers have become quite expert through
long practice. ALI these games have to
be played in the mems quarters above
\ stairs and not on the engine-hcuse floor.
| and the captains look out that there Is
no suspicion Of gambling, even for the
| smallest amounts.
Gambling Chief Paris contends, is .
| vice that grows upon men, and once in
| dulged in in the slightest degree, might
| lead to consequences which would be
| most reprehensible.
| In many Of the engine houses, slowed
away in the basement or in some back
| room, is a carpenters bench, with a wise.
1
\ and there the men are encouraged to put
In little time making whatever they
choose from scraps Of lumber picked up
! here and there. Some Of the amateur
workmen learn to turn out very neat speci-
| mems of handicraft, and they contriye many
| little things for the convenience and deco
ration Of the company's quarters in the
way Of book racks, picture frames, easy
chairs, and the like. few of the COM
| panies have turned spare rooms in their
quarters into gymnasiums, and here they
| themselves by training on some simple con-
| triyance such as parallel bars or pulley
weights.
| In almost every fire engine house dog
is harbored. which Is. in a manner, the
mascot of the company. There is thor
oughbred bull terrier belonging to COM
pany which has seen many fire in his
time, which perceptibly takes the greatest
pride in every detail Of the work OF his
human associates. He inspects the engines
when in perfect order, with an expression
of eye and tail denoting the liveliest sat-
isfaction, and should the warning gong
sound the alarm his loud bark follows in
stantly, and he is never the last to arrive
on the scene Of the fire. He has been
known to plunge recklessly into the most
dangerous places, eager to render that
assistance which, unfortunately, his size
in great measure precludes him from
affording, but his courage and good intent
have never been doubted.
new and very ingenious telegraphic
| system has very recently been introduced
into the enginehouses of this city, by which
| an alarm is recorded automatically by the
tape without the ringing Of the great gong
When the latter was struck. as 1t used to
| be upon the sounding Of all alarms not
| only are the men awakened from Sleep
but the horses rush imme ately from their
| stalls and place themselves between the
shafts Of the vehicles to which they re-
| spectively belong. To save this often un-
necessary trouble to man and beast the
Joker system. the improved form Of which
is used in this city alone, was introduced
Should the alarm recorded on the tape be
outside the district of the company by
| which 1t is received the operator switches
off the current from the gong and thus
prevents its ringing There is always a
| man at the instrument day and night By
| the aid Of this Continuance also. messages
| between the various engine houses may be
| sent Geographically when the telephone il
| unavailable. OF course, in case of general
alarm, all companies in the city respond.
The various companies in district are
| required to- be at the scene of fire in a
certain order for instance. Company A
first Company second. Company third.
| etc. Should this order. which is based
| of course. on the respective distances CT
the companies In the district in which the
alarm Is sounded from the scene of fire, be
broken, the company or companies behind
time are held responsible to the chief en-
gineer. who demands an official evplana-
ton of the delay. 1t is seldom. however.
that this occurs. and Washington may
congratulate itself upon having such an
efficient and conscientious body OF fire
fighters.