The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-13
AFFAIRS OF THE DISTRICT
The Detail of Firemen for the Inau-
gural Ceremonies.
The First Assistant Chief Engineers
Report ON Protection of the Pen
sion Buiiding-PermIts to String
"ires-A Verdict for Damages.

william r. Belt, First Assistant Chief
| EnG,l,er of the Fire Department, has
| submitted to the Commissioners his re-
! port Of The special detail of firemen as
| signed to the Pension building during the
| Inauguration ceremonies. He said that
on the morning of February -. 1901, he
! had installed within the building twelve
men, with the following appliances: Thir-
| ty 6-galIon extinguishers four 15-gallon
| eXtinguishers, and six 3-gallon eNtin-
| guishers: 400 feet of hose. "a play pipes,
! "a Johnson force pumps, with q buckets
| % hooks, 10 axes. and they were distrib-
uted about the building where they would
! be the most advantageous.
"On the morning of the 9th of Feb
| ruary," continues Mr. Belt, the full de-
tail reported for duty, consisting of Fore
man c. $. Boss, of engine company No. l.
in charge who remained until the morn
ing of the It'll of March, 1901. when the
appliances were distributed to the differ
ent companies and the detail dismissed.
On March 2, 1901, at $3.50 p. M, Private
E. Z. Collins of No. engine company,
discovered and eXtinguished fire on the
first landing of the north stairway at
the switchboard, caused by leaking gas
oline torch dropping on rubbish on
March 3, 1901, at / 40 p. m, fire was dis
stand, caused by workmen unpacking
boxes; the fire was put out and the boxes
and straw ordered out of the building.
''On March 3, at 100 p. m, one of the
electric globes bursted on the second
floor balcony and the heated glass in
falling lit on the cheesecloth decora lions,
which were set on fire. II was promptly
discovered by the detail, who gave two
long blasts of the whistle, which gave no
tice to the other members of the detail
and they eXtinguished the fire by using
one 6-gallon fire eXtinguisher and a john
son force pump. During the eXtin-
gushing of this ire Private NJ. Coughlan,
of engine company No. 1, came very near
falling over the balcony to the floor be-
low, but was saved by Foreman Boss and
Robert Merrill
During the ball and concerts the de-
tail found number of articles and
turned them over to the owners after be-
ing fully described. | take this oppor-
tunity to thank Foreman c. 5. Boss, As
sistant Foreman T. Z. Warren, and the
detail in full for their gentlemanly bear
ing and strict attention to duty. and
obeying and carrying out orders that
Were issued.
The Commissioners Yesterday consider
ed several applications of the Chesapeake |
and Potomac Telephone Company to
string wires in various parts of the Dis
triCt. one of these was Il request for |
permission to string two wires from Flor |
ida Avenue aud Brentwood Road north !
east to the premises of f {. Graham, |
corner of Third and Seaton Streets north |
east
Another application was for permission /
to place fourteen steel wires with four |
teen iron wires on poles 123 to 40 on the |
Tenleytown Road, from the Loughboro |
Road to the District line.
Other applications We're for permits to |
string six wires from the companys ca |
BILE pole at Nineteenth Street and Florida |
Avenue northwest along Nineteenth |
Street and the Woodley Lane Road to /
Thirty-third Street; to string two wires /
from the WOodey Lane Road along Thir- J
ty-third and Newark Streets to the resi- |
dence Of o. T. Crosby. to string four |
wires from Thirty-third Street and Wood |
ley Lane Road along the latter and the |
Tenleytown Road to the River Road. con- |
neCung the premises of G. l.. TAFT at this /
point with two of said wires, and to |
string two wires from the junction of the |
Tenleytown and River Roads along the |
Tenleytown road to the District line.
Walter G Allen, the Electrical Engin- |
eor. in reporting upon these applications. |
recommended that they be granted, stat |
ing that the permits would not allow the |
stringing of any wires over private prop !
erty, and that the wires will be strung |
upon existing poles.
1t is understood that the Commissioners |
Will approve the recommendation of the |
Electrical Engineer.
Acting upon the recommendation of the
Electrical Engineer. the Commissioners |
have voted TO grant permission to the |
Postal Telegraph Cable Company to ex-
tend d metallic loop from the southeast |
corner of New Jersey Avenue and Il /
Street southeast to l23 First Street south |
west.
Andrew p. Duvall. the Attorney for the |
District, has advised the Commissioners |
that the Supreme Court of the District of 1
Columbia has rendered Judgment for $40 |
on the verdict of a jury I'm favor of the |
plaintiff in the case of George Maurer VS.. |
the District of Columbia. The Attorney |
states that the platntin sought to recover |
in this action $4,000 damages for personal |
injuries alleged 20 have been sustained by |
him on or about October ,. 1900. in con- |
sequence Of the falling of limb from !
one of the shade trees on n Street north |
west, between TwCnty-first and Twenty |
second Streets, which either struck him |
or caused him to fall from his bicycle, |
which he was riding along y Street at |
the time.
The Attorney states that IT was alleged |
and proved at the trial that at the time |
of the accident employees of the District |
were engaged in trimming the tree from
which this limb fell, and the plaintiff |
gave evidence tending to show that the |
accident was due 10 their negligence. The |
Attorney states that there will be no APP |
peal from this judgment, and that it is, |
therefore, final
The Commissioners yesterday ordered
that Christopher j. Doyle be granted a |
license as master plumber for the firm
Of HOben & Doyle. upon the filing of |
proper bond.
The Rev Wilbur F. Crafts, Superin- |
tendent of the Reform Bureau, is OF the |
opinion that the new divorce law con-
tanned in the code will arouse consider |
able discussion, and may lead to efforts |
for its repeal. Accordingly, he has sent to |
the Commissioners budget of literature |
on the subject, and he asks them to /!
consider what clergymen. jurists emf |
nent citizens. and others have said in re- |
gard to III matter and to stand firm for |