Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-07-15
FIRE CHIEFS PLANS
Recommends the Complete Reorgani-
cation Of Department.
INCREASE IN NUMBER OF COMPANIES
Head of the Force to Be Desig-
mated as Superintendent.
THE ANNUAL ESTIMATES

The District Commissioners received to-
day from Mr.. Robert w. Dutton, chief
gineer of the District fire department, the
estimates of the amount necessary for the
maintenance and increase of the fire de-
| partment for the fiscal year beginning July
L, 1917 The estimates forwarded to
! the Commissioners to be included in their
general estimates to Congress at the COM
ing session of that body
These estimates are particularly interest
| ing from the fact that they contain a plan
for the complete reorganization of the fire
department. Under the new system, the
| present chief engineer will be designated
superintendent while the present senior
assistant chief engineer win be designated
| as chief engineer and be given the fire
| fighting direction of the department, Mr..
Dutton being the superintendent and execu
tive head The present senior assistant
chief engineer is William t. Belt. Mr.
button explains the system in statement
| accompanying the estimates. The esti-
| mates are as follows, the figures in paren-
theses showing the present salary of the
| ofhclals mention, and the second figures
showing the increase suggested:
'One superintendent mew), $1,000: chief
engineer Sl,2oW 50 400; 8 assistant chief
engineers at 81 800 (S1 POD, $4,000; 1 clerk
| $1,000, 81 200; l messenger clerk (new)
s720; fire marshal ($1 oo0), 81, 800; 1 assist
ant fire marshal new. LOO; l machinist
| S1,OOD, $1,000; 80 foremen, increase OF SIX
! at 81 200 $1,000. $4,000; 30 assistant fore
me. Increase of six (SS4O), at 81, 900, $50
! 600; II engineers, at 81 100, increase of
three (S1,0O0, S1S.7OO;17 fremen increase
! of three, at 5000 (S90O,, S16.320 81 drivers.
| increase of five, at $500 $4,000, $29, IGO; 166
privates of the first class, at $500 $500,
| $149, 400; "a privates of the second class. at
| $120 new, S24.4S0; ! stabeman new
$40; laborers, at $3.50, increase of one,
w. ffhr 1I
| $4,000; repairs to engine houses, 100000
repairs to apparatus and purchase of new
| apparatus and appliances, 5000; hose,
| $4,000; fuel, $1,000; horses, $4,000; forage
$4,000 Contingent expenses: Horseshoe
! ing, furniture, fixtures. washing, oil, medi-
| cal and stable supplies, harness, black
| smithing, labor, gas and electric lighting,
flags and halyards, and other necessary
items, $4,000.
| Increase of Fire Department.
For site. house aud furniture for engine
! company in the southwestern section of
the city, $4,000; for site, house and fur
| niture for engine company in the north
western section of the city, $4,000; for
site. house and furniture for engine com
pany in northeastern section of the city,
| $4,000; for house and furniture for truck
company in the southeastern section of
the city, to be located on land owned by
| the District in square 925, $22000;
house and furniture for chemical engine
company, to be located a site to be
| donated at Good Hope, $4,000; for the
construction and equipment of school
| for the instruction of members of the fire
| department, to be located on District prop
| erty in square S72 5000; for purchase of
| three extra frst-class steam engines, $l5,-
600; for purchase of three combination
| chemical and bose wagons. at $1,soo each,
$500; for purchase of two chemical en-
| gines at s., 800 each, $1,000; for purchase
of one truck, $500; total, $51o,2G0.
Exceed Present Appropriations.
These estimates aggregate the sum of
| $50 2GO, an amount S244 $40 in excess Of
| that provided for the current fiscal year.
| The difference between the sum total of
the estimates herewith submitted and the
| amount provided by the current appropria-
| ton bill. $244 $40, is due to the following
! items of increase: Salaries, including those
for the officers and men of the six
| companies, $9S,94O; repairs to houses, s., 900;
repairs to apparatus and for the purchase
| of new apparatus and appliances, $500;
| hose, $1,000; fuel, $500; horses 81, 800; for
| age, $1,000; contingent expenses, $4,000; in
crease of department, including sites,
| houses, furniture, for six new companies
| $12O.9OO.
THE largest item of increase S120 900,
represents the sites, houses and furniture
| for the six new companies and the school
of instruction. The site, house and fur
| niture of one of these, that at Congress
| Heights, have already been provided for,
and only the apparatus and men for that
H.
tional companies badly needed. In
fact the District fire department is just
about half the size it should be. The de-
| partment covers a territory of 50 square
| miles and, counting the Brookland COM
| pany, which will be established this fall,
| each company averages district to be
covered by it of 2.SIk square miles al
most double that covered by a company
in New York and Philadelphia; three times
greater than a companys territory in Bal
timore. Buffalo, Cincinnati or New Or
Low
| waukee and Louisville companies; about
| six times more extensive than the dis
tricts covered by San Francisco COM
| pany, and about seven times greater than
| Boston company covers.
One Specially Needed.
"Of the additional companies asked for
the one most badly needed is the truck
| company proposed to be located in the
southeastern section of the city The near
| est company to this section Is a truck
| company, Truck A, located on North Capt.
toll street between B and c streets. In
! the southeast part of the city and Dis
trict are located st. Elizabeth Insane
Asylum Providence Hospital, the Naval
Hospital. the German Orphan Asylum
! jaH and many public schools all de-
| pendent upon single truck company
! on a first alarm, and that one located at
an unusually great distance from every
one of these NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., too
to which not less than two truck COM
| panies should respond the first alarm
in the event of fire therein.
1.-The next company In point of desira-
blity is engine company in the south
western section of the city, In which sec
ton, despite its extensive territory and the
| presence therein of many valuable struc-
lures. there is but engine company To-
Gated There should be another establish
ed in this portion of the city at the earliest
| possible day. An engine company in the
northeastern section of the city is perhaps
| the next company most badly needed and
| r(}lV badly needed an
pany between 18th street and Rock creek
| and south Of H street Finally a chemical
engine company in Good Hope
"Of course, many more companies are
needed but if those recommended are pro-
vided good progress will have been made
toward increasing the present size of the
| department, an increase which should be
completed within the next few years If
! the department is not materially strength
| ened, the danger. of encountering a fire be-
yond its power to subdue will remain. At
the power house fire, September o. 1897
| every company in the department W 8 en-
gagged for several hours. Had a second fire