The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-07-15
FIRE DEPARTMENT NEEDS.
Chief buttons Estimates for the
Fiscal Year 1902-1903.
The Aggregate of the Budget EN-
ceeds Half Billion DoIiarS-SiN
New Companies and Many In
crcaseS in salary Provided For.

The Aggregate OF the budget E~A-
ceeds Half IA billion DoIIarS-Six
New Companies and Many In
creases in salary Provided For.
Robert W. Dutton. Chief Engineer Of
the Fire Department. today submitted 90
the Commissioners his schedule of csJi-
mates for The fiscal year ending June 5'-
1gl2 Mr. Duttou estimates the total os-
peuse of the department for that year IN
Guiding the establishment Cf six new
companies at S5-n.z6t- This, he says Is
an excess over the expenditure Of the
present fiscal year OF S1#.clt- the differ
eucc being that Of the total estimates sub
nittcd ana the amount provided in ap-
preparations for the current year The g.
Inmates add something to ali salaries of
the department and tfirty-four ue7v pri-
Yates OF the second class are provided
for With reference TO the schedule, Mr..
Dutton says
THE largest item of increase. $4,000,
represents the sites houses and furni-
ture for the six new companies and the
sChool OF instruction. The site, house
and furniture Of one of these. that At Con
gress Heights have already been provid-
ed for. and only the apparatus and men
for that one remain to be secured. These
additional companies are badly needed
In fact. the District Fire Department IS
just about half the size II should be The
departmJG mt covers a territory of sixty
nine square miles and, counting the
Brookland company which will be estab-
Hshcd this fall. each company averages q
district TO be covered by 1t of 2S.Ia square
miles, almost double that covered by a
Cornnany IN New York and Philadelphia.
three times greater than a coTnpany's ter
TitOTy 81 Baltimore Buffalo. Cincinnati
or New Orleans: four times larger than
those Of Milwaukee and Louisville com
panies; about SIX times uore extensive
than the districts covered by q San Fran
CISCO company, and about seven times
greater than Boston company covers
OF the additional companies asked fer
the one most badly needed Is the truck
company proposed TO be located in the
southeastern section Of the city. IN all
this section there Is but one truck com
pany. Truck a. located on North Capitol
Street between 3 and c IN this part OF
the city and District are located St Eliza
beth's Insane Asylum, Providence Hospi-
tai, the Naval Hospital the German Or
phan Asylum. jail. and many public
schools. all dependent upon single truck
company on a first alarm
The next company in point Of desira bill
western section of the city. in which sec
ton despite its extensive territory and
the presence therein Of many valuable
structures there Is but one engine com
pany located There should be another es-
tablished If this portion Of the city at the
earliest possible day. An engine company
IN the noEtheas,,Tn section Of the city is
perhaps the next company most badly
needed, ana hardly less badly needed Is
an engine company between Seventeenth
Street and Rock Creek and south Of Il
Street Finally a chemical engine coupa-
ny IN Good Hope
"Of course many more companies are
needed. but if those recommended are
provided good progress viii have beer
made toward increasing the present size
of the department. an increase which
which should be completed within the
next few years If the department is not
materially strengthened. the danger OF
encountering q fire beyond its power t
subdue Will remain At the powerhOust
fire. September . IS91 every company il
the department was engaged for severa
hours Had second fire OF Ike extern
broken out in another section Of the CITY
during the progress of, this fire. one Of
the other would have burned practically
uumOlested-
OF instruction Is earnestly recomm6Hded
There IS no such school here. and meT
appointed to the department enter il as Z
rule without any instruction whatever II
fire fighting duties In several of tn
larger cities Of this country such school:
have been established with most des'ra'
bic results The establishment Of the pro
posed school would. it is believed, ado
very greatly 10 the efficiency Of the de
partment-
20 Ca~ry into effect the desire Of tn,
Honorable Commissioners that the hea-
of the Fire DEPARTMENT shall be an eZ
-ecutive officer. the position IS Designate
In the estimates submitted herewith a.
- Sl,perfntendent. and their suggestion tha
this officer shall receive an annual saiarl
Of not less than 5000 is adopted tn
making of the chief officer Of the Dis
4ricr Fire DEPARTMENT, which has develop
Cd into a great and constantly growing
business concern. a purely executive one
is in harmony with the course pursued
by other leading cities Of this country
and Is really no new departure here, a
several years ago the business affairs 0
the department were transacted by
Board of Fire Commissioners
The Senior a==tstant Chief Engineer 0
the District Fire Department has beer
since the retirement, May l. 1901, OF Chic
Paris. its fire-fghting head. This Office
it Is proposed TO designate as Chief EE
gineer. and the salary recommended
$. goo per aunum. would. II Is respectfully
submitted be but fair compensation 70
so worthy and competent an officer
An additional Assistant Chief Engin
eer is asked for. and il is recommends
that the salaries Of these officers be in
creased from 200 to $3.50 per annun
THE Office Of the department Is with
ont the services of that very nccesSaT-
helm q messenger. and 1t has been nee
essary 10 detail during the past two year
enc of the watchmen of the departmen
70 perform the services Of messenger q
F4eadquarters Therefore II IS recon
vnerded that messenger clerk be pro
,-f.3sd at a salary Of 1920 per annum-
IT is recommended that the salary o
.bs Fire Marshal be increased from Sl-V
10 q SO per auuum. This officer IS %
Of the most important and necessary
IN. service OF the municipality. He &C
cupies q position OF great responsibility
and should be- a man well acquainted VIZ
-