Evening star., 1901-07-27
VAL UABLE LESSONS
Curriculum sof Vacation School Ad-
vantageously, Assisted.
TALKS BY i DISTRICT OFFICIALS
Police and Fire Departments and
the Courts Described.
INTERESTING TO EVERY ONE

The success with which District officials
| are becoming school teachers under Mr..
Ray -Riordans most excellent vacation
| school plan, which is being carried out at
| the Greenleaf School building, on AZ street
southwest, was again demonstrated Thurs
| day. when the pupils of that school were
told all about the fire department by Chief
Dutton; about the police department by
Major Sylvester. and about the courts Of
the District by Mr.. J. Holdsworth Gordon
of the board Of education.
Each of these speakers made these COM
plicated systems so plain to the children
that all understood. The day is regarded
as one of the most profitable ones in the
course. The speakers were introduced by
Mrs. Myers, assistant superintendent of
schools, Mr.. Dutton speaking first. The
chief of the fire department promised that
he would do all he could to assist in es-
tablishing miniature fire department
next year, with the pupils of the vacation
school as firemen MIR. Dutton said in
part:
1.-The fire department of the District Of
Columbia consists of twenty-three COM
panies-fourteen steam engine companies,
six truck companies and three chemical en-
gine companies. The house for q fourth
chemical engine company is being erected
at Brookland, and it will go into service
some time this fall. All told there are PSI
men in the department and about 135
horses.
THE head of the department is the chief
engineer, and this officer is now charged
solely with the business affairs Of the de-
partment, while the first assistant chief, Mr..
VIM. T. Belt, is and has been since the re-
tirement Of ChiefParris the 1st Of last May
its fire-fghting head, the officer who df-
rects the firemen when they are at work
at fire. There are three other assistant
chiefs, Chiefs Kurtz, Wagner and Boss.
''The headquarters of the fire department
are located in the Harper building, c street
between ~ and 9Th streets. in the same
building with the police department, and
there the chief engineer is stationed and
there it's business affairs are transacted. But
In the business affairs of the department
you are hardly interested. and we will there
fore visit Chief Belt, the fire-hghting head
of the department. Most Of you have seen
him, and some of you are perhaps well
acquainted with him, and SO when we find
him at his station, located at the house Of
truck Company A, North Capitol street
between and c streets. there is little
need to point him out to you. II you
question him he will explain to you that to
him and each of the other assistant chiefs
Is given certain district to cover, and
that each Of them is given charge of a
certain number of companies.
DfspOsftiOn of Fire Districts.
''For instance, he will tell you that his
district comprises the southeastern section
of the city, If we make Pennsylvania ave-
nue. and AZ street its center; that Chief
kurtz has the northeastern section; that
Chief Wagner has the central and south
western, and that Chief Boss has the north
western Chief Belt will also tell you that
he has charge Of engine companies 3, 4, 8,
10 and 10 and truck company A; that Chief
KurtZ has charge of engine companies d
and IL, chemical engine company and
truck companies d and F; that Chief Wag
ner has charge of engine companies 2, Z
and IA, chemical engine company / and
truck company G, and that Chief Boss has
charge Of engine companies /, 8, 8 and H.
chemical company and truck companies
B and e.
'-The house Of truck company A, where
Chief Belt Is stationed, though one Of the
oldest ones in the department, Is arranged
about like all others-an apparatus room
on the ground or first floor stalls just back
of the apparatus for the horses which draw
them Office and store rooms back of the
stalh, and on the floor above the sleeping
rooms of the officers and men Of the COM
pany. You will notice that the great heavy
truck, with it's seventy -five-foot extension
ladder and many others Of shorter lengths,
with its joles and hooks, it's e-saving nets.
fire-escapes and many other appliances
stands on one side of the apparatus room
on tracks laid in the floor, while on the
which he and his man run to fires. Before
each piece Of apparatus hangs the harness
of the horses, suspended to the ceiling by
small cords, which run into q pulley box
and so arranged that the harness can be
lowered or raised at the pleasure of the
men. The harness Is suspended high enough
to permit the horses to run beneath it. and
SO furnished with snaps and clasps that
when the horses run to their places beneath
it. 1t takes but few seconds time for the
firemen to fix it firmly in place on the
horses.
When an Alarm Sounds.
"All this Chief Belt explains to you, and
suddenly, while he is talking the large
house gong, sounds, the doors Of the horses
stalls fly open, three Of the horses rush
down to their places in front of the truck.
another runs to his place in front Of the
chiefs buggy. the firemen come down the
sliding pole and from other points in the
house, and quickly clap the harness on the
horses, and then spring to their places on
the truck, Chief Belt and his man jump
into the buggy the foreman Tor OF the com
a cord hanging from the ceiling above his
head which throws open the big doors of
the houses, and off go Chief Belt and the
"The hitching up of the horses was done
almost before you could count ten slowly,
in less than ten seconds, and when you
have recovered from your surprise you en-
deayor to discover where box 1A Is. Glanc-
ing at a large card on the WALL you see
that box 124 is located at 7th street and
Louisiana avenue. You also see from the
card that on the first alarm engine COM
panies IA, 6, and 4, truck companies Z
and A and Chemical Engine Company !
go to this box In other words, 124 is what
/ is known as "a four-company box" being
| one to which four steam engines and two
| trucks respond on the first alarm.
Unsurpassed Fire Alarm System.
"Of course most Of you know how an
| alarm Is sounded, and those who do not
| should know that scattered throughout the
city and suburbs are about 300 fire alarm
boxes each one connected with wires to
| fire alarm headquarters, where operators
are stationed day and night. whose sole
| duty is to send out the alarms when re-
ceiyed from the boxes. All of you have
seen a fire alarm box, and you have
| noticed that on each one Is a small box
| like fixture protected by a glass;
| s"rhese boxes are keyless, and all one has
| to do to send In an alarm Is to break the
glass. open the door, pull down the little
nook and let co. The moment that is done
| the number of the box is struck or sounded
on a tiny bell In the box, and at the same
inst mt. it's number b made known to the
onerator at fire. alarm headquarters. To-
/ Gated in the third story of No. IA engine
| company. Sth street between and q.
| Silent or local alarms are those sent to q
company by telephone.