Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-04

trucks In that perfect condition which ex-
cites the admiration of all who behold it.
But 1t must be done and done well
Very often after severe fire the men
are so stiff and sore that they move with
difficulty and pain. This may be appre-
ciated by the public when 1t Is remembered
that they often stand in ice-cold water
waist deep in cellars, and at nearly all large
fires are drenched from head to foot. Their
garments cannot be changed until their
work is ended, and often freeze in winter
to their bodies. like armor plate.
Again, at any large fire observe how the
fremen strain and work In pulling the
heavy hose up an adjoining building, or
over the ground on long stretch Of hose,
called section. The hose in use is heavy
enough when empty to test the muscles of
an ordinary man. as 1t weighs ffty-five
pounds to section, consisting of fifty feet.
When full of water pumped at a high pres
sure the hose is like a piece of solid iron,
almost as heavy and difficult to handle.
1T Is these severe periods of great muscular
strain and physical eXertion under the very
worst conditions. and those of relaxation
and inaction at a fire house while walt
ing, that are so wearing upon a fireman's
health.
Importance of Sobriety.
ut is nevertheless an interesting fact that
as between a station as in the suburbs
where the fremen have very little to do in
the way Of active fire duty, and station In
a business and residential section where the
alarms are frequent and the work necessa-
rily harder, the average fireman will choose
the latter billet. and, as rule men a. sta
lions where the work is heavier and the &C.
tfvity greater are in better general condi-
ton OF health than those where little is
gone. where the exercise Is insufficient to
keep the men agile and we'll hardened.
In every fire house there is desk
where the telephone and electric alarm re-
ceiving instruments are situated At all
times; DAY and night, man is here sta
TONED on watch 1t Is his duty to receive
ana notify the foremen Of the number Of
the box at which an alarm is 'rung up to
Keep the many daily records Of the routine
or the service as affecting his particular
house. He performs many other important
post a minute
The grave Importance attaching to the
duties of this man, unknown to the public
and the vital manner in which his acts of
voitlon or omission may affect any one Of
US at any time may be Interestingly illus
trated. and the necessity of absolute So
brlety on the part OF flremen shown
me one great offense which Is consfd-
eaea Iatai to the future of fireman Is in
toxication. He must remain sober II he
desires to remain on the force. If he pre-
iers to drink there are other fields OF use
1ulness open to him. and the quicker such a
man is dismissed and the vacancy filed by
SOBER man the better for the good of the
service and the safety of property and life.
Responding to the Wrong Box.
Ihus, man whose senses are befuff1ed
by liquor may be considered to be on watch.
and ne need not be intoxicated by any
means to commit the error An alarm
comes in from, say, box 81. large apart
ment house may be assumed to be on fire,
The man on watch reads the number of the
poX as ", and, as the apparatus is often
out of the house before the big gong An
ishes its strokes on the first call it being
repeated three times, the steamer dashes off
toward box 81, In an entirely different sec
ton of the city from box ST. In the mean
time the fire RACES, property is DESTROYED
ana lives sacrificed, all and solely because
the man on watch had been drinking. for
when the error is discovered by the fore
man and the steamers horses dash off to-
ward box 81, the fire has gained such head
way that catastrophe results.
To the credit of our firemen the naming
OF the wrong box has occurred but very few
times IN the history of the department. and
our force, as an entirety, is composed of
an exceptionally good lot of steady sober
men. Whatever offense against the rules
may be explained and palliated the men
understand that intoxicaton means the
signing of their own dismissal papers
During the past eight years there have
been killed in line of duty ten members of
the force, five in the Louisiana avenue fire,
three in the Knox fire and two In street
collisions and accidents, one at 14th and G
streets and one at Connecticut avenue and
M street.
LAS a rule the men do not resign. unless
something better offers. The voluntary
designations are not over three a year
After service Of fifteen years, If physical
ly disabled, they may be retired upon a
monthly pension not to exceed $50 If they
are disabled in line of duty, they may be
retired upon pension not to exceed $50.
though they may have been in the depart
ment but short time.
Other Features of Interest.
Formerly the men received but ten days
annual leave. This was afterward increased
to fifteen days. and upon the appointment of
Chief Engineer Dutton he secured the ex-
tension to twenty days, the full limit al
lowed by law
There is always twenty pounds Of steam
kept up In the boilers Of every steamer by
means Of pipes connecting with a heater in
the basement Of the houses. Steamers
can, therefore, begin operations at once. as
in the event Of fire across the street from
their houses, and before the fires under
the boilers are lighted. Seventy pounds Of
steam can be generated in a run of three
blocks after leaving the house, so rapidly
is steam got up So many visitors to
our fire engine houses ask this question as
to how steam is got up so quickly that this
explanation is given.
Zone or two of the steamer and truck
houses have small gymnasiums. Others
have billiard table, and checkers. domi-
noes and non gambling games of cards are
permitted. The sources of amusements,
however, are limited Periodicals and
magazines are contributed by residents near
a fire house, and these membranes are
greatly appreciated by the men,
1.-The new truck house on Whitney ave-
nue. near the end of the 14th street car line
is the show fire house of the department.
This truck company has one of the finest
matched three-horse teams in the depart
ment."