Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-22
TRUCK COMPANY WINS
Result Of Inspection Of the
Fire Department.
FOREMAN DIX0N'S MEN
THE ORGANIZATION ENTITLED
TO MCFARLAND FLAG.
Report Of Committee Submitted to the
Commissioners-Suggestion for
Rebuilding Engine Houses.

Inc committee appointed by the CommlS-
sioners to inspect the twenty-four organiza-
tons of the District fire department and to
award the mcfarland flag for excellence re-
ported today. The flag, which was last fall
awarded to No. II engine company, is
awarded this year to Truck Company c, I'M
der command of Foreman w. A. Dixon, and
located at 14th street and Ohio avenue
This company gave a magnificent exhibit
tion 1t Is the largest company and In
cludes the water tower The companies of
the department We're judged in classes, and
the organizations making the highest num-
Der Of points in each of these were judged
finally. Truck Company made a clean
record. For the first time the competition
this year included the number of misoon-
duct cases reported in each company since
last inspection. This factor largely In
fiuenced the result
The competition was very close between
the winning organization and Chemicai
Company No 2, located at Brightwood The
committee submitted lengthy report 10
the Commissioners on the general CONDITION
Of the department, and also detained the
result of the inspection of each company.
1t is stated in the report that the time has
arrived for the rebuilding of a number or
the older engine houses, many of which are
now almost wholly unfit for service
Inc cOmmlttee OF Inspection CoiiSlSeeu Va
Eugene B. Wilkins Robert T. Small and j.
G. Ransom.
The roster of Truck Company c, the prize
organization Of the year. is as follows: w.
A. Dixon, foreman; P. ]. Sullivan, assistant
foreman E. O'Connor, third in charge; w.
H. Doleman driver; p n. LETTERS, driver;
H. T. Adams and ]. S. Trodden, assistant
drivers; d. N. Davis G. w. Eibel F. Leer,
T. B. Stanton, E. E. Padgett, r. A. Eos
ter, G. H. Lalegar. NJ. Frawley, privates;
j. H Newton, Waterman
A letter announcing the result OF the
competition accompanied the report which
was sent to the Commissioners today.
Text of the Report.
The report follows:
Having completed the inspection of the
men, horses, apparatus and houses of the
District of Columbia fire department. we
wish to express our appreciation Of the con-
fidence your honorable board imposed in US
through your invitation to make the in
spection of the department for this year.
We have endeavored to be, and believe we
have been, wholly just and impartial in the
judging of the various companies, and upon
merit alone has our decision been reached.
LAS we have stated to you under separate
cover we believe Truck G Company, locat-
ed at 14th street and Ohio avenue. and I'M
der command Of Foreman w. A. Dixon to
be entitled to the distinction of being
awarded the Macfarland flag for general
excellence
The appearance Of this company's quar-
tiers. the condition Of the horses and APP
paratus, the neatness and alertness of lie
men, together with q remarkably quick
hitch-up and clear record as to miscon-
duct cases, combined to make this In oEr
judgment, the premier organization of the
department this year. This decision was
not reached, however, with any great de-
gree of ease, for the performance and gen.
eral condition of Chemical Engine Company
No. g at BrightWood, commanded by Fore
man John Sherman, so impressed your c3In-
mittee 1t was hard to displant that COM
pany in our favor. Engine companies and
&, commanded by Foreman ]. Darlington
and W. F. Lanahan, respectively, made the
better showings of engine and reel organ
iZations, but both Of these companies had
to be thrown out of our calculations be-
cause of the three or four misconduct cases
reported through headquarters In each. If
1t had not been for the one demerit resting
against the Brightwood company the race
between it and truck would have indeed
been difficult to decide. Later in our re-
port we detail something of the peri
ance and condition Of each company.
stand"r, Adopted.
I'm the inspector of the companies We
decided upon a perfect standard Of sixty
points. These points were divided as fol-
lows: House and dormitories, 10 points;
appearance of men, 10 points; horses and
stalls, 10 points; appearance Of apparatus
and harness, 10 points; hitch-up, 10 points,
and conduct 10 points We believe that
each case of misconduct reported by Chief
Engineer Dutton to you in the various
companies since the last inspection should
Justly constitute a point OH for that com
pany. In taking this view we believe the
discipline of the men was as important a
matter to consider as any of the other ele-
ments Of the competition.
I'm the course of the inspection at each
house we first visited the sleeping rooms
and then inspected the horses and looked
to the condition Of the stalls. The cellars,
pits, coalbins, alleyways and back yards
came in for due share OF attention. Be
fore the bells were tapped for the hitch-up
and drill in each instance the men were
sent to their dormitories by the foremen.
We timed the performance from the first
stroke of the gong until the last man had
mounted the apparatus In his proper place.
AS the men were called to attention follow
ing this we inspected their clothing and
formed a good estimate Of their general
ideas of neatness. An absence of buttons
on vests or coats and considerable dust
were the greatest faults found with many
Of the men of the department, but when
sthese were not in objectionable excess they
were overlooked. The cellars Of the houses
throughout the department are In excep-
tionally good condition, well kept and in
most cases neatly whitewashed. The
grounds surrounding the houses, and espe-
cially the suburban houses. with one excap-
ton, were clean and attractive in appear
ance.
Inspection Began Wednesday.
1--WE began the tour of inspection Wed
nesday morning, the 18th instant in loco
mobile, kindly loaned by Mr.. A. L. Cline,
who for a greater part Of the first day ac-
companied the committee on its rounds.
Twelve houses were inspected the first
day. and at all of these your committee,
being entirely unexpected, found the men
just as they are from day to day. The fol-
lowing houses were visited that day: En-
CINE company No. II. truck F company,
chemical engine company No. 2, at Bright
wood. engine company No. Z. engine COM
pany No. o. engine company No. /. truck 3
company engine company No. 5. truck L
company, truck D company. engine COM
pany No ~ and chemical company No. A.,
at Brookland. IL -u
The second day your committee first m
spected engine company No. 6, then engine
company No. 10, engine company No. and
training stables. engine company No. Is. at
Anacostia, truck A company, engine COM
pany No. 3 and engine company No. 4.
After visiting the Anacostia company your
committee continued on to Congress-