Evening star., 1902-01-24
tive Dorener of West Virginia. -~I believe

tive Dorener of West Virginia --~I believe
in paying well the brave fellows who turn
out at all hours of the night, ever ready
to sacrifice their lives to save those of
others and their property. T have not gone
into the question as to this point with suf-
Icient fullness to say how they rate with
the paid fire departments Of other cities
Of large size, but if the firemen of Wash
ington are not paid in equal proportion,
am in favor of giving it to them
Il trust and believe that there may be
no doubt on this highly important cues
ton. None should arise. This city has
great buildings to protect against fire
which cannot be suitably protected except
by large and well-equipped fire depart
ment. If the department is in need of ap-
paratus or men, I trust that there will be
no delay in supplying any deficiency"
1T is short-sighted policy on the part
of any legislative body which does rot
fulfill to the utmost all the requirements
Gibson of Tennessee land 1 cannot be-
1ieve that Congress will not give heed to
any reasonable recommendation which the
District committee may make in the prem
lSes. l, for one, will most gladly vote for
any recommendation that the committee
may deem expedent to make for an in
crease in the fire-fghting apparatus of
Washington. for we all know the urgent
necessity OF strong fire department in the
event Of an extensive conflagration."
A prominent member of Congress- said
that while he believed the House as a
whole was in favor Of giving the city all
and even more than 1t asked when it came
to the fire department.. and that the COM
mittee on District affairs would recon-
mend that the fire department be plac ID
upon proper f1re-fghting efficiency, the
demands upon the appropriation commit
tee were SO many and diverse that the
citizens of Washington should bring the
strongest pressure to bear upon that com
mittee to no longer cut the appropriations
for a suitable fire department until the
present department had been raised to q
the number of steamers and trucks than at
present.
Water Pressure and New Apparatus.
''The cutting out of the appropriations
for the District of the item of. I think,
$500 600 for new and larger water main
through the business district of the city,
he said was serious mistake, but 1 sup-
pose there is no help for it. Washington
Is has yet to suffer a severe cenfiagratfon.
but when it has had one, and blocks OF
buildings are laid waste, there will be ne
further demanR f0r1Dig water mains and
city will be treated TO such an object les
son, as have other Heities, that CONGRESS-
will of it's owptmoti6ns appropriate anough
money to prete go far as fire-fghting
machinery may' do II. a recurrence of the
disaster Sucl3sis TIE history of all cities.
and it will eIaWa5hington's turn some
day. though I'tfust ut may be remote. N'
IF the committee On appropriations could
have witnessed ehoW spiendidly the Are
men fought thsaPope building fire and the
fire on Indianaoave1fde some time ago. and
saw the inadeqyacy Of the water pressure
at these fires, they wsuld have experienced
a change Of mild on the question of water
and water mains sia
Again. shotld ONT Of the big DEPART
ment buildings burni and it is a standing
marvel that notSe haye as yet gone up in
smoke. it would bec6me strikingly appar-
ent that the fire department of Washing
ton must be made and kept particularly
strong. The walls of one or two of these
buildings might withstand the flames. but
the interiors would be completely gutted.
stance, with Its highly infiammable con-
tents and great court, II for the suction OF
out an extraordinary force of counteract-
ing water, and 1t would be toss-up. at
best. !s
"Certain improvements may be DELAYED.
but when you want a fire engine at a
burning house you want 1t quick. and IL it
is a, big fire. you want a lot more ctill
quicker. -and plenty of water behind them. .
:.