The Washington times., 1902-08-09
Engineer Belt Makes Re-
port of Local Depart
ment'S Work.
EXPRESSES SATISFACTION
River Front Confagration Held Up as
Forcible Reminder OF the Inadequacy
of the Department = New Steamers
Needed-Praise for Officers and Men,

Mr.. William T. Belt. first assistant
chief engineer of the Fire Department,
through Mr. R. w Dutton, the chief en-
gineer, has submitted to the District
Commissioners a report of the opera
lions of the department at fires during
The fiscal year ended June 80 last.
Mr.. Belt expresses satisfaction over
the fact that the fire losses for the year
we're less than for any similar period for
Twelve years. He says the loss from
fire was less than one-half of that suf-
fered the previous year.
According TO the report, there were
extra alarms as follows: Five sec
ond. three third, one fourth, one fifth,
and one sixth alarms. THE sixth
alarm" continues Mr.. Belt, which was
preceded by a third was sent in from
box AIS, at 5:29 p. m, April IL, 1902, for
a fire on the river front, and one which
proved the most disastrous of the year
This fire started in a wood shed in the
rear of the American Ice Company's
plant, at the foot of Tenth Street south
west.
Soon Under Control.
Despite the fact that a very high
wind was blowing when the fire starr
ed it was soon under control, but had
it not been for the hard and very eff
fective work of the department, the de-
struction of practically the entire river
front would have resulted. The wind
carried embers quite a distance, and
buildings squares away were thus set
fire. Fortunately, these fires did not
occur until the FIRST was under such con-
trol as to permit the dispatching OF com
panies to work on them, and they were
soon subdued.
1.-The river front fire was forcible
reminder of the inadequacy of the de-
partment, or what would have been its
weakness had the subsequent fires oc
CURED in different sections of the city,
instead of several squares away. The
same thing occurred the evening of the
same day, third alarm being sent in
from box 517. Twenty-sixth and K
Streets, for a fire in the stable OF the
Arlington Bottling Company, at time
when number of the companies were
still engaged at the river front fire
and while others were on the streets
returning TO their quarters. Fortu-
nately, again, the fire for which the
third alarm was sent in was soon under
control, but had this fire taken place
earlier, when the sixth alarm had called
the whole fire-ighting force of the de-
partment to the river front, most dis
astrous conflagration would have result
ed in the western section.
Forces Inadequate.
''such thing is likely to occur at any
moment. and when it does the depart
ment's inability to handle two large
fires, or. indeed. one large and one
small fire at the same time will be
most unpleasantly impressed upon the
community.
ITO illustrate: Supposing the river
front fire had occurred in the evening
when the theatres were occupied, and
fire had started in one of the play
houses, il would have been simply i'm
possible TO have gotten companies up
from the river front fire in time to pre-
vent the total destruction of the thea
ter, and, in all probability, the loss of
hundreds of lives. The Department
should be SO strengthened, and at once,
as TO enable the holding in reserve of
1orce at least as strong as the Depart
ment is today.
The fifth alarm was sent in from box
81, at 1:10 p. m, November 49, 1901, for
a fire in a large wholesale feed house on
Delaware Avenue, between and II
streets northeast, third and fourth
alarm preceding the fifth. The building