Evening star., 1902-08-18


fighting force, saying it would be practi
cally impossible for the department to sue
cessfully fight two large fires at one time.
Senior Assistant Chief w. T. Belt is in
charge of the department and fire head
quarters during the absence of Chief Dut
ton.
Report in Detail.
The report in detail is as follows:
During the past year the department re-
sponded to III alarms of fire, an increase
Of siXty-one over the previous year. More
than one-half, or 451, We're bell alarms, and
800 local or silent alarms. OF the III alarms
responded to, forty-five were false, thirty
seven less than the year before. Allowance
being made for these false alarms, it will
be seen that there were 726 fires during the
year, with a total loss of s134, ,5O4, or an
average loss per fire of s1S526, the total
loss for 1901 being $2S5, ,677 and the average
loss per fire s454.S9. The property damaged
by fire during the past year carried in
| than per cent of the insurance. The loss
per month was as follows: July, SO, $50;
August, S,IS3; September, $1,S0S; October,
sl6,970; November. ST OS9; December se.
March, s7.4s7: April, s41. .759: May, S. $50.
and June 81, 43O, the smallest loss occurring
in August and the largest due almost
wholly to the river front fire April IL. 1902
in April, when the loss amounted to A1, 759.
From table compiled from the records
of the department it is shown that the loss
during 1902 was the smallest during the
| past twelve years and less than one-half
| that Of 1901.
| "Of the 728 fires occurring during the
| past year 259 were in frame buildings, 400
in those Of brick or stone construction, the
remainder being the burning Of brush,
woods, leaves &C.
Between noon and o'clock pm. there
were 245 alarms received; 2S9 between
| o'clock I'm. and midnight; II between mid
night and 8 o'clock a.m and 160 between
| 6 o'clock am. and noon. AS was the case
| in 1901, the smallest number Of alarms, 33,
| was received during September. The larg-
| est number, 90, was received during No
| vember. There were 213 alarms during
| the spring months; 154 during the summer
months; 17S during the fall months, and
226 during the winter months.
False Alarms.
During 1901 there were 50 false alarms,
while last year there We're but 45, a de-
crease of nearly so per cent. This gratify
| ing decrease may be properly attributed to
the increased vigilance of the police force
and to the prompt and severe penalties i'm
posed upon offenders by the court. It is
| believed continued vigilance On the part Of
the police force and prompt and effective
| punishment of offenders will insure a still
greater decrease in the number of false
alarms.
Strength Of Department.
'The 4th Of last January chemical On
! gine company No. was placed in commits
sion, the company being located in Brook
| land, under the command of Foreman
Samuel R. Henry. By the installation OF
this company the strength Of the depart
ment was increased to "a companies-14
steam engine companies, 9 truck COM
| panies and chemical companies. The de-
! partment was strengthened during the
year by the purchase Of a number of i'm
| proved appliances, including life nets for
! the truck companies, lighter ch amical eX-
| tinguishers Of quicker action for a major
| ity Of the companies and other more mod
| ern and effective appliances were adopted
as far as the limited appropriation would
| permit.
Accidents to Apparatus.
'"There were but four serious accidents
| to the apparatus Of the department during
the past year, the breaking Of the spindle
! Of No. IA hose carriage, the breaking of
| the spindle Of the front axle Of reserve
truck A, the breaking Of both poles of
chemical engine No. and the breaking
| of the rear wheel and the springing nf the
| rear axle and front gear Of engin, No. Z.
| These accidents occurred while the appa-
ratus was responding to alarms of fire and
were unavoidable in all bu. one case, and
| in that the men responsible for the acct
dent were required to Jointly bear the ex-
/ pense Of the repairs. Fortunately, no one
| was seriously injured. and the damage
| done the apparatus In no Case necesSitated
| large expenditures for repairs.
That the apparatus, vehicles and ap-
| pliances Of the department were in any but
| a satisfactory condition may be seen from
| the report of the machinist that during the
| past year he supervised 153 repair jobs at
| local shops, and personally made repairs
in 232 other cases, making 3S5 repair Jobs
during the twelve months The depart
| ment fully agrees with the machinist that
a repair shop sufficiently manned and
| equipped to do all repair work, should be
| provided. The department also agrees with
| him that two second size steamers should
| be provided, so as to enlarge the reserve
| force Of engines, but appropriations for the
| repair shop and extra steamers are not
| recommended this, year for the reason that
! other things are more pressing. AS the
| great majority of fires are extinguished by
| the use of chemicals, the department be-
| Iieves that combination wagons should dis
| place It's hose carriages as quickly as pos
| sibe.
Record of the Horses.
TWENTY-FIVE horses Of the department
| were condemned during the past year and
| turned over to the District property clerk,
| fourteen less than were condemned dur
! ing 1901. Three were destroyed because of
| injuries and two died, making total loss
| of thirty to the department. Forty-three