The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1904-01-13
YEARS RECORD OF
TACOMA FIRE Department

Chief Jesse c. Poyns of the Tacoma
fire department today filed with City
Clerk Woodruff the fifteenth annual report
of that department. The report Is com
plete down to the minutest detail and
shows a record OF work done during the
year that any fire department might DC
proud 70 own.
The financial statement shows that dur
ing the year the total expenditures OF the
department were $50 640.35. In this sum
is included $3.50 for the new engine,
81 $50 Tor a new combination chemical en-
gine and hose wagon, one new hose wagon,
S3i9: $500 feet OF hose, -, $50; new horses,
81 BIS. This also includes the cost OF es-
tablishing the new fire station IN the
Sixth addition and the repairs to the mead
quarters building. The salaries paid to the
IS men employed in the department |
amounted TO A7 ,36604.
A comparative statement giving the run
ming expenses of the department each year
since il was organized, Is years ago, shows
that even with the growth OF the city and
an increased amount of work the depart
ment has been called upon to do, the
actual running expenses show but very
little increase during the past nine years
The number of alarms responded to was
222. and the total loss by fire was $3O9,-
556.l5 This includes four Of the largest
fires the department ever had to handle,
viz: the Security Storage warehouse, S4S,-
600; Pacific Meat company, $94y3SI; Ken
mond Paper company and Great Western
Stove company, S45 ,339; Cascade Cereal
company. SOC 500, entailing total loss OF
1884 1856. The loss on the other 2lS alarms
was only S25, POI. The insurance involved
was 81 sol, 100; insurance paid on losses
S233 COG Is
PLENTY OF WORK.
In making the 222 runs the apparatus
travelled ,345 miles, 45, 700 feet of hose
was laid ladders were raised 1856 times,
743 gallons of chemicals used, and the
actual time the members of the depart
ment were employed at fires was 1854 hours
and 30 minutes.
Six new horses have been purchased,
two of which were for the new station in
the Sixth addition, and one to take the
place Of horse killed in collision be-
tween the assistant chief and truck com
pany
The total value of the property and all
fire department apparatus is shown by
the inventory to be $ll2,9 8S18.
OF the fires that occurred during the
year, 70 were caused by defective chin
neys and % by sparks.
FIRE BOAT NEEDED.
The chief recommends the purchase of
a fire boat for the protection of the water
front, more stringent legislation regulat-
ing the installation and inspection of cleo
trio apparatus, and strict enforcement of
the ordinance in regard to fire escapes and
standpipes in public buildings.
L., HI .., ohs ~ Il, flo ra.
port of G. f. Morley, superintendent of
the fire alarm system, showing the number
and location of all fire alarm boxes in
the city. The report states that some OF
the lines will have to be rebuilt the com
ing year to insure perfect service
The following review by Chief Poyns OF
the four big fires Of the year will make in.
teresting reading:
MOST NOTED FIRES.
March 10, at 1918 a. M, an alarm was
received from box 1913 for a fire in the
Security Storage company's building, To-
Gated on Twenty -fourth and Adams
streets This was four-story corrugated
iron building, 50xl00 feet, poorly con-
strueted, and used for the storage of house
hold goods, merchandise etc Two engine
companies, one truck company, one hose
company and one chemical company re-
sponded. One additional engine company
was called.
Upon the arrival Of the department the
entire upper story was found to be mass
of flames and owing to the dense smoke
il was impossible to get above the second
story inside the building, making 1t neces-
sary to fight the fire from the outside
A 65-foot extension ladder was raised in
the front of the building and smaller lad
ders on the roof of an addition in the
rear. In the meantime the fire had brok
en- out through the roof, The inside OF
the building was partitioned off into nu-
merous small rooms or crates by means
of boards placed upright about three
inches apart with irregular passagewayss.
These apartments We're filled to the cell