The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-01-03
FIRE DEPARTMENT
HAS GOOD RECORD
Past Three Years Has Shown
Great Improvement
FACTS ABOUT DEPARTMENT
What It Costs the City to Operate the
Department and the Property
Saved in Past
Years.
FACTS ABOUT OEPART MENT

Few people passing by a fire engine
house know much of the life which goes
on within. They see a few fremen sit
ting around talking, reading or play
ing checkers the fire apparatus and the
horses, and they think what an easy
time the firemen have"
Possibly if they happened around that
same neighborhood a few minutes after
wards about the time an alarm came in
they would realize their mistake in
thinking the firemen have an easy time.
Or If they were to hover around the
smoulderng debris of some big fire where
the firemen have been working for hours
they would change their minds and think
that the firemen is the hardest worked
man in the city.
In Birmingham a fireman does have an
easy time compared TO the men in some
other cities, but is is gradually growing
harder on the men here. Each year the
number Of fires is growing larger, and
the fire losses are showing a similar in
crease despite the fact that the depart
ment has been steadily growing until
now it is as large as and much better
than the departments of other cities the
size Of Birmingham
Fire Losses.
Year by year for the past twelve years
the fire losses have grown larger and
larger From the small loss of $19, 500
during 1890. the losses have grown until
they were 1927, S54. in 1902 and In 1903, they
were about $135, 900. At the same ratio
that the losses grew. the number of nres
have grown. In 1890. there were only lob
fires in Birmingham, while this year there
will be in the neighborhood of $50, the
: largest number in the record of the de-
; partment
The causes for the heavier losses in
proportion during the past three years
are that the stocks of goods carried by
firms are much larger and more valuable
the buildings are better and larger, and
number of old building have decayed
until they burn like tihiTer; but more
than these, the growth of the city and
he Immense f,nmber of new buildings
which have been erected. The fire de-
partment today has to protect over 1000
more houses than it did a year ago. and
10000 more than 1t did 10 years ago.
Birmingham Department.
The Birmingham department has been
Increased considerably in the past year.
hut stu two or three additions are badly
needed. The most crying need is wa
ter tower The department has an ex-
tension )ol ard ladder, but this is too
heavy for practical service, and light
tower Is badly reeded. These towers are
SO made now tl.at they act automatically
and can be raised or lowered in less than
talf a minute. These towers will pour
an immense amount of water into win
dow on any floor of an average building.
and are in use in every up-to-date de-
partment in the country. Another neec
Is a new fire station about Richmond
Place to protect the large number of
residences which have been built in that
| eighborhood within recent months.
The department now has six houses and
fifty-six men. twenty horses, five
engines, six hose wagons In active SER
vice, two hose wagons In reserve, one
twin tank chemical engine. One sixty
five foot extension ladder. and a supply
wagon. There are six stations in the
city. At the headquarters, in the city
hall building, there are two steamers. a
bose wagon. chemical engine and the
look and ladder. beside a reserve hose
wagon and a supply wagon. At No. q on
Avenue d and Eighteenth street are an
tngine and a hose wagon
On South Highlands. near Five Points,
there are an engine and hose wagon,
and the North Highlands house has the
same equipment, thus giving an engine
On each hill. At the East End station on
Twenty-fourth street between Second
End Third avenues there Is hose wagon
and another is located at Third avenue
and Fifteenth street. There are nineteen
men at headquarters, ten on the South
Side, nine at Five Points, and six at each
of the other three houses.
Cost of Department.
The annual cost to the city to maintain
the fire department is about $4,000, di-
sided as follows:
salaries ............'''.''...., ASfo~SoO
Fire Plugs observation-disclosures. 1899
Horse shoeing and feed $3.50. $500
Miscellaneous ..............,.. 10000
The city pays annually $45 each for 291
fire plugs. Under the head of miscellan-
eous is included in the wear and tear on
the engines and wagons. the repairs on
the Gamewell System of Fire Alarms, and
n hundred and one things including new
hose.
The Gamewell System used by the de-
partment has fifty-seven boxes scattered
all over the city. A special electrician is
employed to keep the system, the gongs
and all of the electrical parts of the de-
rartment In good condition.
The department also possess what an
outsider might think was an excessive |
amount OF hose. In all there is about
Is 900 feet of line, about 1900 of which is
new and in good condition. OF the re-
naming 5000 feet is in fairly good condi-
ton, and 1000 feet Is 'old' hose.
The six wagons in active service carry
about 1900 feet OF hose, the two reserve
wagons carry about 1000 feet EACH and