Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-11
ENDS ITS CONVENTION
Association of Fire Engineers
Adjourns.
LOCAL CITIZENS Thanked
Discussion of Subjects of Interest to
the Members.
ADDRESS BY DR.. ROBINSON
Speaks of Horses as Motive Power
for Apparatus-Medal for
Retiring President.

gineerS, which has been in session In this
city since last Tuesday. terminated early
this afternoon when the formal motion to
adjourn was passed after one of the
most interesting meetings of the week.
Many matters of business were transacted
at the final session, including a hearty
seconding of a resolution, prepared by the
resolutions committee, extending the
thanks of the convention to the officials
of the District Of Columbia and Its citi-
zens for the kind treatment and enjoyable
entertainment furnished to the associa-
ton during its visit to the National capt.
tall
General discussion o. subjects Of para
mount interest to firemen characterized
the opening of the last meeting of the
chiefs. among the topics covered being
the following:
Faulty building constructions; fruit
full cause OF the spread of fire and loss OF
life The duty OF fire chiefs to see that
of building laws, and a rigid enforcement
Of the same. Proper building construc-
ton. together with important devices for
the prevention o. fire. and the manner
and method of occupying buildings.
"Should all schools over one story In
height be equipped with fire escapes. and
the pupils trained in the use of them?
Which is the best style of fire escape for
schools asylums, tenement houses, etc?
What Is the best code of rules for fire
drills in schools?'
State clubs for chiefs of fire depart
ments; the benefits derived from same. If
any"
SHOULD telephones be installed in fire.
alarm boxes? The advantage of same If
adopted
Talk by District Veterinarian.
The chiefs gave much attention to a
talk by DIR. C. B. Robinson. District vet
of this city on the care OF
fire department horses.
ITO me the motive power Of fire de-
partment is Its most important part" DR..
Robinson said because the ease and ra
pidity Of the department In reaching the
scene of a fire determines, in great meas
ure. Its efficiency. One growing problem
with which we have had to contend is the
tendency to so increase the weight of fire
fighting apparatus that 1t Is next to i'm
possible to secure horses which are able
to pull 1t and at the same time move 1t
with sufficient speed.
THE fire horse cannot be Of the draught
horse type, nor yet the carriage horse
type, but the animal most valuable for our
purposes seems to belong in class sep
arate unto itself with height and weight
and speed combined. In former times it
was possible to use horses OF 100 and
1.20O pounds weight and have them do the
work satisfactorily. but the tasks imposed
upon them have grown with the enlarge
ment of engines. trucks, etc. until we now
need horses averaging between 400 and
l 800 pounds in weight-and if the appar-
atus Is made much heavier we will be
compelled to find some other solution to |
the question of transportation"
DR.. Robinson declared the part of the
horse with which greatest trouble Is ex-
perienced is the hoof and he gave de-
tailed description of some of the disea ses
fr,ox
of methods of prevention and cure
Chief II. F. Magee of Dallas, Tex, pre-
sented a paper on the same subject.
Paper on Electric Fires.
In the absence of W. H. Merrill, secre-
tary of the National Fire Protective Asso-
Chicago. H., and the failure of
his paper on Electric Fires-Their Cause
and Prevention" to reach Secretary Nc
Fall. the president called upon G. E.
Bruen of New York. general electrical in
spector of the national board of fire I'M
derwriters. to discuss the subject. Mr..
Bruen reviewed the numerous danger
points in the installation of electric wir
ing and electric plants, and declared the
maximum OF safety lies in iron pipe con-
duits, combined with good workmanship.
The annual report of Treasurer d. G.
Larktn showed & balance of $G6.27 in the
strong box of the association with dis
bursements during the past year aggre-
gazing more than ZOO
On behalf OF the officers and men of the
District fire department Chief William T.
Belt presented a handsome gold badge to
the retiring president of the association,
George NJ. Kellogg of Sioux City, Iowa.
In Honor Of Deceased Members.
Resolutions of regret because of the
deaths of several members of the asso-
citation during the past year. and of con-
defence to the near relatives of the de,
ceased. were prepared by the committee
on resolutions. and OF motion the con-
Vention ordered that copies of the reso-
lutlons be sent to he bereaved families.
The resolution related to ex-Fire Mar
shall John Brennan OF Jersey City; Chief
+. Hodgkinson of Orange. n. J.; ex-Chief
John Smith Jones of Westport, Conn
Chief j. ]. Little of Fort Smith. Ark;
Chief John c. Walters of Jackson. Miss;
Chief .. q. Marginhoff. and ex-Chief
Harry A. McQuade of Chattanooga. Tenn.
Chief Canterbury presented motion that
in the future copies Of resolutions oover-
ing the deaths of members Of the asso-
citation be prepared and presented on oc-
casion of the annual memorial meetings.
and order to that effect was entered
in the proceedings.
The committee on exhibits, Chief Belt.
chairman. reported on the tests of various
pieces of apparatus conducted in connec-
ton with the fire department drill Wednes-
Day ana on the nre-nghtlnS accessories
shown at the exhibition hall 1t was the
conclusion Of the committee that all APP
paratus would prove of value to fire de-
partmentS-
Election Of Officers.
Selection of the meeting place for the
convention of 1903 and the election of
officers for the ensuing fiscal year con-
stituted the principal business before the
session last evening of the International
Association of Fire Engineers. The cleo
ton of officers passed off as quietly as a
love feast. all former officials of the Or
ganizarion, save one. being reelected,
but the determination of next years
meeting place provoked a good-natured
contest. in which Columbus, Ohio, proved
victor over Atlanta, Ga.
1t had been previously determined that
these two matters should be called to the
attention of the convention at o'clock
last evening, and it was only a few min
uteS past the appointed time when Presi-
dent Kellogg declared a special order of
business" and called for the nominations
for the presidency. 1t Is an unwritten
rule in the association that the election to
presidency and first vice presidency shall
dent Fillmore Tyson made a brief speech
placing First Vice President NJ E. Hig-
gins chief of the Albany, N. Y, fire de-
partment, in nomination to succeed Presi-
dent Kellogg. Second Vice President Ty-
son, in turn. was named for the next po-
sition- Chief 7. w. Haney was nominated