Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-07

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Kreamer. captain: 1901. Engine Company
No. II. A. L. Grimm. captain: 1902 Truck
Company No. 3, w. A. Dixon. captain
1903. Engine Company No. 10. c. E.
Schrom. captain; 1904, Engine Company
CINE Company No. 1. T. O'ConnoE, cap
tain; 1905 Engine Company No. 10, c. e.
Schrom, captain; 1907. Engine Company
No. 10. c. E. Schrom, captain; 1908. En-
CINE Company No. IA. c. B. Proctor, cap
tain.
The great increase In the number OF
moving picture theaters in this city dur
ing the year led to an investigation OF the
methods adopted by the proprietors OF
| such enterprises for the protection of
| these investigations the chief engineer
recommended the PRONUNCIATION of regu-
| lations requiring proper fire protection In
such theaters. and these regulations were
duly approved by the Commissioners The
adoption Of such regulations has resulted
| in reducing the danger from fire and
panic in moving picture theaters to
minimum.
designated as Chemical Engine Company
No. 1 was placed in service at Benning.
D. c. This company is provided with two
chemical engines and eleven men ano
was much needed for a long time pre-
viously in the vicinity in which it is To-
Gated.
According to the report Of the chief en-
| gineer there were received during the
year $40 bell alarms and 416 local alarms
of fire. The total estimated fire loss Is
| $500. 1877. within q fraction of being 10 per
cent Of the total insurance Of $3, 499, 80.
| The loss is an increase Of $92.O53 over tina,
| Of the preceding year, the increase being
due to ten fires, for which extra alarms
| were sounded and which resulted in a
| loss Of $130,525.
Electrical Operation and Supervision.
The electrical department, which has
| supervision Of the public lighting, and of
the District telephone and fire alarm sys-
TENS. of the constructions of the public
| service corporations using electricity. in
| GLIDING the placing Of wires underground,
| and which regulates the installations in
all buildings has met the increase Of its
task due to the increase Of population and
building efficiently during the past year.
A general improvement in all conditions
under it's supervision is reported.
The several gas, naphtha and electric
street lighting services were maintained
| at their former high standard, and nu-
merous extensions were made. The total
Increase In the number Of lamps was al
The work of the District underground
system was continued during the year
| with addition Of fourteen miles of cable,
the erection Of forty-seven additional fire.
alarm and patrol posts, and the connect
| ing of nine additional buildings.
Fifteen new fre-&larm boxes were
placed in service. Of which four were
| private boxes. At the close Of the year
there were 44s fre-alarm baxes In service
There was q net increase Of nine tele-
| phones installed on the District systems.
At the close OF the fiscal year all of the
public schools, with the exception Of two
were supplied with telephone service con-
nected with the District switchboard
The separate telephone system installed
for the police department, with connec-
tions to each Of the station houses. to the
various offices Of the departments, and to
a number Of the captains and inspectors
| residences, has proved Of great value to
that department.
Central Fire Alarm Office.
Seventeen new police patrol boxes were
established during the year.
During the period between March 81
| and June % the electrical department
| transferred the central flre-alarm Office,
with all it's complicated apparatus. switch
| boards and instruments, from its old To-
| new quarters prepared for 1t on the fifth
| floor Of the municipal building. This
work Of removal, which was carried out
entirely by the employees of the depart
! ment, was accomplished without any in
| terruption to the service. The new ar
rangement of the Office, with its fireproof
metallic cabinet work, Is ideal, and makes
| 1t one of the finest central offices in the
country.
The Chesapeake and Potomac Tele-
phone Company made gratifying progress
| in the work Of extending its underground
conduits and removing poles and wires
| from the streets. The company reports
the removal of 103 poles from the streets
1 nvaI ali ~~v{tl hi ~
In addition lat poles have been taken
down by other companies. including
thirty-f1ve belonging to the District of Co.
lumbia.
The appointment Of an additional cleo.
| trical inspector authorized by Congress
enabled the department to begin the sys
tematic inspection Of electrical wiring ir
old buildings.
| Theater inspection was carried on regu-
| larly each week by the inspector detailed
for that purpose.
Inspection Of Meters.
A large number of electrical meters are
| now in use, and the Commissioners be.
| lieve there should be an inspector Of cleo
trio meters, there being now no officia
| inspection. and in case Of dispute between
the private corporation furnishing the
| current and the consumer there Is no Of
| fetal means of determining the question
For many years the inspection Of gas and
gas meters has been provided by law, and
the Commissioners believe it is time thai
such an inspection was provided for cleo
trio meters. They recommend that Con
gress make provision for such an office
| and that the private corporation furnish
ing electricity in the District of Column
bia be required to contribute toward the
expense Of such an Office in the same way
as corporations furnishing gas do to the
Office of the inspector Of gas and meters
In compliance with the regulations, the
inspector of gas and meters made 1O11
official photometric tests during the year
of the Illuminating gas supplied by the
two gas companies to consumers In the
ence Of sulphuretted hydrogen and deter
| mination of the amount of ammonia and
sulphur In the gas were also made daily
In addition a continuous record was OBJ
tanned at the three testing stations of the
pressure maintained in the gas mains
| and occasional determinations were made
Of the specific gravity of the gas.
During the year this Office inspected
| and proved 1882 gas meters for the two
gas companies and the consumers. O1
| this number 1918 were inspected on com
plant of consumers. and the tests
| showed Al per cent to be registering fas,
| and 50 per cent correct. OF 1913 con.
| sumers' meters tested on complaint of the
| gas companies o. per cent were slow OF
failed altogether to register the gas pass
ing through them.
The sum Of $2.S45 was collected as fees
| for meter inspections. and this amount