Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-20

Chief Wagner.
In his annual report to the Commission
ers today Chief Engineer Wagner Of tn,
Fire Department makes a plea for high
pressure service; for an appropriation tt
provide the fire protection for public
schools as previously asked for; declare!
that the city should be equipped with mo-
tor propelled apparatus. and that fifty
additional privates should be added to thu
personnel of the department
"Of the 1000 local and bell alarms re-
ceived during the year." he says, fifty
three were false. decrease Of thirty-foul
over last year. Several arrests were mad.
of persons suspected of turning in fals'
alarms. In three cases one of the offend
ers was sentenced to Jail for six months
another was punished by fine Of $50
and the other-a youth-was committed t.
the Reform School for Boys. The de
crease In the number of false alarms re
ceived during the year is no doubt largel!
due to the severity Of the punishment in
Nf1icted upon persons convicted of such Of
lenses
Estimated Losses in Year.
'"The estimated loss involved by the son
bell alarms is s259. 1880. with an insur
ance of 81 1O3.932. The estimated loss in
volved by the 494 local alarms was SCI.
49, covered by an insurance of 1920, Ola
The total fire loss is a decrease of $266. 81
over the loss for the preceding year.
1.-The decrease in the amount of fire loss
Is believed to be due in great part to eff
forts looking toward the prevention OF
inb boc fo no
nized as of equal Importance with the
actual eXtinguishing of fire. During the
year &c, 932 inspections were made of mer.
camille establishments, hotels, apartment
houses. office buildings, yards. cellars,
etc, in order to see that any and all con-
ditions likely to cause or promote fire
were remedied." -;.,ist -
In speaking of the public schools the
chief engineer says that in accordance
with instructions from the Commissioners
every school building is inspected by a
committee, consisting of the assistant to
the Engineer Commissioner, the chief en-
gineer of the fire department and the in
spector of buildings, prior to its occu-
pancy for school purposes.
1T Is recommended, he continues, that
further effort be made to secure from
Congress the appropriation necessary to
provide the fire protection for public
schools recommended In previous reports.
Plea for High Pressure Service.
He deals at some length with the plea
for higher pressure water service.
Perhaps at no time in the history of
the fire department. he says, has Wash
ingtons need for a high pressure system
been more clearly demonstrated than on
the night of July 6. 1903. when two fires,
one of which called for a second alarm
and the other for fourth alarm,
occurred at Oil and $40 pm, respec-
lively. To these alarms every available
piece of apparatus responded, with the
exception Of three chemical companies on
the outskirts of the city. and the entire
District of Columbia was, therefore, with
out fire protection In addition to these
TWO alarms another alarm was received
at 11:10 pm, which called for second
alarm. To this alarm the department had
nothing with which to respond but the
three chemical companies.
Had the business section Of the city
been provided with the high-pressure serv-
zee the three fires could have been handled
without difficulty and there would still
have been companies in quarters to re-
spond to any additional alarms received.
1T is recommended that this matter be
brought to the special attention of Con-
gress at its next session.
Motor-Propelled Apparatus.
1.-The rapid development of motor-pro-
PEELED fire apparatus and its installation
in most of the fire departments through
out the country indicates he declares,
that this city is rather behind the times
in that regard. That such apparatus is
not only efficient but also more economi-
cal than horse-drawn apparatus has been
clearly demonstrated by the experience
of other departments, and 1 feel now that
the District of Columbia should install at
least one such machine in the near flu
ture."
Chief Wagner comments on the discip-
line of the department as follows:
THE conduct of the members Of the
shows an improvement over
the preceding year. in that but eight
of the force were dismissed and
only sixteen punished by being deprived
of their days off. fined or reprimanded.
Larger Force Needed.
After making an earnest request for ad-
ditional men for the department, Chief
Wagner says:
The question of allowing the members
Of the department more time off duty
has been brought before the Commission
ers again during the past year. The men,
bers at present are allowed one day off
every fifth day, the balance of the time
they are required to be on duty both day
and night There is no doubt that this
entails upon these men do
nestle sacrifices which should not be re-
uuired If it is in any way possible to
prevent it. The members of the depart
ment ask that they be allowed one day
of every fourth day. and l believe that
their request Is reasonable and should be
with. This can be done If fifty
additional men are provided but cannot
be done with the present limited number
Of men without seriously Gripping the ef-
Of the department"