Evening star., 1909-03-10
FIRE MENACED PENSION OFFICE
DECORATIONS PUT IN FLAMES
BY FLASHLIGHT SPARK.
Put Out by Watchful Firemen.
Praise for All His Men Given
by Chief Wagner.

High praise for the work OF the firemen
during the inaugural period is contained
in report made by the fire chief to
Commissioner Macfarland today.
1T is with great pleasure that 1 have
to commend the officers and members of
the fire department for their splendid ef
forts and untirhg energy in carrying out
the work assigned to them during the
inauguration PERIOD" says the letter of
the fire chief.
THE excellent conduct of each and
every member of the department and the
intelligent and courteous manner in which
they dealt with officials and the general
public result in enabling me to report
that not one complaint was received. nor
was there any untOward incident to les
sen the praise and commendation awarded
the firemen for the satisfactory perform
ance of their duties.
1T is highly gratifying, too. for me to
invite your attention to the harmony and
good will shown by the members of the
police department and the members of
the fire department in the execution of
their work.
II have today issued a circular letter
to the officers and members of the depart
ment commencing them for the efficient
manner in which they performed their re-
sponsible and arduous duties"
Pension Office Fire Put Out.
Prompt action on the part of firemen
stationed in the pension building. the re-
port shows. prevented a big fire in that
structure.
Il have to report" says the fire chief
that after the concert in the pension
building Saturday. March 6. arrangements
we're made to take f1ashlight picture
of the members of the inaugural chorus.
When this was brought to my attention
l at once made arrangements for eight
firemen to take up their position in the
vicinity of the flashlights with necessary
fire extinguishers for use in case of
need.
when these lights were ignited one of
them burned a hole through the sack in
which 1T was suspended. Failing sparks
set fire to the decorations around the first
balcony. Prompt action by the firemen
however. extinguished the light and the
fire without material damage"
Regarding the general provisions against
outbreaks of fire during the inaugural
period Fire Chief Wagner reported, in
part, as follows:
January 5, 1909, I made a thorough
examination of the pension building with
the view to determining what was neces-
sary for Its proper protection during the
inaugural ceremonies. AS the result of
this inspection arranged to detail thirty
uniformed members of the fire depart
ment for duty in the pension building
Ii OII Z cDI udIs " Gil ~, 1913, III
elusive, under the immediate command of
Capts. I. OConnor and H. c. Egoff and
subject to the supervision of Battalion
Chief ]. Keliher and myself
These men were on duty day and night
throughout every section of the building
each man being assigned a patrol A
room In the pension building in which
thirty cots and the necessary bedding
was provided was set aside for the use
of this detail.
The pension building is equipped with
standpipe systems, with outlets on each
floor. For each of these outlets I pro-
vided an ample amount Of fire hose to
reach every point in the building.
Fire appliances were also distributed
at convenient points throughout the
building. A line of fire hose was run
from the fire hydrant at 4th and F
streets northwest to the temporary frame
building used as kitchen.
THE detail was personally instructed
by me as to its duties and warned that a
violation of any rule or neglect Of duty
would be severely punished.