Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-11-17

at length ABOUT tht tdutPan~Nt
fire department, the number OF hre
alarm boxes, the number of paid men
an the department and the amounts
! of The fire losses In this city eacn
wear since the city's incorporation IN
1896 While on the stand Chief stow
J created some amusement by stating,
after no had been asked for data re-
garding fire insurance, that be WASH !
"a Bob Leckey."
Questioned about the equipment OF
the fire department. the CHIEF stated
that there are three steamers, two
hose wagons. one combination hose
wagon and chemical engine, new
65-foot aerial truck and hook ano
and ladder truck. There are nfteen
paid men and more than 100 yolun.
teers IN the department The chief
testified that in his judgment the de-
partment is wholly adequate for the
protection OF the property In this
city. He said that there are II hre
alarm boxes In the city and % mag
mary boxes--that is locations In the
city which are numbered as regular
boxes when fire alarms come from
those districts.
Asked II there Is any apparatus IN
the department not recommended Dy
the ins urance companies, CHIEF stow
said that there are some hand hre-
exk;nguishers which are not recon-
mended By the underwriters, but that
he regards them as frstclass In every
particular and far superior to the ex
tinguishers recommended by the uf'
derwriters.
Fire Loss Very Small.
ON direct examinatioufby Captain
Berkeley and crossexamination cy MI.
Harrison, Chief STOW gave the exact
fire losses In Newport News from
Nav. 1896, when the city was incor-
porated, 10 January /. 1910. Tie fsg-
ures furnished by the chief show 'hs'
the fire losses In the city proper our
ing the fourteen years have been very
small. Several big losses nave oc-
Cured at the shipyard. but that Insur-
ance Is not controlled by the Soatn-
eastern Underwriters Association.
When Chief STOW told OF the S2y'o,
O00 Are at the Chesapeake & onio
terminals broad grins spread over tue
faces of counsel for the defense. the
chief explained that a great rart OF
this loss was on steamships and che
sailing vessel. The insurance on the
vessels as well as on much NJ the
con- ents OF the two piers which were
DESTROYED was carried ov Lloyds. In
the redirect examination by M Lett.
Chief stow said that he could no. say
positiyely whether there was any IN
surapce either on the piers or the YES
sells, nor could he say that any in-
surance ever was paid .oi the ioss vi
he piers. 80 a.,
Chief Slows figures show that VA
the City proper only Ave or six -eaiI!
big Ares have occurred since the IN
corporation of the city. Among these
was the Newport News Baptis, church.
the foundry at. Fortieth street ana
Huntington avenue and block c.
frame dwelling in Rockets. The tota!
of the damage In each of hundreds oi
the fires In the fourteen years did not
exceed $50. In concluding. the CHIEF
said that In 1909 Newport News was
the second city in the United states
in the point of small fire loss, the toai
here during the year being less than
$1,000.
Chief Mitchell Testifies.s
While cross-examining the chief. Mr..
Harrison brought on the fact that IN
case OF fire at night in the districts
where they are nc fire alarm boxes
the only way TO send an alarm to the
department would be by using teie'
phone in private residence. After
the fire chief Left the stand Captain
berkeley called Chief of Police Mitch
ell and brought out evidence from him
showing that the police department
has a privatt telephone system with
eleven boxes In various parts OF the
city and that Are alarms could be sent
in over this system. The police cniei
testified that there ere twenty-five po-
lice patrolmen In the department an
that there are four watchmen employed
az night. one in North End. one on
washington avenue and two In ROCK
etts.
City Engineer 7. E. Pearse testified
as to the amount Of strset paving IN
the city and when Il ives put down.
Mr.. Pearse said that the paving on
Washington avenue Twenty-ntn
street and part OF that on Huntington
avenue was laid ten years ago. Sew
eral years later paving was laid on
the upper end Of Huntington avenue
and On Jefferson avenue and or Twen-
ty-eighth street. Within the past two
years pavement has been laid on the
upper end of Huntington avenue,
Chestnut avenue, Roanoke avenue, Or
cut, avenue. part OF Twenty-eigh'n
street and a number OF the cross
streets in the central part OF the city,,
Applied Outside Of City.
George T. KeDum, a local insur-
ance agent. testified that he repre-
sents fire insurance companies which
are members OF the association and
that he applied the ten per cent In
crease in rates OF last May on two
policies written on property outside
OF the city limits. One Of the two
policies was written on Mr.. Keiium's