Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-10
Chief Wagner Suggests Pur-
chase of Swift Fire Engine.
REPORTS TOTAL FIRE LOSS
Property Valued at $321,519 De.
stroyed the Past Year.
AMOUNT OF THE INSURANCE
Head of Fire Department Recon-
mends Installation of Gravity
High Pressure System.

Fire losses aggregating s321.5i9 were
caused in the District of Columbia by
Logo fires during the fiscal year ended
June 30. 1910. according to the annual
report submitted to the Commissioners
today by f.. ]. Wagner. chief of the fire
department. The buildings and other
property damaged by fire were insured
for SASS, 1876, so that the actual losses
represented only about Z per cent of the
total insurance. There were sixteen large
fires for which extra alarms were sound
ed, and in these the losses totaled $143,-
100 In six other fires the losses reached
500, 600. and the remaining loo fires
caused losses totaling only SIS, Toe.
Chief Wagner stated that the inspection
work. with the view of minimizing causes
of fires, was continued during the year by
the staff under Fire Marshal, Nicholson.
The establishments inspected included
hotels, apartment houses, mercantile
houses. Office buildings and theaters. and
In each case care was taken to secure
compliance with the laws relating to in
stallation OF fire escapes. fire extinguish-
ers alarm gcngs and signal lights. A
total of q, 1JS such Inspections were made
during the year.
Asks for Gravity Pressure.
Most important Of the recommendations
made by Chief Wagner was that in which
he requested the Commissioners to make
every EFFORT to have a gravity high-pres-
sure system installed in the downtown
business section. In this connection Chief
Wagner said:
the fire department has Washington's
heed Tor htgh-pressure system been
more clearly demonstrated than on the
night of July 6. 1908, when two fires,
one of which called for a second alarm,
and the other for fourth alArm. oc-
Cured at OIL and $40 pm, respectively.
TO these alarms every available piece
OF apparatus responded, with the excep-
tion OF three chemical companies on the
outskirts of the city. and the entire Dis
trict Of Columbia was, therefore. without
fire protection. In addition to these two
alarms another alarm was received at
lilo pm, which called for q second
alarm.
ITO this alarm the department had
nothing to respond with except the three
chemical companies referred to, and it
was only due to the ability Of the depart
ment to control one of the first two
f1res that engines could be spared to send
to the third one, which was in a most
hazardous district, the commission house
district on Louisiana avenue northwest
Good fortune alone. therefore, was respon-
sible for averting most serious con-
flagration.
Demonstration of Necessity.
Had the business section Of tile citv
been provided with the high.pressure
service the three fires could have been
handled without difficulty, and there would
sun nave been companies in quarters to
respond to any additional alarms re-
ceived
This forcible demonstration of the Dis
trict's inadequate fire protection cannot
fail to convince even the most skepticaI
OF the value OF the system which for sew
eral years the Commissioners have yainIy
endeaNored to have installed The carry
ing out of this project would result in
giving the business section Of the city
three times the protection which Is now
Afforded. and would also give double pro-
lection to the residential centers, as the
steam fire engines now in the business
center would be transferred These facts
considered with the statement that the
first cost OF the system would be prac-
t1cally the only cost serve to show beyond
question the advisabiIity of the installa-
ton OF the high-pressure service.
1.-THE district which 1t is proposed to
protect by this system is bounded by u
and l streets north and LIST and 18th
streets west"
Value of the Cisterns.
Chief Wagner also spoke of the value
to the department of the large water
storage cisterns now located at 10th and
D streets and at 7th street and Louisiana
avenue northwest, and he recommended
that similar cisterns be installed at the
following points: Thirteenth street and
Pennsylvania avenue northwest, 18th and
F. streets northwest. 18th street and Penn
streets northwest, 9th and F streets
northwest. 7th and E streets northwest
Stating his belief that Washington
fire department is rather behind the times
with regard to the use of motor-pro-
PEELED fire apparatus. the chief asked the
Commissioners to recommend an appro.
priation which will permit the department
to purchase at least one motor-lriven
fire engine during the ensuing year.
Desiring that the men in his department
NAV be allowed a day off every fourth
day, instead of a day off every fifth day.
Chief Wagner asked that Congress be re-
auested to provide for fifty additional pri-
Yates for the department.
Number of Available Horses.
The department had on hand at the end
of the fiscal year a total of 237 horses, 1g1
of which were stated to be in good CON-
ditio,,, 3G in fair condition and ~ in such
poor condition that the District veterina-
rian wished to order them condemned.
There were seventy-nine former men,
bers of the fire department on the pen
IF tho dena the IF