The Washington times., 1910-10-10
Declares Better Protection
Should Be Afforded
for DiStritc.
FAVORS APPARATUS
DRIVEN BY MOTOR
Head of Department Says District
Is Not Behind the
Times.

Characterizing as inadequate the
fire protection Of the District, Fire
Chief Wagner. in his annual report
submitted TO the Commissioners to-
day, urges the installation of a high
pressure fire protection service and Of
motor propelled fire apparatus.
In proof Of the necessity for a high
pressure fire protection service. Chief
Wagner directs attention to two fires
which occurred on the night Of July
6, 1908.
ITO these alarms" says the report,
every available piece Of apparatus re-
sponded, with the exception Of three
chemical companies On the outskirts Of
the city. The entire District of Column
bia was, therefore, without fire protec-
ton. In addition TO these two alarms
another alarm was received at ITO
p. m, which called for a second alarm
ITO this alarm the department had
nothing 10 respond but the three chem
ical companies referred to. and 1t was
only due TO the ability OF the department
TO control one of the first two fires
that engines could be spared to send to
the third fire, which was in a most
hazardous district-the commission
house district on Louisiana avenue
northwest Good fortune alone, there
fore, was responsible for averting
most serious cOnfagration.
Had the business section of the city
been provided with the high-pressure
service the three fires could have been
handled without difficulty, and there
would still have been companies ia
quarters To respond to any additional
alarms received. This fOrcible demon
StratiOn Of the Districts inadequate fire
protection cannot fail 10 convince even
the most skepticaI Of the value of the
system which for several years the
Commissioners have Vainly enCeaVOred
to have installed.
THE carrying out Of this project
would result in giving the business sec
ton Of the city three times the pro-
lection which is now offered and would
also give double protection TO the resi-
dental centerS, as the steam ire en-
CINE now in the business center would
be transferred. These facts, considered
with he statement that the first cost
OF this system[woUld be practically the
only cost, serve TO show beyOund ques-
ton the adViSabilitV OF the installation
OF the high-preSSUre service.
The district which II is proposed TO
protect by this system is bounded by 3
and / streets north, and First and
Eighteenth streets west. 1t is recon-
mended that this matter be brought 10
next session"
Concerning the installation of motor
propelled fire apparatus The following
recommendation is made:
The rapid development of mOtOr-prO-
PEELED IRE apparatus and its installation
in most Of the FIRE department.. through
out the country indicates that this city
is rather behind the times IN that re-
gard. That such apparatus is not only
efficient, but also more economical than
hOrse-drawn apparatus has been clear
y demonstrated by the experience of
other departments, and I feel now that
the District of Columbia should install
at least one such machine In the Eear
future.
Asks For CisteTns.
Chief Wagner recommends also that
storage cisterns be established at the
following points:
Thirteenth street and Pennsylvania
avenue northwest. Thirteenth and F
streets northwest, Fourteenth street and
Pennsylvania avenue northwest, Four
teenth and G streets northwest, Ninth
and + streets northwest, Seventh and L
streets northwest
The number Of alarms received dur
ing the year was 1.124, resulting in a
total loss of S321.519. covered by an
insurance Of S4,387.476.
The regulations concerning the in,
spection OF the theaters. and Of the
hotels, apartment houses, mercantile
establishments, office buildings, &C
cOTding to the report, have been
strictly enforced.