The Paducah evening sun., 1910-01-04
Chief Wood sFourteenth An
nual Report is Excellent
One.
Keeps Department Expenses
Down 10 Minimnn.
ASKS FOR NEW FIRE STATION.

More fire alarms we're answered
during 1909 than any year since the
Organization of the city fire depart
ment, while the loss OF damage was
one OF the lightest in many years.
These interesting facts are shown by
the annual report OF the department
which has been prepared by Fire
Chief James Wood. During the year
there were POS alarms while the
total fire loss was $43.95O.S5 with
total insurance Of $549,35O.
This good condition." said Chief
Wood, in commenting upon his re-
port, ''is due in many respects to the
general cleaning up of the city.
Merchants have realized the danger
'of leaving piles of rubbish on their
premises. and have lowered the risk
by removing It. Praise Is due the
board of health for its splendid work
in cleaning mp, as Il has served a
dual purpose, one for health and a
second 10 relieve the danger from
fire. In the business district we
have been able TO encourage the mer
chants to clean up and prevent fires.
but in the outskirts the board Of
health has done the work of getting
the people to clean up"
New Fire station.
Chief among the recommendations
of Chief Wood is a new fire station
near Fountain avenue and Broad
way so that fire protection may be
afforded some OF the finest residences
The station would not cost much, as
only a few firemen will be required.
while a combination hose and ladder
wagon would be installed. The new
station. besides being a great aid to
the department, would save the
horses many long and hard runs to
axtinguish small fires. Mayor Smith
savors the new station and It is be-
'ieved that II will be erected during
he present year. Other recommend
ations Of the fire chief are: Water
main on Kentucky avenue west of
Twelfth street: fire plugs on Ken
lucky avenue between Ninth and
Eleventh street: new floor in fire
station No. 3: rubber tires on the
Central hose wagon, and six new
alarm boxes for the outskirts of the
city.
Fire Losses.
The itemlzed statement of the fire
,osses IL: Buildings insured, $12. 1870;
stocks insured, $24,4S3; buildings
not insured. s4,42075; stocks not
Insured. $2.S22.1O; loss on other
than buildings. $685.. The insur-
qnce was: Buildings. 1910, ,45O;
stocks. $3.50. $50; insurance on other
than buildings. 1880. A majority
II the alarms were for small fires and
he number was run up during Octo-
Der and November when dozens of
grass fires called the department out
to prevent damage TO property.
For burning grass there were 46
alarms. while the next greatest
source OF fires was sparks from Chin
neysas "a fires originated in this
manner. Defective flues resulted in
lis fires. Burning rubbish was re-
sponsible for 10 alarms. There were
10 fires of incendiary origin. and six
fires were the result of spontaneous
combustion. Incendiarism was the
cause OF three fires. Cigar stumps
started six blazes, while its brother,
the deadly cigarette, caused only one
fire.
BY telephone a large majority of
the fire alarms were received, as 1876
Of the calls came over the wire. The
alarms were received: Boxes, 81:
lstin. II; American District tele-
graph private system, 3; false, 5
and calls from outside the city, 3
October was the record making
month as there were Al alarms re-
ceived, while in November there
iwere 35 alarms.
In order to run the department
during 1910 Chief Wood estimates
hat II will take sS5 900. This will
include salaries and all expenses ii
the department with the exception
# improvements. As a finandiei
Chief Wood proved capable for il
1909 the department came out with
deficit of only s67. This included
the construction OF a concrete fiooi
in the No. 4 station out of the ap
portionment of $50, 900. Much of the
feed for the department was raised
on the city farm, and had this moi
been done Chief Wood said his de.
partment would have been over.
drawn at least $1,000. The farm has
been utilized for several years foI
raising the feed for the department
and annually saves big item OF ex-
lpense.
The report Is the twenty-second Of
1.-THE department as a paid organiza-
tion; while IL is the fourteenth an
49,