The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-09-16
CITY HALL FIRE
INQUIRY is NEXT
Another Investigation Ordered
by Council Committee to Get
at the Facts.

investigation of the recent fire at
the City Hall and its cause was dis
cussed by the Committee on Electricity
last night. Mr.. Bowman desired &c
discharge a subcommittee which mao
been instructed to look into the mat.
ter and have the full committee IN
v~estigate. In view of the failure to
secure quorums recently, this was
abandoned and the subcommittee in,
structed to proceed, the committee
piedging itself for any expenses in
Cured in having n stenographic rec
ord made and in summoning wit
nesses.
sists of Messrs. Huber. Bowman. Ben
nett. Nelson and Radcliffe. Superin-
tendent Trafford stated after the meet
Ing that II was not improbable that
wires of the School Board private tele.
phone system and of the municipal
electric plant had become crossed.
There was a storm that night, and
they might have touched. but what
Mr. Trafford wanted to know was why
the City Hall was not properly pro-
tected-why the ordinary safety de-
Vices We're not provided for the Schoo
Board switchboard, and for wires en-
terinS the building. The crossing of
wires in storms or by the falling of a
tree might occur at any time.
mber of the committee express
ed the belief that cheap apparatus anf
incompetent linemen had been employ
ed In installing the School Board tele.
phones. which connect the various
schoolhouses with the Superintendent
Office, and there wa a general dis
position to inquire by what authority
such q system of telephones had been
Installed. 1t was stated that for much
less than the monthly salaries of the
linemen and operators employed. Bell
telephones could be installed in every
schoolhouse, n that the same was
true OF the private branch telephone
exchange maintained by the Fire De-
partment, connecting fire enginehousos
with the City Hall. and operated en-
tirely independent of the fire alarm
service.
Electric Current on.
Building Inspector Beck reported
that since the fire he had ordered al.
electric current cut out of the City
Hall. Formerly the four boards which
have special expense accounts-Fire,
Police. Health and Schools-lighted
their offices by electricity. disoarding
the ancient gas fixtures with which
dead, and the electric lights hav been
cut off in the elevators. Mr.. Beck
stated that from reports made to him
all the wiring in the building was In
bad shape. and would have to be CON-
pletely renewed. superintendent Trat-
ford reported that a special line woulo
have to be run from the electric plant
to provide incandescent lighting for
the City Hall. Blues Armory. High
School. and Second Market, and any
other pal buildings in that Sec
ton.
All OF these buildings except tho
City Hall are now lighted by e%lectri-
city from the Virginia Railway and
Power Company. Mr.. Jones called at
tention to the fact that all Of South
Richmond. most of the centre poles on
Broad Street. and many other lights
were still being operated by the cleo
trio company. at an annual cost OF So
900 or $1,000, when the city has a
lighting plant of it's own. I'VE are as
bad as Storms s. Company about nm
ishing the work." he protested; I'VE
should get through building this plant
some time
AT the suggestion OF Chairman
Lynch. superintendent Trafford was
to draw up a report show
Ing what the entire plant has cost up
to this time. Mr. Lynch was frank
to say that he did not know. Nm &C.
ton was taken as to erecting a trans
mission line for lighting public build
ings. the cost of which will be So, 900,
as available funds for extensions have
been largely used In erecting the JEFF
ferson Avenue ornamental lights not
contemplated In the aDproprlation.