Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-01-02
FIRE CHIEF To ASK
FUND FOR AUTO
APPARATUS
Report Will Show to Council
Saving of rs Per Cent in
Upkeep Expense.

When w. b. Cummings, chief of the
FIRE. department, submits his annual
ranort to council Monday he will make
some important recommendations In
,he first place. he win present to the
.,,,ncflmen a plan for saving 20 per
.ont annually on upkeep, by Installing
.,,re combination automobile wagons.
,rban he will ask for sufficient appro-
.-~,a+ion 10 build three new fire sta
inns and to equip one already built
Horses. declares the chief, are con-
.,,,,ins, So 500 year in feed, and to
shoe them and pay the bills Of veter-
.,ariaps also is a dead weight. The
combination machines Will include
chemical engine, hose wagon and pump,
IKE the $4,000 apparatus at station No.
70 DeKalb and Moreland avenues.
With the new machines, says the
chief two-thirds of steamers, hose
wagons. chemical and hose wagons
chemical engines, hook and ladder
wagons and the like would be cut Off
and the force of firemen might be
greatly reduced.
Finds Site in Ansley Park.
IN 1911. it will be recalled, Chief
Cummings had an appropriation OF
20 500 for a fire station lot in Ansley
Park. but nobody would sell the chief
q LOT for his purpose so he had to re-
turn the money and tell council he
couldn't spend it, But the chief de-
cIares that the people in that section
and contiguous sections need protec-
ton, and he has found man with the
necessary lot.
Another recommendation showing
the evolution Of the fire department
will be that touching the character of
future fire houses in residential dis
tricts These stations will be of the
bungalow type, like the house on Lee
street. in the Tenth ward.
1T is no longer necessary to build
The old style engine house declares
chief Cummings, ''to be Objectionable
10 neighbors. We can place our bunga-
lows in the best sections and nobody
will know that fire houses are there
except when the horses Cor rather, the
automobiles are running. The front
yards viii be nicely planted in flowers,
ike other front yards.
Under the new system the firemen
will sleep two in a room, instead of all
together in one big room"
To Ask For Three Bungalows.
The finance committee of council
win meet soon to provide for equip
ping the Lee street station in the Tenth
ward. and Chief Cummings will ask
for approximately $4,000 for three
bungalows to be put on lots which all
ready have been bought on Bellwood
avenue (Fifth ward), Gordon street
Seventh Ward). and on the lot to be
bought in or near Ansley Park.
The bungalow idea is the chiefs own
but he has heard a great deal of COM
mendation of 1t and as for the auto
mobile apparatus, Chief Cummings be-
.eyes that council will look on his sug-
sestion as q real economic opportunity
Rats gnawing matches cost the city
Of Atlanta s2,8O1 in the past year, ac-
cprding to the record compiled by Chief
cummings.
Rats Caused First Fire of Year.
The very first fire of the year
was caused by rats. 1t was on
January J., 1912, in building on
G.HQe' street owned by FItZhugh
hnoE. This caused a damage OF $725.
mother fire on South Pryor street,
property owned by Randall Brothers,
caused damage Of $2049 and still an
uJner lire started by rats resulted in a
So. loss. In 1911 there were only two
nat fires. with a minimum of damage.
Most of 1925 fires were caused by
sparks in roofs, defective hues, care
IN saaFr rs.,AH
ng 10 report made by Chief Cum
0lngs. The report shows the loss sus-
aIned in 1912 was 100000 less than in
ne preceding year. In 1911 the loss
IS =, $042,695 and in 1912 only $347 .633.
me total value of property al risk in
-sdl was $S,S55,sS and in 1912 $7,4s5.-
$50; Insurance risks were $6,312,449
and $5,S15,210. respectively.
Cnlef Cummings was commended on
..s showing in 1911, which was better
man in 1910. His 1912 report is even
better than that of 1911.