Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-07-04
FIRE DEPARTMENT.

Chief Wagner was strictly on the job
today. His office at the District build
ing was closed, but he was at one of the
houses of the department or some other
place where he was in constant touch
with the department.
These are happy Fourth of July
DAYS" the chief remarked recalling the
days before the safe and sane method of
celebrating was inaugurated.
when the indiscriminate use of fire.
crackers was permitted the chief added,
lit was a case of the department being
on the go all the time, but now the
Fourth is no worse than an ordinary day,
so far as the department is concerned ="
Before the Inauguration Of the safe
and sane plan of celebrating the day, it
is stated. something like fifty firemen
were detailed in the business section of
the city to eXtinguish awning and other
small fires.
Firemen did not know what it meant
to. spend part of the day with their fam
lilies, but We're kept on duty the entire
twenty-four hours. Since the change was
made however. firemen have their days
Off the Fourth of July the same as at
other seasons.
Chief Wagner recalled Fourth of
July a number of years ago when a
police order was intended to prevent chill
dren from indulging in a dangerous form
of celebrating. and that day, the chief
said. the department was kept busy.
Property was destroyed and human life
sacrificed.
But with the new order of things
the chief concluded, everybody is hap
pier and firemen and surgeons have less
work to do
Fire Marshal Nicholson is another Off
cial of the department who fully appre-
ciates the safe and sane method Of doing
business the Fourth of July. He finds
about as much as he can do without
looking after a score or more of fires
in sheds and other outbufldings where
boys We're in the habit of congregating
and setting off firecrackers and other
explosives.
1t was a case of the morning after"
with the fire marshal, commented de-
partmental official. for it was the next
morning that he had to visit the scenes
of the fires, make Investigations and sub
NIT his reports.
Not only does the fire marshal have to
report the location and amount of dam
age done by fires. but he has to deter
mine their origin, if possible, and in
cases of incendiarism it is up to him to
assist the police to bring the pei petra
tors to justice.
the reports of the fire marshal are care
less smoking. rats gnawing matches,
backfiring in automobiles. smoky CHM
ney, children playing with matches. over
heated oil stove, careless handling OF
gasoline, short-circuitng of wires. grease
on stove becoming overheated, sparks
from locomotive and spontaneous COM
bustion.
More than 100 members of the fire de-
partment own motor cycles.
TT was necessary for them to do some
thing when they were stopped from rid
ing on street cars without paying fares.''
said one of their number, land the pur-
chase of motor vehicles seemed the only
solution.
TT certainly reduces the cost of trans
portation." he added, and consequently
gives a man more money to spend for
the necessarieS of life
Since the free rides were abolished it
is stated, there has been perceptible in
crease in the number of motor vehicles
in the department, and No. truck COM
many has eight of Its members riding
such vehicles.
Not only have the owners of the vehi-
Giles saved car fare, they state. but the
time required going to and from home
means much to them, and then when the
firemen are required to leave home and
respond to an alarm the District gets the
benefit OF their services III IHucn snort
er time.
Chief Wagner and DR.. Charles Barn.
well Robinson, the latter the depart
their annual inspection of the horses in
the department.
.aThe department has 236 horses" the
chief stated, "or two dozen less than the |
greatest number the department ever
owned"
The decrease the chief said. is due to J
the installation of motor vehicles. Such I
vehicles are fast eliminating horses from
fire departments all over the country, |
and it perhaps is a good thing for more
reasons than one.
Good horses for fire department uses
are getting scarce" he stated, and If |