El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-02-06
FIRE Loss IN Fl PAS0IN 1874
AVERAGED ONLY $500 AN ALARM
With Up to Date Equipment the Ell Paso Fire Department
Demonstrates Efficiency by Holding Loss Percent
age to a Very Low Figure; City Is Well
Protected With Sub Stations

call and the good Judgment they dis
play in the matter of using water are
great factors in the comparative small
fire loss shown by Ell PasO, which, as
shown by the figures, averages but $500
per alarm
But Four Dig Ones in 1914.
During the year 1914 there were but
four big fires: The TexicO stables; the
hay barns and contents at the South
western stockyards; the hay storage
warehouse at the Texas & Pacific Rail-
way cOmpany's freight depot, and at
the store of the Popular Dry Goods
company. The loss, in the latter in
stance. amounted but to $4,000, which,
compared with the great stock carried
and the value of the buildings threat
ened, was almost infinitesimal-
Hay Fires Swell Losses.
The two hay fires and the loss occa-
stoned by the destruction Of the stables
of the TexicO Transfer company were
particularly hard fires to fight and
the loss Occasioned thereby made up
fully one-half of the total loss by fire
suffered by the entire city during the
year.
Compared With 1902.
Having recourse again to the city
directory Of the year 1902. which FUR
nishes the basis Of another article in
this issue of The Herald, for purposes
Of comparison with the present time,
it is found that in that year Ell Paso
$1,000 worth of apparatus and SZ5OO
invested in buildings devoted to fire
protection purposes, as against a total
of s14S,S42.17 invested in real estate,
buildings and equipment devoted to
protection against fire now.
Difference in Equipment.
While in 1902 the equipment consisted
Of one steamer and a combination
chemical and hose wagon and num-
Der Of hose carts, used for direct pres
sure purposes, the present year finds
the department with six stations,
known as Central station equipped
with one Metropolitan steamer, one
horse-drawn hose wagon, one horse
drawn hook and ladder truck, one mo-
tor combination chemical and hose
wagon and one automobile for the use
Of the chief Of the department; Mesa
station, equipped with one morse
drawn combination chemical and hose
wagon and one surface truck; Sunset
station. equipped with one triple mo-
tor engine: East FL Paso. with one
triple combination motor engine; High
land Park. one hOrse-drawn combi-
nation chemical and hose wagon.
Many More Men Employed.
As against six men employed in 1907.
mainly to keep the apparatus in con
ditiOn to be handled by the volunteers,
Al men are now employed, distributed
a s follows Twenty-Five men at Cen
tral station. six men at Mesa, five men
at Sunset, and four men each at East
Ell Paso and Highland Park.
The department is supplied with the
Camel fire alarm system, for which
there are IS boxes" and p wheels.
from which alarms may be turned in
indicating to the department by tap of
bell the approximate location Of the
fire.
In addition to this fire alarm sys-
TEN. telephones are established in all
stations with operators in attendance
day and night.
Salaries Paid.
The total salaries paid the six men
employed in 1902 cannot be learned
without much digging through the
shelves Of the store rooms in which
the old city records are kept. In 1914,
however. they amounted to $46,9SO, dis
tributed as follows;
Chiefs office -...............S 5,5ZO.OO
Central station .............. zl,bbU-UO
Mesa SuauOn ...s...s.. o,VVV-VU
Sunset station ................ 5,34OO0
East FL Paso station 100000
Highland Park station. $4,000
Total ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 6,9sO.OO
Total Of $4,000.
Station supplies, equipment, forage