消防部门。

消防部门。

The annual parade of the fire department of the District of Columbia took place on October 15. The Washington Post says: “Under the administration of Chief Parris the department has been admirably mauaged ami was never more thoroughly organized. It occupies a rank second to that of no similar organization in the country, and it should be the duty of Congress to see that it keeps full pace with the growing limits and advancing needs of the national capital. The demands upon the force are becoming more exacting every year, and considering the extensive area of territory and vast amount of property it is expected to cover, its means should be correspondingly enlarged. The chief deserves to be re-enforced at every weak point. There is no economy in stinting our appliances for the protection of property against fire, and Congress, we trust, will see the wisdom of supplying the department with every additional man. horse, wagon, engine or engine house that the safety of a large and growing city reasonably requires. We have a splendid force, a first-class man at the head of it, brave, reliable men in it. It devolves upon the government to give it prompt and adequate support. The capital of the United States should have the most complete and best equipped fire department in the world.”

At Binnewater, N. Y., October 16, the cement mill, warehouses, cooper shops and other buildings of the Lawrence Cement Company, were totally destroyed by fire. The loss is $300,000 ; insurance, $100,000. There were five buildings destroyed, comprising the mill, engine house, cooper shop, storehouse and cracker room, besides twelve West Shore box cars, 7000 barrels of cement and 5000 new empty barrels. The cause of the fire is unknown. The mill was comparatively new, having been built about five years ago. About 300 hands are thrown out of work by the fire.