reinforced concrete, in simple design. Sketch No. 3 shows the type of combination lamp and trolley pole used on the Chouteau Avenue viaduct recently completed by the city. The lamp post is built of concrete. The lamp brackets and the fastenings for the trolley wires are made of cast bronze, and the lamp is designed for either gas or electricity, the former being

present. The Chouteau Avenue on which these lamps are located,

used at viaduct, was built crossing.

long, and

to eliminate a dangerous grade It is 80 feet wide and 1,600 feet cost $200,000. An unusual feature of its construction is the fact that the railroad companies interested in its construction paid into the city treasury the estimated cost of the structure, which was designed and built by the division of bridges and buildings.

Sketch No. 4 shows the type of lamp post to be used on the Bellerive Park bridge. The post is of concrete, the lamps of bronze, and gas will be used for illumination, altho the lamp and connections are designed for either gas or electricity.

Sketch No. 5 shows end and side elevations of an engine house to be built on a short, narrow lot having streets on four sides, but nearly triangular in shape.

Entrance and exit for the motor-driven fire engine and fuel wagon are provided at the ends of the building. The building is to be constructed of brick (taken largely from an old building now on the site), which will be covered with cream-colored cement Trim around the windows and doors will be of new face brick. The roof

stucco.

will be of slate.

Engineer of the

L. R. BOWEN, of Bridges and Buildings, Department President, Board of Public Service.

CITY
FORESTERS

Permanent Lawns for Norfolk NORFOLK, VA.-Among the plans outlined by the Commission on Beautifying the City of Norfolk at its organization was the following: "To make this Commission a bureau of information for, and coöperation with, citizens desiring the improvement of their premises, and to give advice and as

sistance in having such improvement work properly done."

In pursuance of the plan thus outlined, and to give such definite information to citizens as will enable them to have their lawns properly prepared, seeded, watered, and cared for, so as to be beautiful, useful and permanent, the Commission prepared a booklet for distribution last June, entitled "Norfolk Lawns and How to Grow Them." The admitted desirability of a well-kept, green grass lawn about the home has made nearly everybody in Norfolk try to produce one, and nearly everybody has come short of his ideal expectations. The prize-winning lawn in the Beautifying Contest of 1911 was dug up and renewed each year in the early fall-this after twenty-five years' experiment. The well-nigh universal experience with Norfolk lawns has been failure as to permanency, cleanness and continuous greenness. The soil conditionspartly normal, partly created-the climatic conditions at times when extreme hot and dry weather prevails, the ordinary care extended-sometimes intelligently, but often unintelligently, exercised-have combined to militate against securing perfect lawns in Norfolk.

To present plans that might be followed easily and would help to overcome the causes which have hitherto prevented having good and durable lawns, the Commission on Beautifying the City has gathered from many sources, from personal experiences, from the publications of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, suggestions, hints, and instructions that, applied to each particular local condition, will assist in solving the problem for Norfolk people as to the making and maintenance of a good, close, green turf for a permanent lawnthe foundation for making beautiful the home and the home surroundings.

The booklet considers proper drainage, soil content, soil conditions and how to correct them, grading, watering and rolling, seed and seeding, and all the phases of the care of the finished lawn. The information is specific and detailed, and "before and after" pictures show the results of the expenditure of time, trouble and money advocated. The citizens have shown great interest in following out these suggestions,

and it is expected that another year will show a remarkable improvement in the general appearance of the city.

CLEMMER A. JOHNSTON,

Forester.

FIRE
DEPARTMENTS

Fire Prevention by Continual
Inspection

BLOOMINGTON, ILL.-Several systems for. the prevention of fires have been worked out in Bloomington, and the one which we are now using has given the best and most comprehensive results.

The captains of the various fire companies make inspections in the districts which they cover, and leave reports as to findings with the owners or the tenants of the buildings visited. Duplicate reports are given to the Chief of the Fire Department. After all the buildings have been inspected carefully, the Board for Inspection of Buildings, the City Electrician, the City Engineer and the Plumbing Inspector make a follow-up

inspection and see that every defect is remedied. The owner or the tenant is then given the report which was filed at the Chief's office, as a release. We find that when these experts go thru a building, both the fire hazards and the insanitary conditions are taken care of. Once every four months a report is made to the City Council by the Board for Inspection of Buildings, giving public information as to the condition of buildings at the last quarterly inspection.

Every Saturday is Public Building Inspection Day. Hotels, motion picture shows, theaters and other playhouses are inspected; if inflammable rubbish is found, it must be removed before the buildings can be opened for business. This rule is strictly enforced and is a great protection for the people who gather in places of public amusement. The fire officials have charge of these inspections.

Every day the year round is Fire Prevention Day in Bloomington. By the aid of an automobile we are constantly inspecting residences for such conditions as defective flues, paper over flue stops, stoves set on

wooden floors, defective electric irons, imperfect smoke pipes and other fire hazards. This inspection work is having excellent results. Alarms and losses are decreasing, and when we get the ordinance in force prohibiting the use of wooden shingles for roofing,

we shall cut down the losses still more. Upon a recent occasion we inaugurated what we hope will prove an effective method of preventing conflagrations in factory districts. One of the station houses was closed all day while an inspection was being made of the Alton shops

in Bloomington, in order to familiarize the men with the location of the various buildings and the fire plugs. The distances of all the buildings from the fire plugs were measured, ancl a list of these measurements was compiled. The nature of the construction of each building in the shops was investigated, and the yards were carefully looked over for all possibilities of fire. Soon after this inspection, the men of another engine house took their engines out for a day to make similar investigations, and the reports of the two houses were compared.

The result of these inspections corrected quite a few fire hazards, and brought about

clean conditions in buildings and premises. The inspections will be continued in order to keep the firemen informed of congestion of railroad cars which usually blockade the wagon roads leading to hydrants and buildings.

Our service has been strengthened by the addition of a combination auto truck equipped with all improvements and carrying with ease 900 feet of hose. This truck was placed in use last October and has proved a profitable investment for the city. Our motor equipment includes at the present time one 75-foot aerial ladder truck, one 750-gallon pumper, one combination

ambulance truck, and with side tents set up provides a three-room dispensary. One room is used as a waiting room for the mothers and babies, the second as an exhibit and lecture room, and the third, or the truck proper, is equipped as a model childhygiene examining dispensary.

This traveling auto dispensary is known as the "Baby-Saving Special" and is being made the feature of Cleveland's participation in the Government's great Children's Year campaign, by which Uncle Sam hopes to save 100,000 babies and young children. It was made possible thru the interest of Mr. and Mrs. A. S. Chisholm of Cleveland, who presented the outfit complete, at a cost of $5,000, to the Cleveland Children's Year Committee, as their "bit" towards the saving of Cleveland's quota of 827 infant lives. Mr. Chisholm is president of the Babies Dispensary and Hospital and chairman of the Children's Year Committee for Cleveland.

Modelled after the dental cars now being used by the American army both in this country and in France, the special body of the traveling dispensary is mounted on a GMC chassis of the type authorized for army use by the U. S. Government.