Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1858-12-18
p.uOrt:Of the Chief Engineer Of the Fire
-.-.-.. Department
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF EN0INEER,
pLACEnVILLK, Dec. IL, 1858.

Cr the honor transmit herewith my annual repOrt
.TFing the requirements Of City Ordinance, No, 10
ENGINE HOUsRs AND LOTss
Crr6dSnee EnEihe Company, No. l.. house and lot To-
.,.J ON south side II Main street at the foot U
stony POint-wOOdcn building, two stOriss-COmpany's
SsptSnc, No. g., house and Ut located on cOlOma
,,rrrt, opposite the AOCNTAIN D1AOcAAT OMee-
nu,,rn building, one stoFy COmpany's property.
UUpc. HoOk Ladder Company, No. l., house and lot
nm the NOrth side Of CcntsT streetAwOOden building,
Wnc story-CitS property
ESOiNGH
Confidence Engine, No. l.. scrrHA class, rhhdsiphia
,t,C built by John Agnue twO-whecl HO~e Carriage,
ali in EUd oTder-C"HpauS property. Alex. Hunter,
NrptuNe, NJ. y, 10 nov acting a Hose Company
(ao.whrrl Carriage, built by Miller 4 Conrad, Of this
tsSemnrs.-TOrty members. ( second class Engine il
now the way from B1st"n, which IL expected to
rive by the 2o'h in't, from IIunanan-but In
dance with order 81 the Company.
IIOp< Hook Ladder, No. l., four wheel carriage,
bu TO Kinds X Co., Of this city-wel equipped with
necessary apparatus Far service u. u. johns, Foreman
--thiTty-tNO nIcHIbeTp.
COaadenee Co., No. l., two hundred and hGty feet Of
IOsc il bad ailabe in Of actual
sies.
Neptune Co., No. Q, three hundred and ANy feet Of
Hose IN bad OvdeT-unavAilablc. This Company will
rreciNe thrre husAred aud fifty feet Of Hose with
IhriF Engine.
One at the crossing Of Naia and Mill strests-plank
capacity lt,w gallons. One IN front Of the Cary
rlaIa-pAnk-capacity, l2,UOO gallons One opposite
The House Of Confidence Co., No. alphabetically
io.@D gallons: One opposite the ~. Lou. non.s-
HlAuk-'aparity, I0,Nm GALLONS. Onc near Cedar Ia
Nn- Bridge, built b! private Observation-Disclosures
it!, S,OOO gallons.
nYDaANVs.
There four Idrants in the City, all good order
ALARMS.
May 3lst 10 oeL<k, 4. NJ, Ohio House Ow ned by ,.
NvN ot Main street, areidentaI. DrpaTTmcnt TURNED
out.da~agc. n'nnal June 18th, orkrk, A. H..
building oil Main street. ONIrd by Dr. Chids occupied
for fruit store, originated FROM stove pipe Department.
turasd out-damagc nominal August ?trh, ~ O'clock,
NJ, private Residence II =. II. Lovc CedaT street.
Department turned out, Engine worked 10 minutes,
csnse accidental ss thousand dollars. September
18th, ~ O'Clock, department turned cause, burning
1f shaSIngs near CEDAR kASine, September goth, !
s'el"ek r. NJ, h"ns" "n Bcnham street, occupied by
dhInaman. Department turned ont, cause unknown,
damage nominal. H"tnhcr lSlh, Nv "'elock, =. NJ,
building at the EHi II Main street, occupied by Capt
huron private h~"ltne, raasrd by imcrf-rtion II
si"'e p'I~ department turned out, damage nominal.
No, Anbtr 18th. 9nock, r. NJ. building Main street.
named by Mr. Bmrns, cause, ccidcntal. mVnt
turned out, damage nominal.
would call your attention to tho condition of the cts
tern On the Plaza aud recommend that he Ia
Ken Early possible ha,. it clra ned nut and 9TH
rruise put repair. would also call Vour attention
10 the nr"rssit! 81 constructing cistcTn CoL,ma
street, Oh tn" hill "pN''i'c the private rcsidrner Of D.
~haur, and constructed IN bueh = manner To be
~strF.uSh. and II InnW gallons capacity. Water can
Ir SAtAnrd to NIL II from the City Water Co.'S Works,
- that Lr"nginE e. Elsincr 60. rstcrn this Ia
sAt! ~o"id command large amount " property, which
~ lite PFes~nt condition, in the II 10 almost
tern AArTshrnt1 street the log building VI Vim.
UoPr f>uPplying eistrFn can he constructed in
thIs Iocaty at = .mall cost.
NouId alec call YOUR attcntion to the necessity Of
opening ,hc ALE! ang the base Of Reservoir Hin from
St"n! PUNT, 'n"tsreting the alley running bct~c the
Cary House aud Bell'l building The necessity VI such
impr"Nr s apparent to Tendrr that part Of
the tit! aeees'bi to the Icpartmnt IN the event Of
hTs.
~"ud urge uT-'u !oW the abAnuie nceessity az pro-
NIdInT the Department With thousand feet 81 No.
iI".- E,E imtnrdIate use. These that arc noN
Abf ~oWd onl! To RENDER the Engines aino.t
tFely u.elrsS IN time u hrr. IL would srem To - an
ua~ise S>s-m 81 economy. ahcr the Compa MES have
contributed from th. IT private sui.
rsnt to rurchasc their Engines at cu.t IT fur tls
aud hIr hundred dollars, To Tcudrr them nraTlN useless
f III" want "f contemplating berAty On the part Of
ih- CIV Council.
VIILeIpL causes Of 81 many dcsirurtlNe Ares in OuT
ino"nt ain towns. II va. made my duty II the
Esr ~ardCns Ia S1minr all larrs ntEn the City where
hres krt. While IN discharge Of that dny il
a.ecr',ncd that seI"Ta i've. story bi,dings where the
NCP rsturi,N occupied that the LWer stories
l"~A "'~r head, aud from examination. it ~a- found
shat tkr asOTa IN the upper 't"rCS n tight aud
tha; are. could h" can-' l.! carrc-, throwing acisAr
An.n tl.- Goor kn's kig the aslt, from pr aud
'Ge ~ dropping through III" crack "rlIap from
a. t car'l,, IL match that have fallen through
ths flour. and rarcss handled b! rats and mice The
kn"~ ledge " the A~SN" fic- led Ia suspect that
II the PrUriFal sources Of the destructive fires
that have Laid ~ our to~ III Tuins. And upon
cation strengthened III that belief fn the
fact that large sai"rty of the mr.. that have occurred
un the different "Sntain tuN throug h"ut the state
lNe originated in tNo starry huiidIug.. In View II
chose Eaets weld recommend that Ordinance liz
YAs.rd TrqulrinE all upper LAID II tnnyr aud
grove huoTisSG, or lined in Such manner will make
-h-m tight
would euu your attention to the rceuniary cnrii,"n
Of the several Cnmpan comprising tho brpa tment,
and 7VS~ uoN the Iecs>i! 81 TcdrFing them such
I'D As their nccr's'tcs require" in common ti other
II les. impoTt anee. Confidence Engine Co.
~ IT. organization in May 1877, has prndrd
iSr knsn~ building, equipments, &C., up~ ards ~ four
che nriuhcrs " the nmpnny, during which time app,O
NdAton. from the City have not exceeded two hundred
Asilar~. THIS Company after inurring the expenses
Nh;eh its ucccs.iE' required has contracted Indr
rtncss which would Jnsfy liberal appropriation fnT
the purp4s" II relieving thrm of their indebtedness.
The same remark. will aprl! I" Neptune Co. M. ho
have incurred an cNpnsc u two thousand dollars fur
the purchase 81 their Engine which is expected I"
rivc II few days, and at which time they make
their last Itmcnt. Their House will need much
pairing order To make II suitable for the reception u
their Engine. which will nrcrNsary subject them
to ct further outlay Of more! and II they COM
p.l-d I" TrSrt =" assessments uIHn their mrmcrs IL
have the effect to ard the pr0sprVty Of the Com
ran, would Trenlnm, nd that this Company rceei.e
appropriation sufcirnt TO relieve them q their
the nature Of iis AcrNircs. aud the comparatively
email eoSt Of t4 apparatus, aud having been provided
by the cry WIN n"'", anu a'sc t.sm IN ~hlch :"
nearly equal To the amount received By Their Of the
other companies all not necessarily require any assst
from the City at this time would however, rec
omnend at early p. rod the financial condition
81 the City will permit, that this Company he provided
With suitable House, located in favorable pOsI
In conclusion, Gentlemen, l would acknowle the
for the organization and general perity Ut
the have the h0oT to eprcsent during the
past year and also for the prosperity VI City,
which, through the wAtehfu vigilance Of the Fire be-
partmcnt, has been amust entirely exempt frUm the
ravaRcs the destructive element that has laid many
~ our mountain in ruins The City should main
lain the DspSitac IL its pEeSent healthy condition.
AZ il an honor city, aud will not suffer by eompsT
son nth VI like character il sister
cities.
In order the Department may continue in itS pres
ent pcros condition and cUn6cQ0nt usefulness, il
should receive the Of the City
othewsc the City Government will continue to be bur-
then up0n the Departments. In this connection would
call your attention TO the necessity Of setting apart the
revenue derived from tain source foz the exclusive
benefit Of the Department 1t has the first claim upon
YOUR confederation in the distribution Of revenue, the
security Of property having increased under its OTYani-
ration at least twenty nve per cent.
would question the prOpriety u giving the system Of
.trrc ScuOls establishment II which 10 desired by
all well regulated communities the preference the
Department financial point, from the fact that the
revenue for the support Of free schools derived from
upon property and the preservation Of proper
~ in community like depends upon means being
adopted to prevent its destruction. Fire 10 the great
enemy Of our mountain towns and in lite devastating
a&aGes does not respect the weAus Of education
rst necessary 70 sustain the Fjye Department in
s efficiency, that the eaRs Of educPtOp may Be placed
upon q foundation.
Taking into cOnsidcraticp the fact that majority Of
persons who compose the several Companies Of the De
nd WIN lhaHaiitg il