Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-05-26
THE LONDON FIRE BRIGADE.
Its Organization, Wages and implements
Number OF Firemen Employed-How q
Paid Department Works.

| NumDer oil Fremen Employ yed-H0w q
Paid Department W orks.
| From the Boston Journal, May 1871
| few days since Capt. Geo W. Bird, Chief
| Engineer OF the Boston Fire Department, and
Mr.. Geo. III. Allen, Secretary of the Board of
| Engineers, received from James BraidwOod,
| Esq, superintendent of the London Fire
| Brigade and Institution of Civil Engineers,
| lengthy letter. accompanied by several docu-
| ments relative to the Fire Brigade Of that city
its management, efficiency, mode of opera
| ton, 3c.-from which we gather the following
| facts which may prove interesting to the fire.
/ men of this country and at the same time give
| the public a correct idea Of the management of
/ FIRES In the great city Of London, and aid the
| authorities Of our own and other cities in form
| ing Judgment whether or not they are be-
| hind the age in atfOrding the means for the
prompt extinguishment of fires
The population of London is stated at be-
tween 2 800 900 and :. 1000, 900 souls The Lon
don Fire Brigade is composed of superintend-
| ent; foremen, each being appointed to a
1 district, consisting of fourth part Of London,
| which he never leaves except on some pressing
| emergency. and who. in the absence of the
1 superintendent, has the sole command of all
| engines or fremen within, or who may come
| within his district; IL engineers, each at -
| Shilllngs $50 per week, and free house; sub
| engineers, each at 26 shillngs ($6 J0) per
| week; 40 senior frcmen, each at "a shillngs
| pence $50 i2) per week; 3S junior fremen,
each ut u shillinss as 25) per week, and ii
| drivers, making a total of IlS men and 81
| horses. (All these live at the several stations,
and besides their board being furnished, they
| are clothed by the COMMITTEES, and are al
| ways ready when their services are rcquired;)
i 1 extra fremen, , extra drivers, and 9 extra
| horses; 1.-THE extra men live at the stations and
| are clothed by the committee, but are only
paid when required for duty, and at other
| times pursue their usual avOcatiOns;) q large
| engines drawn by horses; small engines
| drawn by horses; = floating engines worked by
| Steam-One 40 and the other SO nominal horse
| power; - hand-pumps, one being carried in
| each engine. Thus it will be seen that the
| whole number of active members Of the Fire
| Brigade is but l25 men.
| When an engine is sent to the fire. only four
| men and one driver are sent with 1.-THE brakes
| being worked by the bySanders, who are paid
one shilling for the first, and sixpcnce for each
| successive hour, besides being supplied with re-
freshments. Upwards of 600 byStanders have
| been thus employed at one time.
1 The principal IRE engines are entirely in the
| hands of the insurance companies. and the prin-
| cipal protection London has against fire. is en-
| tirely voluntary on the part Of the insurance
| companies, there being no law to control or
sustain the brigade, and with the exception Cf
| some fifteen or twenty, the parish engines are
| comparatively useless at a serious fire.
The greatest possible assistance is given to
| the firemen by the police NEARLY 1000 in num-
Il y III keeping DICK the crowd. DC. Each OIL
hcer who discovers fire without his attention
| being called to it by any one, receives 10 shil-
lings $3.50 from the brigade, SO that there are
| upwards OF 1000 men watching for fires during
4 each nj ght.
| Floating steam engines have been in use on the
river Thames for some considerable time past,
| and the principal difficulty in applying steam
| fire engines to the streets is the want of water
| which is supplied to the inhabitants OF London
| by eight ten different water companies The
| fremen consider themselves pretty well off
when only four or five engines are required.
| but when ten or twelve are at work. the sup
! ply as short.
\ The only ladders used are what is termed
| - the scaling ladder which can be raised. at
| the most, to "A height of only about forty feet
and when u fire occurs at about that height
| from the ground, it is generally attacked from
| the roofs of adjoining buildings or by PLAYING
water from the ground.
Many Of the implements used by the London
| Fire Brigade are entirely different from those
| in use in this country. while some of them are
| very similar. One of the principal implements
for the protection and saving of human life is
| what Is termed the " Fire Escape" The
simplest and most complete i'm plement consists
OF main ladder thirty-two feet in length fit
| tel on the under side with canvass trough,
| in which persons may slide with ease and
| safety from window to the ground. To this
| ladder, and within eleven feet of the top is
/ joined N second ladder, twenty-five feet in
| length, which is raised by rope and lever on
| each side. A detached ladder sixteen feet in
| length, is carried under the main ladder and
is found useful for first floor windows. The
whole is mounted on a light carriage, and can
| be moved anywhere by two men.
| Another - Fire Escape in use consists of
| seven lengths of scaling ladders, each six feet
| six inches in length, having wrought iron sock
cts fitting universally, by which any number
Of lengths may be nmedistely j0inted to form
4 Ill T. \.
being fitted with two rollers to assist in raising
it against a wall. A strong leather belt, a
| canvass bag large enough to contain a grown
| person, and long stout line arc also provided
| Thi. - escape ia also furnished with strong
| canvas jumping sheet, made with hand holes
| all round, into which. when securely held by
| FROM eight TO twelve men, individuals may
jump from any window with perfect safety
The men arriving with the fret large engine
| at fire each receive not exceeding 50 shillings
(S1 .5O); those with the second, each not exceed
ing - shillings $50. and those with the third
not exceeding 10 shillings (S25 each. These
rewards average about two shillings and six
| pence to each fireman in the brigade, which
they receive from the local authorities inde-
pendent of the wages before stated. In cases
of alarms from burning chimneys these rewards
are payable by the occupants of the premises in
which such chimney stands.
The whole number Of fires in London during
the year 1888 was Lila, in addition to which
there were 81 false alarms. and IL alarms from
burning chimneys, making a total Of 800
ALARMS; being an average of nearly four alarms
each day. of these. but 32 buildings were TO-
tally destroyed, 3o5 considerably damaged, and
6y7 slightly damaged. OF the % totally de-
s.royed, fourteen were from two to ten miles
| distant from the nearest station thirteen were
the workshops of carpenters, and other DANGER
| GUS places, three fell down, more from old age
than the effects of fire; and of the remaining
two, one was destroyed by an explosion of salt
, petre, and the other by imPrudence in break
ing open the shop front before the arrival of
engines.
The entire expenses of the Fire Brigade for
the year 1858 amounted to fl9, 800 los. Cd, or
! less than sos, 900.
The expense Of the Boston Fire Department
/, for the last year was $l09 900.
| CAN LAYNAS SWEAR TO THE KNOCKING OUT
OF HIS OwS TEETH In the Court of Special
Sessions, New York, in the case Of Fleming
art far II -. =