The union Democrat., 1870-01-22
Report Of Chief Engineer Of Fire Depart
ruent.
To tic Board Of Delegates Of tie Sonora Fare
Department

To tie Board Of Delegates of'the Sonora fire
Department.
GENTLEMEN 1t becomes my duty IN TAX
ing leave of the department to report to you
the state and condition of the affairs OF the
same, and the improvement within our reach
conducive to the interest of it.
The department is composed of thirty-eight
certificate members the two companies have
on hand abou. seven hundred and fifty feet OF
Hose about one-half of which is in very bad
condition, the Two carriages and appurtenan-
ces Except the Hosel also the Houses are In
good order.
Allow me to call your attention to serious
want existing at the present time namely;
the want of q proper pipe Or boxes on cannon
hill 10 convey the water 10 the reservoir. In
my judgment pipe would prove the best and
cheapest in course of time. Mt present the wa
ter is conveyed in boxes which have been In
use four years and a half during which time
there has been expended on them about enc
hundred and fifty dollars and to put them in
order now will cost about one hundred and
fifty dollars, and then you have something
that is constantly rotting away and requires
much care and attention.
The incidental expenses of the department
the past year for water, repairs on Hose. Oil,
repairs on boxes conveying water. Fire Plugs
&C., amount to enc hundred and forty dollars
and we have on hand in the Fire Fund at the
present time about one hundred dollars.
On or about the 30th, day of March last,
the three companies composing the depart
ment at that time were consolidated into two.
according to arrangements entered into and
agreed upon during the month of February.
In my opinion it has proved and will prove in
the future great benefit, as two companies
with the facilities at hand can do better exc
cution than three and are much easier to man.
age by the officer in command.
Our sister City Columbia has two good Fire
Engines the Chief Engineer of that depart
ment informs me that one Of them can be
bought for small sum. say about four or
five hundred dollars. If in your judgment
YOU think it would be any advantage you
may take such steps as you think best to eff
feet purchase, in my opinion it would be 10
advantage to this department except on the
side streets where the Pipes are small and
have little or no force, in which case if we
had an engine we could get the water from
the main pipe and force it at will.
During the past year our city has been the
most fortunate of any since its existence hav-
| ing had but two fires and two or three alarms.
| On the morning of August eth about .
o'clock the Dry goods snd Clothing Store of
Joseph Brothers was discovered on FIRE, the
department were promptly on hand with good
supply Of water, the building being brick did
not burn rapidly yet the goods proved heavy
| loss by Fire and water. Insurance on goods
| $40, 900 Insurance on building s.. 900 damage
to building about $500, goods fully insured.
Origin of Fire unknown.
! On Wednesday night. Sept. 1st, about IL !
o'clock, the work shop of c. Burden. was dis
covered to be on fire, the department were
prompt to respond with good supply of wa
ter the shop with entire contents were to-
tally consumed, together with building i'm
mediately in the rear of Odd Fellows Hall.
Mr.. Burdens loss was 81 200 for which he
was Insured in the Fireman's Fund Office for
$500, his Fireproof building. and the Odd
Fellows Hall were slightly damaged both
covered with insurance in the same company.
Mr.. j. S. Cady lost quantity Of tools and
other articles which were stored in the build
ing directly in the rear of Odd Fellows Hall
loss of building 5000; tools &C., $3.50 no in
surance, cause of fire supposed to be the work
of an incendary. In taking leave of you, per-
NIT me to return my siocere thanks to you
and the department generally, for the ex-
treme kindness with which have been uni
formly treated. while exercising the duties of
chief officer, also for your able assistance the
past year and to express the hope that as har-
monv has prevailed in the past, it may con-
| tinue to characterize the action of the depart
ment in the future.
DANIEL SEwELL Chief Engineer.
Sonora Jan. 18th 1870.