New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-12-31

South Pass, to look at the 1oct1eo, ana OK
poets to return Monday.
The Blackburn subcommittee continued
on Piaquemines parish.
F. II. Flowers swore that he know Of 5l3
false registration papers issued, and that he
used over 200 of them himself, whom he was
commissioner of election; In all he used
1877, he said.
CHIEF HNGINRER's ANNUAL REPORT
The City Fire Department.
The following is the annual report of tho
chief engineer of the city fire department
to tho board of delegates of the Firemen's
Charitable Association, which body will
meet Monday night:
NEW ORLEANS, December 30, 1876.
To the President and Members Of the Beard of
Deleg ates Firemsn's C1sri able Association:
GENTLEMEN-In accordance with the OF.
dinsnce prescribing the duties of the chief
engineer of tho fire department., l beg to
submit to you, and through you to the City
Council, this my annual report, which in
detail embraces the condition and opera
tions of the department for the fiscal year
Just closed; also such suggestions and
recommendations as are deemed proper Tor
the more effoctual working of the same.
At present the Department is constituted
% follows:
Nineteen steam fire engines.
Nineteen two wheel hose carriages.
Four hook and ladder trucks. complete.
One hand engine company at Milneburg:
Fourteen thousand feet two and One-half
inch rubber hose, in good order.
One chief and feur assistant engineers.
Twenty. four foremen. fOrty.eight assist
ant foremen and 900 active members.
Everything in the way of improvement,
placed within the reach of the available re.
sources of the department., has been cup
piled. The embarrassment and difficulties
of the various companies have been 80
great during the past year as almost to
threaten disaster. At times it has seemed
| that the preservation of the efficiency and
| spendor of the department was at great
hazard. With the legitimate resources of
| the companies frozen by the arctic rigOr
| of the prevailing times, the department.
had only to look to itself, and in the spirit
in which its members always act,
they have repeatedly responded. have
themselves supplied the needle which the
municipal authorities, year after year, fail
in, and have carried on, with the force OF
their own crippled energies, the machinery
| of its operations. Under these circum.
stances. since my last report, 600 feet of
new rubber hose has been purchased. one
new double pump engine for Mississippi
No. 9, one new improved hook and ladder
truck for American No. 2, one new two
wheel hose carriage for Mechanics No: g, one
new tw0-wheel hose carriage for Orleans
No. 81, and contracts for three new two.
wheel hose carriages for companies Nos. l,
and IL have been awarded to MI. Joseph
Schwartz, of this city.
find on tho recurrence of the new year
but little change to report in the situation
of our affairs, and none, fear, for the bet.
ter. A recent fire Of . magnitude not paral-
leled in New Orleans during many past
! . large body of sufferers, has had the effect
to awaken public attention to its cause, n d
| will, trust, be the eventual means of &C.
curing these reforms, which. in my last and
| previous reports, and on all available COCA
siOns, have urged upon your notice.
At tho calamit0us fire referred to the
companies were promptly on the spot, and.
for more than two hours, were unable to
procure even q scsnt supply of water for
ply none in any shape, and until tho steam
tug Protector could be got to work upon
the river, square after square dissolved
away in flame before the eyes of the depart
ment. One hundred and twenty houses had
been destroyed, consisting of about five
squares, when the supply came, and in q few
brief moments the tide OF conf Agration
i
interval afterward the fire was extinguish
ed. The loss was rated at 5000, 600 Had
water been at hand for the companies or
their arrival at the scene of operation, the
loss would have been inconsiderable.
When water was obtained. and action be
came practicable, fire of unusual fury
and under almost irresistible Roadway, wal
prevailing, threatening all that district o
the CITY. Companies that had been fo
| %ha I'll off haiR IN
propriations had, Notwithstanding, 80 81
fectually preserved their perfect Organiza
lions that at that important moment not
} man was absent nor an instant lost. Swift
they pressed the fire, with euch energy an
, effect that many Of the men had the clothe
, they we're in burnt upon them.
l repeat, that it is owing to these me
: that the department has preserved its o.
, eanization under clrcums Ances Of trial an
Of privations SO long continued. 1t is pail
| full to every member of the department
, | see an efficiency go thorough, which is tn
, fruit of unremitting effort day and night Q
I the part of all, in danger of becoming in
paired for causes which they can not reacl
and which, on the part of those upon who
, the responsibility devolves, might requil
8 less zeal, earnestness and purpose than OF
. men display, to speedily and effectuslly r
| move.
u
Q from my annual report of 1875 the sugge
q tions then respectfully presented, and Whit
3 then we're Only reiteratiOns of previous I
u ports, but now come with the addition
y force given them by the calamity just
|. | hind us:
Q Water supply is inadequate to deman
l This city is greatly extended. and in maj
d parts the scarcity OF water is pal
:. felt.
Q It may be that the financial embarras
r ment incident to the administration Of q
9 Water works is the unhappy cause. B
@ | the underwriters and the people are great
It interested in the adoption Of measures
q which additional reservoirs could be CO
% structed and mains laid to supply all pal
n of the city. The preservation Of health,
3 we'll as protection against fires, calls
this. in the vicinity of canals used
! drainage, q water supply might be had
y preserving the water; and 1 would reoo
" mend measures which would secure t.
- feet of water at all times, connecting the
:. by thirty inch toodgates TO the main BASH
~ But an essential reform in water supply
engrossing attention. The river mode b
Ofren been our sole resource.
le regret that the congratulations of I
sr last report upon the great diminution
Y; fires are not pertinent to the present eitl
b; ton. We have recently had many fir
as fortunately none 30 disastrous as that
ie the first of December, but too many to j.
" tify interchanges of any fluctuations
1t the superstition that iucendiarsm as
e. vocation is abandoned, or its dific'
at pursuit much abridged by the vi
re lance of our Board of Underwriters,
10 the watchfnlness of any of the gu
& dams OF the public peace and virtue. Eve
re- measure of safeguard against incendiar
~ should be kept, as we keap our money.
~ hand or securely locked, and not allow
ID to intermit for an instant, or to recede {
ia of mind till all that had been gained b
m perhaps, been lost, and the work agi
presented itself for new remedies.