New-York tribune., 1876-12-18
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
FIRE INSURANCE PATROL.
ORGANIZATION OF THE svsTEM-ITs EXTENT AND
EFFICIENCY.

ORGANIZATION OF THE SYSTEM-TS bAIbHI AND
EFFICIENCY.
The Fire Insurance Patrol OF this CITY Is
very important agency in the protection of property
,oh n bab,e To damage or loss whenover Dire e0ears
The amount and extent of its work and the efficiency
with which it is conducted not generally known as
thofsurance companies in whose interest ana al WHOSE
expense 1t carried do not court puohc notce III inns
regard aud the reporters who never fail to say that tne
employees OF the fire department present and as
sisted in subduing fire. rarely refer TO the fact that the
Insurance Patrol was also in attendance This patroi
established nearly forty years ago by properly
ers In view OF the large number OF destueu'e hres
which occurred about that time The patrol was iornee
in connection with the fire insurance companies ana was
known as the fire police At fret its operations extended
onlv over the part Of Ghe city below Champers-st III
aftward passed the control Of the Insurance com
paues alone and is expenses are now Oorhe ny All lno
companies both foreign and domestic doing business
IN the city according 20 the amount OF business OF each
The patrol was re0rganized about seven years ago dh
der provision of the of the Legislature incorporating
She NeUYor Board of Fire Underwriters This act pro
yided that the board should have the power TO provide
patrol of men and competent person to act as supe'
tenent discover and prevent fires, with sutsoe ap
paratus to aud preserve property at ana after e'
and the better 10 enable them to act with propnes
and efficiency fun power given to such superintendent
and to such patrol to enter any building on hre OF Whch
may be exposed 10 danger Of taking fire from othef
burning buildings and at once proceed To protect anu
endeayor to the property therein ana 10 remove
sle property or any part thereof from the runs amer
4e Gre Tine members of the patrol however are said
"a a ubordnsto to the Fire Commissioners and are not
allowed 20 interfere with the dremcn IN eNtDsulshleS
fires Tho governing body OF the patrol is composed OF
committee OF the NewYOrk Board of Underwriters ana
a superintendent 1t is at present divided INTO lour
commands or patrols sud the entire city, Win
tbe exception of the west side north OF FityninthSt
The headaarters OF the Lower Patrol are in Muirays
and the patrol embraces the portion uf the city lying
sonth of Canast The Central Patrol includes the us
triet from Canal 70 Fourieenhs, its quarters being Ill
Great Jonesst. The Upper Patrol Is located III IihI-
tethst near sixthavc., and covers tae part OF the
CITY lying between Fourteenth and FIrty-nlnthsts'
Tho Fast Side Patrol was organized last Sum-
mer and comprises the east side OF the cly
north Of Fffty-nmth-st Its headquarters are Al
Nnetyfourth-st. and LexingonaVe; The otieers o OF
eeh patrol are a captain and all assistant captain INC
Lower Patrol has eight peIlnaleht men "T ~ ao Tti
men, the latter being duty only at night Inc CehIM
has seven regular and IL extra men Inc Upper nus nas
fnr regular and four extra men, and the East SIDE en-
ploys only three regular men, with no el IoIce @ ao
gAgOns the Upper has four horses, ana the btst ohe
has one wagon horses Each patrol Is ptOVaeu
with large number Of covers, the Lower having 100
These are composed Of oiled canvas S feet long anu IA
feet wide, and used for protesting properly % from
damage by water. The signals OF the fHe paftDeh
are conveyed every patrol and the 10 9"er central ad
Upier Patrols are connected with each other ana WIN
the superntendens office, at No l56 broadway by the
Gold and stock Telegraph. thiS uOcs hOs r ia b.s W -
& tyai,@5 i'm the same way rs those of tne Fire Depart
mont Tle superinendeut says that they can travel
even more rapidly. It's important that the patrol Should
he at fire before single drop of wafer is put on Ihe
neD preeed at goods ON the hOOrs Dc-
low tie fire and they only remove property as last re-
sort As vet there necessity OF establishing pa
tr1l m me district west of the Central Park bat IN cas-
m au emergency OneOf tho patrols could Dc deiod 70
fire in that part OF the city, ana, IN hhc manner,
large fire should down town. Two OF mort ltIolS
cOnd be cOnsOlda Each patrol makes day report
la th supelintendent and The superntt tndcnt also e
ports daily to the Committee OF the Board OF Uhder
wrier The committee is elected annually II CONSISTS
All sven working members ana 0GcO the President
Yic-PrCsidept and Treasurer of the board 1De ch4ii
man of tire committee is Martin l.. CroWelb aud
The ses ctsry William NJ. Randell The suporln-
fendent of the patrol is NJ. Is. Wilson, formerly "a
Cal,tan of police The regularly employed at Tic
patrOs are paid salary and are allowed "a bours ab
seuce from work every 10 days; the extra men are
maid only for the they GU duty.
The last annual report OF hc ErC Patrol Committee Ol
the Board Underwriters for the wear ending April 80
z97G saws that during the year there was taillS 0n
al ires and alarms There were 962 calls against lVJ1
of tne previous but the loss for the year was nuc
greater mainly account of the great broadway hre
on Feb s. table Of inslrances and losses az Jgls
fire Is given In detail, together with plan O the buia-
.iDgs burned. The amount OF Insurance. P,nd was
I $50 I35 49-the largest paid for any lire THAI ns
oeSnTrid io this city since 1915. The report cOmmends
tbc automatic signal telegraph for giving an alarm Oi
fire In buildug MeTcer-st, opposite thc htadqhI
er of the Fire Department, when there was DO outward
Indication The expenses OF the patrol Iof te
wear were 7GO 81 The report OF the superintendent
r.sens complete record Of the fires ana alarms ana "I
the work performed by various patrols during inc