The Portland daily press., 1881-03-04

March, 1881, for fuel, repairs, furnishing, at
tendance, stationery, books for INDECENT pu-
pills, chemical apparatus and school supplies
generally, has been S18,2S .45. A schedule OF
all the property belonging to the city connect
ed with the schools will be returned to the
committee at the close of the present year.
CHIEF ENGINEER FIRE DEPARTMENT.
Chief Engineer Lttiefelds report is as fol-
lows: Whole number of fires and alarms AZ,
of which 40 were in the city, outside the city
limits and fires were extinguished without
an alarm The amount of loss as near as could
be ascertained was 1871, 35O.97. On this was
$50, 465 81 insurance, leaving an excess OF loss
over insurance of 1886.
The total number of hydrants in the city Is
242, of which have been put in during the
past year The setting of more hydrants is
recommended in the vicinity of Libby's cor
ner and Munioy hill. The whole number OF
reservoirs is GA. The building of additional
reservoirs at each end of the city is recon-
mended.
The total force of the department consists OF
10 men.
The automatic relief valves which have
been placed ON engines Nos. and nave
given good satisfaction, and it is recommended
that similar valves be placed on all the en-
gines.
Telephones have been put into all the engine
houses during the past year. One signal box
has been added the past year, No. 81, at the
Boston & Maine transfer station. 1t is rec
commended that signal boxes be placed near
the custom house on Fore street and at the
corner of Cumberland and Green streets.
The total expense incurred in running the
fire department during the year has been $18.-
1888. The appropriation was $4,000, which
leaves a margin of $620.42 less than the est-
+ofca 10
was Sill, 1881.
The apparatus consists of steam engines
and reserveIengine, 5 one-horse hose carriages,
5 traverse-runner hose-sleds. hook and ladder
trucks, two reserve hose carriages, fone hand
engine. The foregoing have been put in good
repair during the past year.
The engineer recommends the purchase OF a
chemical engine, as the majority of fires can
be extinguished without the use of water
There is now on hand 1880 feet of % inch
hose, of which 6.4O0 feet are first quality, $500
feet second quality; and 1000 feet of condemn
ed leather hose. The purchase of 1000 feet of
cotton, rubber lined hose is recommended.
The department. owns but one horse which be-
longs to Eagle hook and ladder truck. The
report recommends also that the horses used
for hauling the apparatus be owned and con-
trolled by the fire department, and that the
drivers be hired and governed by the Chief
Engineer.
The engine houses are in good repair with
INC oACepGIOu Oh Un6 SGOr6 mouse on In6 corner
OF Spring and South streets. 1t is also recon-
mended that the houses occupied by the fire
department be transferred from the charge of
the committee on public buildings to the COM
mittee on fire department.
HARBoR MASTERS REPORT.
The harbor master, G. II. Knowlton, has
handed to the city clerk his report for the
year ending March 1, 1881 From this report
it appears that the vessels making harbor
here. engaged in the coasting trade are Of
much larger class than formerly, and require
much greater depth Of water to be safely
anchored during storms not an accident has
occurred during the year by vessels being
anchored in the channel in forbidden grounds.
By the use of tug boats the harbor has been
kept clear the past winter so that there has
been no day that vessels could not come up to
the wharves or leave the same without deten-
ton on account of ice. The tug boats were
employed five hours at an expense of $50
During the year 2S2 vessels have been moored
out of the channel Of the barber, viz: 165
coasters, 50 fishing vessels, 10 three-masted
and 3 barkentineS. Four hundred
copies OF the harbor regulations have been
distributed among masters of vessels lying in
or going out of our harbor. No vessels have
arrived at this port with sickness of dam
gerous nature on board. In conclusion Mr..
remarks that his intercourse with
masters and owners of vessels has been very
pleasant and agreeable.