Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-01-11
WORK OF THE FIREMEN.
WHAT THEY ACCOMPLISHED
LAST YEAR.
a Record that Shows Their Excellent
WOrk-SOme Facts ard Figures that
will Prove Interesting.

a Record that Shows Their Excellent
WOrk-Some Facts ard Figures that
viii Prove Interesting.
The record of the years work of the Sa-
vannah Fire Department forms an in
teresting subject, and while it does not
give any idea of the laborious service of
the men or of the discomforts to which
they have been subjected from time to
time, it shows that the organization has
been greatly improved at comparatively
limited increase OF expense, when the
cost OF running the department during
preceding years is considered. To the
present Fire Committee of the City COun-
ell, consisting ofAldermen Green, Hamlet
and Hanley, is due the credit Of
having suggested the changes and i'm
prOvements that have been made in the
service. During the year 1888, the
the department was S21,939 g.,
While during the past year the
total cost of running and equipment
was $23, 40S 70. In this last mentioned
amount is included the sum paid for four
horses and 1000 feet Of now hose, the cost
OF rebuilding and shipping the Barlow
steam fire engine, the sum paid for sub
shutting a one-stOTy brick building IN
place of the wooden shed where the Wer-
ner hook and ladder truck is
housed, as well as the amount
paid as salaries to the men, 80 in num-
Der, OF which 10 belong to the permanent
force and 80 to the call force. In 1885
there were but Il permanent men on the
paid force and no call men. The number
on the permanent force includes the Chief
Fireman, the Assistant Chief being
call man who is paid only when on SER
vice at fire.
Chief Fireman Fernandez was asked
yesterday by a NEWS reporter what was
the aggregate of the losses by ire in the
city during the year 1884. 1t twas learned
that the total damage represented value
Of $l05, 1856, Of which $53,212 was damage
to vessels and caTgoes of cotton and
the value of property damaged by fires at
the Ocean Steamship Company's wharf
and at the Central Railroad cotton yard.
This amount deducted from the principal
aggregate shows that the damage by fire
to buildings in the city amounted to SOL,
S64.
The total Insurance on all property was
S1,275, 750 of which amount SS59,600 was
on vessels and their cargoes. Deducting
the latter mentioned sum from the total
of the insurance, SAG, $50 is left as the in
surance on property in the city either
damaged or destroyed to the amount Of
SOL, S64. 1t will be seen that the proper
ton of loss on buildings to their value,
rated according to the amount of the IT.
surance was in the ratio Of sol, SG4 to SAG
$50.
There are in the department tour steam
fire engines, three of which have been in
condition for active service; three hose
carriages and one hook and ladder truck.
A fourth hose carriage is located on
Henry street, in the southern part OF the
city, and is supplied with 600 feet Of hose,
and manned by two men belonging to the
permanent force, assisted by the
volunteer members OF the company, who
live in the neighborhOOd. This hose car
riagc is assigned to duty only at fires
south of Jones street. The rebuilding
of the Barlow steam fire engine
was effected at a cost of about
$1,000, including charges on freight and
insurance while the engine was in transit
to and from the builder at Elmira, New
York. The rebuilding of the Barlow led
to the shipment of the Waiver engine to
New York. where the work of rebuilding
it will be finished in about two weeks.
During the past year the quarters of
the apparatus have been OYerhauled and
placed in better condition. The stables
for the horses have been either remOdeled
or improved, new floors have been laid in
some OF the Dull0lDgS, ana Iue sleeping
quarters of the men have been arranged
with the view of placing them where
they could sleep comfortably and upon
occasion respond quickly to an alarm.
There were 1j4 alarms sounded during
the year, as follows: Fire alarms II, tele-
graph alarms 81, telephone alarms 5,
local alarms 81. The Chief Fireman is
required to keep a record of the number
of buildings of every description erected
in the city. During the past year 40
new buildings were constructed and AZ
remodeled. OF this number there were
built of wood 593 buildings, of brick 1l5,
and of iron 3