The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-06-07
OF THE YEAR
Report Of the Chief Of the
Fire Department.
ORGANIZATION or THE SERVICE.
a Res.ns 81 WHIST nss Bses Desc ~
sAs Paid Dsrarsneat- Espest q
he Aiarm superintendent

port to the mayor and common council.
II shows fully shk present ststus Of The de-
partment snd reads IS follows:
OFFICE CHfxr % Flss DErr..
SEATTLE. Nay Il
TO the Honorable Mayor and City Council Of
the City Of Seattle. testlem<s-I herewith sub
nit M annual report, b ug aco0pleso record OF
the operations Of the dspArsDGut and the ex-
pendifnse for tbs past ycax.
The present paid department dasss from OSLO
Der u lsso. and - he accompanying fepors en-
braces the operations fcf the year ending Nay
81 lsso. the expenditure 81 the old volunteer
regime ere necessarily incIuded / have, how
ever. heps separate - nearly - peaSib.s the two
systemA From June /, l&eo. % October - 1850,
] have no record Of fhs nuu,bsr Of nses OF the
causes. and can only give 1gures for fhose since
The osTsnisatton Of the psid department and ny
appointment - chief
The active forcs Of the department connlsts Of
the following:
Engine company No. !, eight men: engine
company No :. eight men: engine company No.
l. four men: hook and ladder No :, eight men: .
chemical No. I. four men: making . total u
shtrty-tve men. . chief AID assistant
Companies for tWo Of our engines and one
hook and ladder truck have not been assigned
for want Of suitable houses fog apparatus aud
horsea This diflcaity viii b overcome On the
compilation OF the new engiusholses. when
companies should be sssie, 81 for the now idle
apparatus
1Ae apparatus Of the department hes been in
cfeased during the rear BY the purchase OF two
additional second- class Ahfsns engines, one s.
foot aerial truck and one doubls D-galion tank
chemical. and b classified - foil0ws:
Two sccond-clsss Ahrens engines: one third
class Gouid: one fourth-clAss Gould: one 75rfoot
aerial steel truck tbad orderl: one 6S foot serial
steel tuck; one S0foot village truck; one leo
gallon chemical engine: two hose wagons.
capacity 1.00J feet each; one 1Our- wheel hose
reel. capacity 800 feet: one hose wagon, capacity
500 fset; six hose reels fhsnd). capacity 90 feet
each.
In addition to the shove ths Oregon Railway
Navigation Company have powerful steam
pump located ct their shops foot Of South Third
street. which they have kindly offered the city
In the event Of need, and which has already
been Of great assistance to us-uotably q tho
Commercial Weller street are Of May =.
knrAIRA
The machinery Of the dsbartment requires
constant sffentlon and many rspaira Much Of
this repairing eould be done " The engineeu In
charge. They are competent aud willing but
for lack Of tools much Of the repairing that
would be done b the houses eoes elsewhere.
Economy would suggest the htting Of each house
with : bench. vice and proper tools for general
repAin
Repairs to the two Gould engines for the pest
year hare cost upwards Of sos 5S. and repairs 70
the hook and ladder tracks upwards OF 3lzAsa
Mach Of this could have been saved By having
nscoasary facilities for daing such work.
HORsKA {.
The uumber 81 hossss in the department il
ten. four Of which have been purchased since
October "a The putting into service Of the
new apparatus will ueceGnitate the purchase OF
twelve more. Two hundred and ssventy-thrce
dollars have been paid for extra service In
hauling. ETC., which W II be done by the depart
ment when fully equipped. There hes bsen
Considerable sickness among the horses, psinca-
paiiy colds. consequent upon the expossd con-
ditaon Of their quarters during the winter past.
We have 2,5te ieee Of rubber hose In good con-
d.tiou. and aoOo feet which cannot he depended
upon cannot too strongly urge the purchase
OF additional hose Five hundred feet Of the
original Zoo feet in the department on October
Is has burst or otherwise been rendered useless
Much OF IL has been In service for several yeass,
and . portion Was badly heated a. the lro Of
June 8. 1859. There are no facilities in the de-
partment for testing the strength Of hose and
would suggest the purchase Of . pump that
would allow test OF from 80 to 500 pounds to
be made.
FIRE ALARMS.
This system works entirely satisfactorily.
Reference 10 made 70 the report Of the superin-
teudent Of fre alarms for detAilx
WATER SUPPLY.
Much has been said In this connection, and
presume the sitaation Is well understood and
measures adopted which will result in an ade.
quste supply Tor the lower levels OF the city.
Bat until the high service system a outlined by
Bepzeste Williams in his report ID constructed,
large portion OF the city 10 without any profec-
ton whatever. only such - the chemical engine
10 capable OF sfoading. Large and costly
structures occupy grounds that are entirely out
economical plan than to construct system Of
cisterns located at such points Is may be -
lected. These can be 6lled by hose from by
drants and IL properly constructed. remain fun
and supply . protection otherwise impossible.
Years may elapse before the high service system
Is completed. and even were the system COM
pleted today - an auxiliary TO hydrAnt pressure
(which IL always liable to accidents) the system
commends Itself.
HyDRASrs
Twenty one new hydranfs have been SET. which
makes the number now available seventy one. A
radical chance IN those already SET and hereaf-
ter 20 be set should be made. refer particularly
to the grouni piAta through which the valve
rcd passes. There ID . hollow pocket Ia the end
Of the plate into which the valve rod comes up.
The hydrant wrench srasps the valve roa In
tached by . chain 20 the plate. This cover in
every instance becomes removed or loss. aud
the pocket fils with dirt In summer and in win
ter with snow aad ice. and NJ u impossible 10
connect the hydrans wrench 10 the valve rod
until this pocket is cleaned OUT which IN \ teii-
Gus matter when fruxen, and Il liable to cause
fatal delay. This can Be 0bvtated By reversing
the pocket and making the valve eonnscfion
come mp through the top.
rxsixru0xrxR&
The city Is 70 be congratulated on the matter
OF ensine houses Plans have been adopted
which embrace eli the lases-day improvements
Tor quick work The accommodations for the
men arc constructed solely for quick work In
getting away frosa the house. and combine al
the necessary comforts - we'll No city On the
Coast can beast OF better. They are rapidly ap-
preaching completion. and cannos haf prove .
powerful factor In the increased efacicncy OF
tne department.
CASUALTIES
No serious misfortune hiss hesalseu Q member
Of the force oshss than . fen bruises all hare
been we'll
axlsEr SrsD
The life OF fireman. from the very nature Of
thsags 10 hazardous one. In the sesectlon OF
men care hss been exercised In selecting those
who have heen tried, and who are ambitious to
excel. Healthy. fearless ard strong. saey ex-
y<et and RAY ss any moment be called upon 20
tsce danger ia saving life and property This
service 70 slways attended with danger. and
sooner or later nusr result in nishap 20 tae IN
dfvfdnaL VITA vseu 10 SUCH results u is pr
posed % establish . relies fund fo< The care and
fasinsenanoe of ssch member o. his family
whsls fEeAcac4sased from dnty. Preliminary
steps hare been taksn hooking 30 the creation Of
such faa6-
KeEx o. 1K2rr-
A record Of rnsr:sogtous des1s viii ne ksps
-
the inx Of ssnry VIII Be honorsAsy mentioned
aud placed In TIE lire of pruuacGi0n.