Los Angeles herald., 1891-01-01
IN GOOD SHAPE.
The City Fire Department Well
Organized.
Its Present Status and scope-The Rec
ord for the Year-Thc Fire Alarm
System and the Location Of the Boxes.


troll OF the municipal authorities, per-
haps no one is of more Importance to
the general public than that which is
maintained for the sole purpose of pro-
tecting property from the ravages Of
fire; nor is there one which more Justly
deserves to be congratulated upon the
good work it has uniformly performed
throughout the past year.
The Los Angeles fire department,
which is diSectly under the control of a
board of fire commissioners appointed
by the city council, which acts in con-
junction with the mayor, consists of
seventy-six men. all told. This number
includes chief engineer, an assistant
chief, an electrician, seven engineers,
sixteen expert drivers, nine foremen, a
pipeman, tilierman for the hook and
ladder truck, and thirty-nine callmen;
employed by the department at salaries
ranging from $50 to $l75 per month, the
other forty-eight "callmen" receiving a
remuneration OF from 500 to $25 per
month each, for their services, which
seldom interfere with their duties else
where.
The men are divided into nine COM
panies which are stationed in various
parts Of the city as follows:
Engine Company No. Located on
the corner of Pasadena avenue and Hoff
street, East Los Angeles. Is equipped
with second-class Amoskeag engine,
drawn by two horses, and q two-wheel
hose cart, drawn by one horse, carrying
500 feet of hose. Foreman. engineer,
two drivers and four callmen.
Engine Company No. 2-Located on
Sixteenth street, near Grand avenue.
Equipped with a second-class Amoskeag
engine, drawn by two horses, and hose
cart, drawn by one horse, carrying 800
feet of hose. Foreman, engineer, two
drivers and four callmen.
Engine Company No. 3-Located on
West Third street, between Main and
Spring streets. Equipped with
second-class Amoskeag engine, drawn by
two horses, and hose cart, carrying
800 feet OF hose, drawn by one horse.
Foreman, engineer, two drivers and
four callmen.
Engine Company No. 4-Located at
the Plaza. Equipped with second
class Ahrens coil engine, drawn by two
horses, and hose cart carrying 800 feet
of hose, drawn by one horse. Foreman,
engineer, two drivers and four callmen.
Engine Company No. 5-Located on
Ninth street, near Main street. Equipped
with second-class Ahrens engine drawn
by two horses, and hose cart carrying 800
feet OF hose, drawn by one horse. Fore
man, engineer, two drivers and four
callmen.
Engine Company No. 6-Located on
Virginia avenue, Boyle Heights.
Equipped with a second-class Ahrens
engine, drawn by two horses, and a
hose cart carrying 800 feet OF hose,
drawn by one horse. Foreman, engi-
neer, two drivers, and four callmen.
Engine Company No. LOCATED on
Temple street, near the cable power
house. Equipped with second-class
Ahrens coil engine, drawn by two horses;
and hose cart carrying 800 feet of hose,
drawn by one horse. Foreman, en-
igineer, two drivers and four callmen.
Park Hose Company No. Located
on South Spring street, near Fifth.
Equipped with new four-wheel hose
carriage with all the latest modern i'm
provements, carrying 1000 feet of hose,
drawn by two horses. Foreman, driver
and five callmen.
Hook and Ladder Company No. l.
Us
street. Equipped with Hayes extern
sion ladder truck complete, drawn by
two horses. Foreman, driver, tillerman
and six callmen.
One of the most interesting branches
of the department is that by which an
alarm is given when a fire occurs. The
system now in use in this city is known
as the Interstate Fire Alarm system, and
it has 30 far proved, a very satisfactory
one. 1t consists of an electric battery of
LAG cells, which are stored in the base
ment OF the city hall building, which is
connected by over thirty miles of wire
stretched upon over 500 poles, with for
ty-two boxes placed at various points in
different parts of the city, with every
engine house, and with the huge alarm
bell, which weighs 2100 pounds and is
suspended in the tower of the city hall.
Each box is numbered SO as to distinguish
it from it's fellows, and by system of
intricate machinery the electric current,
by the simple pressure of button in
side the box, not only causes the big
bell to toll out the number three times,
bat also rings a gong and sets register
at work which prints the number of the
box on tape 80 that there can be no
in each of the engine houses,
and the chiefs Office.
During the past year number OF new
boxes have been placed in various parts
of the city, of new patent known as
the "non-interfering," and tits probable
that in the near future all the boxes will |
be replaced by them. The chief advan-
tage to be gained thereby is
that when two alarms are turned in
at the same moment. the bell |
will not ring out both numbers together,
thus making them both unintelligible,
as is the case with the old style, but will
ring each number alternately.
The brigade was called out 173 times
during the past year, and OF that num-
ber Is were false alarms. The losses
by fire and water during the past twelve
aggregate nearly $4,000, al
though the largest individual loss did
not exceed $4,000.
The following statement shows the
number of fires which occurred in each
with the estimated losses in
cured therefrom:
1890. No. Fires. Estimd LOSS
January y................ 1............. 7,64O
.......... 10. ............. 300
warren. ........,...........lO ............. I,IOO
april. S............... 3,lOO
Nay ......,........... 6.............. 1850
une. ...,.....,.. .-.... lI.,............ $500
uly .......-..........Z o.............. I,o0O
august .,........14 .............. O,oOO
eDt9IQ AM |