The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-08-17
RAINEY WAS A POLICEMAN.

RAINEY WAS POLICEMAN.
Sam Rainey, shortly after the paid de-
partment was organic ed. was made en-
gneer Of Engine Compa ny /, which posi-
ton he held for one year. He was some
time afterward appointed on the police
force, and assigned TO duty as prison
keeper, and held the same until Cockrill
became Chief of Police and ordered Rainey
on street duty, when he resigned. While
on the police force he was elected Fire
Commissioner. and served till 1873. When
the change was made in the administration
of department affairs in 1874 he succeeded
Daniel d. Hayes as Superintendent Of
Steamers, position he still holds. Rainey
has invented the brass suction hose now in
use, and a fire hydrant, on which he re-
Gently made valuable Improvement He
was member of Crescent Engine Company,
No. TO- Of the Volunteer Fire Department.
Dan Hayes, the former Superintendent of
Steamers. is the inventor OF the Hayes
truck, with extension ladder, a hose clamp
for Immediately stopping a leak in hose
while in service, hose wagon for cotton
hose, which is in Use by Engine Company
II, and also a fire engine. His hook and
ladder trucks are III nSe In many of the
principal cities in the Union. He has just
completed a second-class one in his shop in
Oakland, which has been purchased by the
Portland Oregon Fire DepaItmen There
is a hrst-class one OF his build in use there
now.
MORE INVENTIVE FIREMEN.
A former driver of Engine 10 invented
the gong-regiSter, which was infrnged on
by every department in the country. The
inventor OF the Sullivan swinging-harness
is an old fireman Of this city. The ap-
paratus for unhitchmg horses, turning up
gas and opening the doors is the continuance
Of q former attache of the department.
Chief Scannell was Chief of Old depart
ment from December 8, 1860, TO December 3,
1866 and Chief of the present department
from 1871 to 1873 He returned in 1874 and
has been Chief ever since.
Ii the reports and list of officers of the
Fire Department appears the name of
George ". kennard, Second Assistant Chief
Engineer BY examining the law it will be
found that the officers shall consist of
Chief, Assistant Chief and Assistant En-
giReer. hence the office and title of Second
Assistant Chief Engineer does not legally
exist, and cannot be until a new charter is
made and adopted. Dennis Sullivan, the
Assistant Chief, but called First Assistant
Chief, gets $500 per month, while Mr.. Ken
nard receives $50 per month.
OF tile first Board of Engineers of the
present department only eX-First Assistant
Engineer II. w. BurckeS is alive, Whitney
aud Ackerson being both dead. Chief
Scannell, j. E huffman, now in New York,
and Assistant Engineer D. V. Van Orden,
5. S. Gordon, L. a. Ebbetts. Charles Simp-
son, Con Mooney, e. Walsh, of the old de-
partment, still live.
The Junior Exempt Company is increas-
ing in membership, and will become a pow
erful organization. It's estimated there are
at least 1000 sons of Exempt Firemen in this
city q years of age and over.
The study Of fremanship is how to reach
such high buildings as are up and in the
course of erection, such as the California
Hotel. 1t does not appear as If the tail
chimney" proprietor had complied with the
IN W fpr n no lad In ha
his building, at Market aud kearny streets.
from the roof to within twenty feet Of the
sidewalk.
THE FIRE PATROL.
Captain Russell White Of the Under
writer's Fire Patrol came out here from
Boston early IN 1874 and organized the
patrol, which went into service in May of
that year. He has been in command every
since, except when out making clam
chowder for the Native Sons" He has
often been talked of for Chief, but the
patrol is his pride and his boast.
Tie rapid growth of the Mission has
caused no little attention being paid to the
importance Of having proper precautions
for promptly eXtnguiShing fires. The Mis-
sion takes In vast area Of territory, which
is built mostly of wood, and it is contended
that more companies are needed. especially
hook and ladder company, to be located
out by Twentieth street. More fire hydrants
are also asked for. The companies located
in the Mission and vicinity are: Engine
Company IL, on Valencia, near Twenty
sixth; Engine Company Is, on Duncan
street, near SancheZ-the latter went into
service on July 1st ADD will protect the
district known as COmerfordville; Hose
Company 3, on Folsom street, near Twenty
second; Engine Company Z, on Sixteenth
street, near Valencia: Truck and the chem
zeal engine, on Market street, near Tenth:
Hose 8, on Waller street, near Market.
These comprise really the fire brigade of
the Mission, though Engine II, located on
Fifteenth avenue, near Railroad, takes in
the San Bruno road and the outer section of
Southeast Mission. The residents of TWEEN
ty-fOurth street and Potrero avenue are
camOroCs for an engine company to be or
gained in that vicinity, but according to
the fire officials lack of funds will prevent
1t from being done.
HYDRANTS TOO SCARCE.
The Bay City Packing house was last
year DESTROYED by fire, and loss of $4,000
was sustained. A new building was erected
on the old site, and it was also DESTROYED by
fire some months ago. II the fire companies
did not have to stretch hose from the near
est bydrant, some 1900 feet away, it is
Claimed the buildings in both instances could
nave been saved; yet tie water mains run
within fifty feet of the site. After the first
fire public attention was called to this, and
demand was made that a hydrant be placed
there, but none was put in. 1t is singular
TACT that on Tiffany avenue, within twenty
1eet OF each other, two hydrants have re-
Gently been put in. Tiffany avenue is in
the rear OF the car-house of the Market
street Gable Company.
The breaking OF the Hayes ladder at the
Centenary Church fire. by which Fireman
Hunt lost his life. has been the cause OF
much talk. WAS the ladder the pioneer
one that was purchased some twenty years
ago, and which had become old with a
age, decay and hard service. though painted
Ia lank nnnd ns y, oJt cIrl- LII al