Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-27
NEED MORE ENGINES.
Humphreys Recommendations for
Better Fire Protection.
CAN'T USE A WATER TOWER YET.
Smaller Hose Are to Re Used in the Depart
ment This Year.
LOSSES FOOT UP A MILLION AND A HALF

| The annual report of the Fire Bureau wa'
submitted to Chief Brown by Superintend
ent Humphreys yesterday. Being only
three months in office when the fiscal veal
OF 1891 closed, the Superintendent found ii
necessary to secure much of the informa,
tion embodied in the routine portion of the
| report from his predecessor and other oHi-
cials in the Public Safety Department He
makes some important recommendations for
the improvement of the fire service.
He compares the present equipment of the
| fire department with that of the volunteer
department of 1870, and shows that the busi-
ness part of the city from Grant street west,
containing then five fire engines, has now
only three, although the assessed valuation
of the property in that territory is $780,
965, 1873, exclusive of hundreds of thousands
of dollars worth of church. hospital and
other exempted property. The real value
of the property in this district and the con-
tents OF the buildings would nearly double
that figure. He SAYS there should be six
frst-class engines, chemical engine and
an additional arial hook and ladder truck
in that district, and the number of men on
the companies should be increased to 12
men. The chemical engine, equipped with
an automatic rec, would be of great service,
enabling The fremen to enter a building
with the light line of hose, and, at least,
hold fire in check until the water streams
could be placed.
Great Necessity for More Engines.
GAS to a water tower" the Chief con-
tinues, 'those 1 have seen are SO wide in
tread that it would be very difficult to han
die them upon our narrow streets and
alleys; but setting that feature aside, no
water tower can be operated withouta a num-
Der of engines, and whatever may be the
value of their service, it is undoubtedly
essential that we first secure more engines,
and then the practicability of obtaining
tower will naturally follow.
."Take the Second district. No. Engine
Company is located on Penn avenue near
Twenty-third street, and No. 6 Engine
Company at the corner of Forty-fourth and
Clovert streets. Between these two houses
there is a distance of N miles, including
a territory with an assessed valuation OF
S23, Ais, Al. A fire occurring midway be-
tween these two points, the time consumed
BY these two companies in reaching it is
comparatively long, while if the necessity
arises for a second alarm. the dis
tance travelled by companies of ad-
joining districts is correspondingly
greater. The nearest hook and ladder
company is at engine house No. 3, on Sew
enth avenue, or at No. 8, on Highland avenue,
required the former must travel in the
neighborhood of three miles and the latter
no less than four miles. 1 would, there
fore, recommend the erection of house
near Thirty-third street, with an engine
and light hook and ladder truck therein.
A New House for the Thirtieth Ward.
"On the Southside there Is no fire ap-
paratus on the river front between No. IL
on South Ninth and No. 10 on Steuben ave-
nue., Thirty-sixth ward, distance, I judge,
of three miles. True, Nos. 1 and 2 cross
the different bridges and respond to alarms
on that side of the river, but the fact re-
mains, that while they are absent a large
proportion of the most valuable section of
our city in case of fire is without protection.
''The abandoned police station on Carson
street, near South Third, is q strong, sub
stantial building, and, as it is still in the
possession of the city, it could easily be
transformed into an engine house and sup
piled with a second or third-class engine.
This, think, would be an excellent loca-
tion, and would be of great practical value.
1t would not only preclude the necessity of
Nos. and going to that side of the river,
but, owing to its close proximity to the in
cline planes, the company could quickly
ascend to the hilltop wards, and in case of
fire render good service
An insufficient number of fire hydrants
and alarm boxes in the downtown district is
also complained of, but the Superintendent
states that Chief Bigelow has arranged to
supply the former, while 20 or 80 additional
alarm boxes judiciously placed will supply
the latter. Referring to the hose used in
the department he replies to number of
statements that have been published as
follows:
Humphreys Tells Why the Hose Burst.
I'm a previous report, March 1st, I
called your attention to the frequent burst
ing of 3-inch hose and consequent detriment
to active and efficient service at fires. In
your official capacity you called the atten-
tion of the Eureka Hose Company, of New
York, who furnished said hose, to the mat
ter, and instructed me to ascertain the
length of time they were in service and to
the character of their construc-
tion. The volume of water passing through
a 3-inch hose being "A per cent greater than
a.2k inch, they should, in order to stand |
the additional wear and tear, be cores
pondingly stronger and heavier. In this
particular affirmed that the manufacturers
had failed, and upon examination of piece |
Of fractured section forwarded by us to New |
York, the officials of the company fully |
agreed with me.
The gross loss by fire during the year, as |
obtained from the Office of the |
Fire Marshal, was 81, Az, ,669 SO. The in |
'urance was 3,183,917. Insurance paid, |
B, 3334 264 80; and the net loss was $143,- |
los 81
The gross loss for 1891 was S939 492 SO
greater than for 1890, while the net loss for
1891 exceeded that of 1890 by S64, ,51S AZ.
In 1890 there were 587 alarms In 1891
here were 781 alarms, being an increase
,ver the previous year of 1914. The greatest
number Of fires were caused by defective
lues or chimneys, plainly showing that the
building laws should be improved and rig
dly enforced.