The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-06-27
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
Flattering Showing Made by Chief
Puder's Report.

A061 > AhGPOALs
Chief Fireman Puder's report for
1892 is the handsomest and most
exhaustive turned in from any
of the departments. Its penman-
ship is of the most elegant character,
and number of the pages are decorated
with ornamental lettering. The cover is
exceptional in this respect.
The showing made is flattering, and
speaks volumes for the efficiency of Sa-
vannah's fire department. While there
was an increase of twelve fires over 1891,
the loss was Ia per cent. less. There
were POS alarms, with a loss of S166, S37. 46,
S27 $50. 20 of which was insured. against
total insurance of 81, IFS, 800, a percentage
of total loss to total value of rs. The
average loss to each alarm was $500 H.
In 1891 the loss was $345, 90 to 1856
alarms, or an average loss per alarm of
S1,761.56.
January had the largest number of
alarms, 80, and September the smallest,
z. Twenty of the fires were put down to
incendiary causes.
In view of the discussion started last
fall about Savannahs fire losses, Chief
Puder makes the following comment:
Every year since the inauguration of the
paid fire department, the method of ascer-
and damaged has been to apply to the
various insurance companies of the cityat
the end OF the year, with a list of the
owners and occupants of the property
damaged, with the request that agents
enter opposite each name the amount in
sured for and loss paid. In this manner
the necessary information regarding in
ascertained.
in cases when there has been no in
surance it has been customary to show in
the tabulated statements under insur-
ance, the estimated value of the property
involved, not that it was actually insured
with an insurance company, but for the
purpose of sharing what might have
been the loss had the entire property
been destroyed, and with a view of as
certaining the percentage of the whole
property destroyed or damaged This
method had been pursued for a long term
OF years, and while it answered in the
main the purpose for which it was in
tended, have always thought it was to
an extent misleading, and would
at one time or another create an
erroneous impression of the losses
sustained by insurance companies.
During the past year | have found
tins to be the case, and l have adopted a
distribution of the losses and a.method of
presenting the information that I think
Will obvlate any such misunderstanding
in the future"
That the department has been economi-
cally administered is shown by the fact
that at the end of the year Chief Puder had
balance of S27l. 33 out of his appropriation
OF $50 800. The estimated value of the
department is Sl14,300. There is a force
OF hfty-seven men, and the payroll foots
up $50, $500. At the time the report
was completed the department was equip
ped with 1000 feet of new fabric hose.
2,oOO feet of good rubber and 900 feet
of poor rubber hose
In his recommendations Chief Puder
asks for the location of hose station at
Stewart and West Broad streets for the
protection of that section of the city south
OF the Central Railroad and west 70 West
Broad street, land another chemical
! engine in the extended limits The chief
urges that some steps be taken toward
procuring the services of a tow boat for
use in case of fire on shipboard and ON
the river front.
II have always found the tugs, "said,he,
"of great service in such cases, but the
charges for their work are so high that
| they are called upon only when recog-
nized to be absolutely necessary. [ am of
| the opinion that regular rate of paw
might be the means of adding to the pro
! ton of our shipping and wharf propertv
at a reasonable expense" 80
On the subject of wires, Chief Puder
| expresses himself as follows: 'For years
have earnestly asked that some steps
be taken to regulate the stringing of over
head wires throughout the city, and
again place this matter before YOU.
There is hardly day in which some acct
dent is not recorded by the press as a re-
suit of the disregard of'life and property
shown by the various electrical companies
throughout the country. The citizens can
have but the faintest idea of what our
tiremen have to contend with, sur
rounded, as they frequently are, by
masses of wire, but [ think 1
can be sustained when say
that we are hindered in
| the discharge of our duties.
| impeded in our efforts to
serve the people, and unnecessarily en-
dangered in the discharge of our already
! dangerous duty. We are compelled to be
slow and cautious, to stop and be careful
when we should be active and energetic.
THE dangers to which firemen are ex-
! posed in ordinary service is of itself an
awful sutticiency without this additional
| danger of coming in contact with evils of
| high and deadly current. This danger is
! increasing daily, and while we have been
! signally fortunate, | earnestly ask that
| you take this recommendation into your
! serious consideration"