The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1895-04-19

1st-Soon your honorable body's attention VII
be called to petitions from the business men ant
Others for the sprinkling of certain streets
This is q matter that should receive your ear
Hest attention. With one sprinkling wagon 1t !:
impossible to sprinkle the streets properly ano
Keep the dust well laid, as each sprinkling sea
son opens new streets or parts of streets are add
ed, and to cover said streets the horses have Il
90 at a pretty stiff walk
One team sprinkling in the forenoon and the
other in the afternoon during sprinkling season
gives the department no chances 70 practice, as
they do not care to 90 out with the teams after
working hard ali day.
The mode of supplying the tank with water
should be looked after, as 1t takes from eight to
twenty-seven minutes to fill 1t, according to
pressure. Larger connections should be used
or connection with hydrants allowed.
Your department would ask that the sprink-
ling be given to resident taxpayers, the same as
West Owosso, and the city teams be kept for fire
purposes only.
2d-SOme arrangements should be made for q
central alarm. Connections conld be made with
one of the large church bells by an automatic
striker connected with the fire alarm system, as
at many times the whistle can hardly be heard
unless the winds are favorable, as In many In
stances members of the department have not
heard the whistle, thus leaving the department
in very bad shape In case of a large fire.
3d-We deem IL quite necessary that your hon
orable body consider the matter of Il hose wagon
as the hose cart we now have Is very heavy and
cannot be handled as easy, and in case of poor
roads causes much delay. You must take into
consideration that the present truck is twenty
inches wider than any ordinary truck, and load
ed with 1000 feet of hose weighs In the neighbour
hood of $500 pounds A wagon could be made
here at home to answer all purposes and loaded
would weigh about one half.
4th-We would most respectfully call your at
tentiOn to the necessity Of an ordinance being
adopted protecting the fire alarm poles, wire,
boxes, from being molested or in any way being
tempered with. Also stringlng OF wires by ire
Sensible PeGsSnS OF 70 amy
thorized to do SO by proper persons who have
the same in charge.
A fire alarm box should be placed in front of
the city hall building as central box protection
for the indicators at the pump house and city
hall. as person in haste trying to send In an
alarm by the circuit breaker or telegraph key
cannot be sure of sending in box number cor
rectly.
Also that the disc on cam in box No. II. ocat-
ed at corner of Exchange and Washington SITS.
be changed, rs this box repeating three times its
box number would only strike six distinct taps,
which could also be done by some foreign wire
coming in contact with the fire alarm wire, Gre
ating a series of taps that might be taken at the
pump house as an alarm from box IL when it
was not.
5th-Your honorable body should take some
action in allowing the members who sleep In the
firemen'S room some compensation for their
inconvenience and time. A pole should be plac-
ed through the floor as a way to leave the room
Also that the city clerk be instructed to issue
certificates of membership with the seal of the
city of Owosso attached, TO ali members of the
Very respectfully.
FRANK w. SMITH, Chief.
Owosso, April IS, 1895.
To the Hon. Mayor and Common Council of the
city of OwossO
Gentlemen--As secretary of the Owosso Fire
Department respectfully submit the following
report for year ending April Is. 1895, in compli-
ance with section IL of an ordinance entitled,
IAN ordinance for the organization and main
tainance of n fire department within and for the
city of OwOsso." During the year the depart
ment has responded to fires and alarms as fol-
lows:
1884,
April 23d-Flre at Monroe's house, Queen St.,
S:45 p. m. Alarm from box Fl.
April 3O-Fire at Mrs Cardwells house, near
junction, 1875 p. m. Alarm from box Is.
May 10-False alarm, SholH barn near pump
factory. $500 a. m. Alarm from box Al.
May 19-False alarm, sweeney barn near cas-
ket factory, 9:42 p. m Alarm from box 46.
May 8OEFalse alarm. Hodges & Beebe'S cigar
factory. Main street. Alarm from hose house.
May 3o-Fre at McDowell's house, Corunna
Ave. $3.50 p. III. Alarm from box 81.
June 13-Fire at gas works, $40 p. m. Alarm
from box a.
July is-Lytle house, false alarm. 1906 M.
Alarm from box 10.
June 1G-Fire at V. Whites, Michigan Ave.,
12:lS IN. Alarm from box A..
July l0-Fire ut Aiken & Co.'S building. south
WSnnggH St 2 %S ALARM IRON a BOX S
10:4l a. m. Alarm from box 40.
Aug. 1S-Fire Mt Dimmick house, Hickory St.,
5:43 q. m: Alarm from hose house.
Sept 2i-Estey barns, 7:42 p. N. Alarm from
box 45.
Oct G-Flre at Amos house near fair grounds,
s;2l p. M Alarm by telephone. .
Nov. IL Fire at Heavens house, Corunna
Ave. $40 p. III. Alarm from pump house.
jan Jan. Fire at Bob Copas' barns. o;lO p. m.
Jan. 10-Harvey house fire, Dimmick ST.. 2:1O
a. IN. Alarm from box 81,
Feb 14-False alarm from box %, turned in by
Feb 1G-Fire at boiler repair shops. S. Wash
ington street, lilo o. IN. Alarm from box IS.
Feb 20-False alarm, chimney burning, Byer's
house. l. Main street. Alarm from hose house
March 3-Fire at Frank McDannel's house on
Maple Ridge addition, 1:40 q. IN, Alarm from
box 81. Department responded but not needed.
March 6-Fire at Y. NJ. Q. A. rooms, $40 y. m.
Alarm from box II.
March 1i-Fire at Andrus' dye works, Ex-
change street. 40 a. m.
March 30-FalSe alarm, COpaS mouse, 2:l0 y.
April False alarm. wnloughby house, Lynn
street. 6:5i a. IN. Alarm from box 10
April 2--Fire at Wllloughby house, Lynn ST.,
9:44 IN. Alarm from box 10.
During the year there has been 2G alarms your
fire department has responded to-all of which,
with the exception of g. have been sent In from
the alarm boxes Zone by telephone and two sent
from the hose holse). Six were false alarms,
where fire had been put out before the depart
ment had arrived. and rs fires; II OF these were
day calls and II night calls.
The average time intervening between recely-
ing of alarms at pump house ana the time inc
department. WIS lilIOWlllS Nttlcl pJSh III
minutes.
The amount OF property mt risk at these fires
has been estimated at abOut............S307O 200 90
Amt of damage, q careful cstlmate,". 1871 20
Amount saved by department, S2i,729 90
These estimates have reference to fires where
water was thrown by the department.
False alarms and fires have cost the city dur
ing the past year .............." ..:....S 494 6O
Cost of building new line U) milo
repairing line boxes, CHIEFS
salary, drivers salaries. blacksmith.
ing, hay. grain, new harness. and
other incidentals. us shown by city
clerks books, has been about...... 2,O27 a
Making total of maintaining dept of"S2,522 q
INVENTORY.
One secretary. bureau, tables. mattress
es, 4 white spreads, pillows, pillow cases, 8
sheets 4comfortabes, g blankets, cots, 26 yds
carpet. Sissy engine. repaired buy not In run
ming order; horse hose cart, hand hose carts.
clock In engine room, coal SlOve, $3.50 feet OF
hose In good condition, 81 battery jars, alarm
bells and one indicator Taper, hydrometer,
10 fire alarm boxes In good condition, IL hose
hangers. 1 step-ladder, 100 feet small hose,
nickel trumpets. electric bell In flremens room,
10 combination and IA hose wrencheS, Migrant
wrenches. noZZes. nozzle points, 20 rubber
coats, Is rubber hats. buckets, lanterns,
hook and ladder complete, pair comealongs
brace and bits, hammers, l pair splcers, !
combination screw driver, pair climbers, hose
con der, I bathtub and washstand, miles OF
wire on circuits spans horses. a. set work har