The herald., 1896-04-02

gestion That Was Adopted
N. P. Alexander was granted permission
by the board of fire commissioners yester-
day to operate gasoline boiler and engine
at 213 East Twenty-third street, and J. b.
Freeman was granted permission to oper-
ate plant for mining machinery on the
block bounded by Willow, Tulip and Sixth
streets.
The chief reported the collection of
$207.50 for badges in use by the Nom.
bers of the department. Two hundred
dollars of this sum was ordered to be de-
posted for savings purposes and the bal
ance the chief was instructed to retain for
purposes Of emergency.
Shifting of the men in the department
were reported as follows: d. w. Brown
promoted to captain and assigned
to chemical company No. g.: W.
r. Price, derated from captain and as
signed to chemical engine No. 8. East Los
Angeles; j. B. Stowell, driver, assigned to
engine company No. 3.
The application of Carl G. Miller to be
appointed callman, was filed.
The executive committee of La Fiesta
sent to the board an acknowledgment of
the offer for the department to parade in
the coming festival, promising that the
big parade will move promptly on time.
l00 cnleI FepOfteu tlat u0 uAu OIL ttl0
30th uIt., notified the water company to
repair the fire hydrants at Second and
Hill, Fifth and Hill. Grand avenue and
Twenty-frst and Soto street and Brooklyn
avenue, since which time new hydrante
have been placed at First and Hill and
Fifth and Hill streets. He wanted some
action taken whereby repairs to hydrants
cial notification. In connection with the
same subject commissioner Vetter sub
mitted the following address to the coun-
Gil, which was unanimously adopted:
In the matter of detective fire hydrants
referred to the board of fire commission
ers by your honorable body, on investiga-
ton we find that it was formerly the Gus.
tom Of the City Water company to prompt
ly repair all hydrants connected with its
system reported out of order by the chief
of the fire department.. Subsequently it
became the practice of the street sprinkling
department to use hydrants indiscrimin-
ately for filling sprinkling cart tanks and
other purposes, this class of work being
generally performed by incompetent or
careless persons and resulting in great
damage to the hydrants and connections
Of same. The mischief grew until it as.
sumed such serious proportions that q
majority of the hydrants in the city were
out of order and some of them entirely
untitled for fire department service. Agi-
tattOI OI ttl0 IIldtJoT IOlOW0u auu every ilys
drant in the city was inspected by the fire
department and placed in good condition
by the City Water company. This work
was completed about December /, 1895.
The pernicious practice of using hydrants
for other than fire department purposes
continued, however, and many of them are
again in bad shape, 1t being discovered at
a fire occurring the 29th ultimate that the
hydrant at SO important q location as the
corner of Second and Hill streets was rem
dered absolutely useless by the driving of
wooden plug. solid, into the same to pre-
vent its running water to waste at it's full
capacity, owing to a broken valve. You
are aware that the City Water company
holds to the position that it is not bound
under its franchise to keep up other re.
pairs to hydrants than those occasioned by
fire department use, and an opinion has
been given by the city attorney practically
supporting this point Formerly the street
sprinkling department took it's water for
sprinklipg. ETC., from pipes and connec-
tions specially provided for that purpose.
and the only reason ascertained for their
promiscuous use of hydrants is that they
are in some instances more convenient,
and as the flow of water is greater less
time is required to fill the cart tanks.
There were in the city at time of inspection
mentioned above 472 hydrants and 32l of
the sprinkling cart attachments referred to,
itD6Tdliy bCdtttT0u LiIOtkkuOut tU0 cItys Aus
ded to the damage to hydrants caused by Use
for other than fire department service,
there is to be considered the possibility
that at critical time sprinkliDg cart
may be attached to q hydrant and thus
prevent that promptness which is neces-
sally in successful fire fighting. The city
is maintaining it's fire department at an
unbusinesslike that it's efficiency should be
hampsred by obstacles 30 readily over
come IS those in question. In view of the
facts as set forth. we most respectfully
ask your honorable body to forbid the use
of fire hydrants for other than fire depart.
ment purposes.
Callman William Mays, of the Temple
street engine house, dropped two weeks
ago, was reinstated, to give him an oppor-
tunity to formally resign, the written res
ignation being forthwith accepted.
II was recommended that the council
sign the three-year lease with Mrs. Merced
Abbott for the premises occupied by the
Plaza ongine house.
The council was requested to advertise
for site for engine company No. 8, the
lease for which will expire in q short time.
The new quarters will have to be loceted
within the district bounded by First,
Fourth, Hill and Main streets.
THE BROADWAY TUNNEL
The plans and specifications for the open.
ceiving the close and careful consideration
of City Engineer Compton. They will
probably be made public today.
IMPROVEMENT PETITIONS
A petition WAS presented yesterday from
the owners of a majority of the property
on Union avenue between Sixth and Or
ange streets for the grading, graveling,
guttering, curbing, cementing and side
walking of those streets. A similar Pc
tition was presented by property-owners
on Fifth street between Boyle avenue and
Cummings street.
God Bless Our Home
And if you don't happen to have one we