The herald., 1897-12-09

origin and supposed to be so; those
from unknown causes numbered SO.
The total or partial destruction of
barns or stables caused Is alarms;
dwelling house fires. II: sheds. out
houses, etc. II; lodging houses. 10; the
burning of oil wells, T.
There were but two second alarms
sounded during the year. One of these
was for the fire in the Burbank theater
and the other for an oil well blaze. In
point of loss the most serious fire dur
ing the time covered by the report was
the partial destruction of Sherwood
Dunn's residence on Adams street. at
which the loss was $4,000. AS the de-
partment has no means of ascertaining
the insurance on buildings burned no
record of insurance is kept.
SOME RECOMMENDATIONS
Under the caption civil Service"
Chief Moore's report says:
The commissioners and officers desire
to place the fire department on the high
est possible plane Of efficiency and at
the lowest practical cost, for on the
equation between efficiency and cost
depends largely that saving from loss
by fire to effect which the fire depart
ment is called into being. This high
grade of efficiency cannot be attained
under the call system, and even with
full paid fire department, which has been
shown to be within reach and without
increasing its cost, the best results will
await better methods than now prevail
in making appointments and promo
tions These better methods may be
summed up as:
(a.) All appointments should be made
to all of physical, intellectual and moral
fitness.
o. All positions from the chief down
should be permanent, removable even by
the commission only for sufficient cause,
and placed beyond the reach Of friends
or foes, be they high or humble.
(c.) All promotions should be made,
when possible. from within the existing
force and should be based on tested
efficiency, personal character and de-
veloped ability in line Of duty.
The foregoing requirements. viz: ap-
pontments on merit. permanence Of ser
vice and promotions In order of excel
lence, constitute the essential features
of the reform known as civil service.
AS to the manner of purchasing and
keeping supplies. the report says: IA
necessity has been felt for more thor
ough system Of accounts to show both in
detail and comprehensively all stores
purchased by the department. To meet
this need forms Of property returns have
been prepared which will exhibit at the
close Of each month the amount of each
article purchased and issued during the
month and the amount Of each remain
ing on hand at the close of the month.
ROUTINE BUSINESS
Driver Burch of engine No. was be-
fore the board to explain how he had
happened to let his horses get away from
him at a fire. He stated that he and the
engineer were the only persons on the
engine and upon reaching the hydrant
he had held his horses with one hand,
and after uncoupling the pole from the
engine had tried to assist the engineer
in attaching the suction pipe to the
hydrant. In turning the water on there
was a sudden squirt and hiss from a
leak in the hydrant, which frightened
the horses. Before he could control
them they jerked the reins out OF bis
hand and ran away. He was held
blameless for the runaway.
The petition of ". M. Lees for permis-
sion to operate blacksmith shop at 1856
South Los Angeles street was denied.
Several of the persons who had signed
the petition also signed a protest against
the establishment Of such shop there.
The Los Angeles Fertilizer company
was granted permission to operate a
steam boiler and engine at the Ninth
street dump.
Chief Moore reported that during the
past week there had been eight alarms
Of fire.
In regard to the matter Of the COM
munication Of L. F. Alvarez, in which
he stated that he had been assaulted by
F. Leavi of the No. engine company,
Chief Moore reported that he had in
vestigated the matter and had repri-
manded the fireman and that Alvarez
was satisfied to let the matter drop.