The Saint Paul globe., 1897-10-13
FIRE ALARMS AND HYDRANTs.
Comm issieaers Met to Consider Mat.
ters of Mechanism.

There were only two bids received
by the board of fire commissioners for
the furnishing and installation of a
new fire alarm system at the meeting
last night. The GameweH Fire Alarm
company offered to put in a manual
system, and at the same time furnish
the department with ten new fire alarm
boxes for SO, $40, and take the apparatus
now in use in, the present system. The
same company also offered to put in
an automatic system and furnish ten
new fire alarm boxes for $7,990.25 under
this bid also taking the old apparatus.
The United States Fire & Police Tele-
graph company, of Chicago, offered to
put in an automatic system for Sc, 7S6,
furnish the ten fire alarm boxes for
$725, and allow the department $500
for the old apparatus now in use, max
ing its bid for the automatic system
complete, $1011. The company's propo-
sition for the manual system was $S,769,
ten fire alarm boxes for $725, and allow
$500 for the apparatus now in use, the
figures for this system complete being
SS,994. No action was taken by the
board as to the award of the contract,
the matter being laid over to be taken
up at an adjourned meeting to be held
this evening.
The summary of the fire report SUBJ
mitted by Chief Jackson for the month
of September was as follows: Number
of alarms, 80; loss on buildings, $3,304.
At; loss on contents, $2,760.78; total loss,
sc, ,0e5. .25; insurance on buildings $780,,
500; insurance on contents, $50, 100; total
insurance, $139, 500; insurance over loss,
| S133 53475. The loss for the nine months
ending Oct. l this year, was given as
Sl00. .655. 81. as against $221, ,13S3 81 for the
corresponding period of last year. For
the first nine months of this year the
department had responded to 331
alarms, as against 3S1 for the same time
/ last year.
Chief Jackson called the attention of
the commissioners to the need cfeatire
hydrants at Commercial and Conway,
and Commercial and Third streets.
| There were a number of large ware
houses in the neighborhood, and in case
! of fires it was necessary to lay from
| LEGO to 800 feet of hose from Maria
avenue to a cistern at Third and Com
lnercfal streetS7in order to get suffl-
cient supply of water. The matter was
referred to the, president of the board
and the chief and the water board will
be. asked to extend the mains so as to
allow the putting in Of hydrants at
the streets meRtfonad.
Assistant Corporation Attorney Tay-
lor sent In an opinion to the effect that
the commissioners could neither in
crease nor reduce the pay of any mem
Der of the department., except by the
passage of a formal. resolution. 1t ap-
rears that the committee on claims in
structed the secretary to increase the
pay of two members of the department,
and when the pay roll reached the
comptroller that official refused to ap
prove the Samea bs
Assistant Electrical Inspector Var
mum submitted a report for the month
ending Sept. 80, showing that eighty
four permits had been issued for cleo
trical wiring, the aggregate cost of the
improvements to be $6,eS7.75. During
The month the total number of inspec-
tons were 112 and 126 dead wires, near
all electric light loops, were taken
iown.
Secretary Hall submitted report