The record-union., 1897-08-06
ENGINEER GUTHRIE'S REPORT
HE EARNESTLY ASKS FOR A
CHEMICAL ENGINE.
Makes Various Recommendations
and Speaks of the Discipline
of His Men.


of Trustees, and it will be found in
terestins reading in many respects. 1t
is as follows:
To the Honorable Board of Trustees
of the City of Sacramento-Gentle
According to the law governing the
department. the undersigned, Chief En-
gineer, has the honor of herewith sub
hitting for your consideration the fol-
lowing annual report Of operations or
the department under his charge for
the fiscal year ending July 81, 1891,
the same being the seventh annual re-
port and the twenty-fourth of the paid
Fire Department of this city, showing
in detail the cost Of maintenance and
operations of the department. with the
casualties, fatalities and conftagratlons
that have occurred, and a statement OF
supplies and an inventory of all prop
erty of whatsoever kind and nature
remaining and belonging to the de-
partment and the condition thereof,
together with a list of the probable
supplies needed by the department and
an estimate of the amount Of money
necessary to meet the expense of the
Fire Department during the ensuing
year. It also makes some suggestions
and recommendations that appear to
me necessary to increase the efficiency
of this branch Of the municipal SER
vice.
The cost of maintenance for the year
has been $50. $50 40, and the different
sources of expenses are given in long
list of items.
The report continues: Il estimate
that $50, 900 will be required to
meet the expenses during the ensu-
ing year In addition to the above
amount l would ask for $1,000 for the
purpose of purchasing a chemical en-
CINE and equipping the same. l would
respectfully ask your honorable body
TO levy a tax sufficient to raise the
above amounts
NOTABLE FIRES.
Among the notable fires Of the year
are given the following:
August %, 1896, Front and Second,
P and Q streets, occupied as dwellings,
stable and lumber yards, loss $22,-
356 o.
September IA, 1896, corner Sixth and
II streets, furniture factory and dwell
ings; loss, $23, 119 81
February 10, 1897, street, between
Sixth and Seventh, occupied as stores
and lodgings: loss, So. 453 10.
July "a, 1897, corner Second and
streets, occupied as stores and lodg-
ings; loss, 5000 40.
A detailed list of all fires for the
year is given in the report.
The total amount of insurance in
volved in fires was $610,921; total loss
on buildings, S37, $50 40; total insur-
ance paid on buildings, S25,3S4 10; to-
tai loss on personal property, 500, $50 81;
total insurance paid on personal proper
ty, S27, 452 So
A CHEMICAL ENGINE.
In past reports I have recommended
the purchase of a chemical engine, urg-
ing as a reason therefor, that by adding
this apparatus to our department 1t
would be of great service and benefit
in the saving of property. Experience
of years spent in fighting fires has
taught the best equipped fire depart
ments that they are not complete with
out the chemical engine. /, therefore,
again call the attention of your hon
Orable body to the urgent necessity of
placing a chemical engine with the
necessary equipments in the the de-
partment, and that the truck house on
Sixth street between K and l., be
remodeled to accommodate both the
hook and ladder truck and the chemical
engine. I hope that you will give this
matter your earliest attention, which it
so justly deserves.
CISTERNS.
1 would again recommend the con-
struction of cisterns at the following
places as a necessity, viz: one on Sec
Tenth street, between I and ]. and one
at Ninteenth and M streets. The els
terms built at the above named places.
would be of great benefit in case of an
accident to the water works or a break
in the water mains at the time of
fire. and they would further be Of SER
vice in the testing of our engines, for
they can obtain better results in test
ing from a cistern than from hy-
drant.
WATER MAINS.
I would recommend the placing Of
trunk main leading through. Second or
Front street and along Q street to the
most easterly part of the city, which
is rapidly being built up with hand
and expensive frame dwellings, which
in various localities are built very close
10 GdGu OiISi, luEISby lhC1 CdSii4S blAC
hazard of fire communicating.
This portion of the city should have
ample facilities for protection from fire
in the way Of good water supply. The
department has experienced more or
less trouble in obtaining sufficient
water pressure in this locality, and, in
my judgment. the most expedient and
least expensive means of overcoming
fv~nlVa IL
water main placed as stated above, and
feed branch mains therefrom for the
better supply of water for fire purposes.
In recommending the above I hope it
will receive the consideration Of your
honorable body.
FIRE HYDRANTS.
During the last few years it has be-
come the practice of the Street Sprink-
ling Department to use hydrants indis-
criminately for filing sprinkling cart
tanks, this class of work being gener-
ally performed by incompetent or care
less persons and resulting in great
damage TO MIGRANTS. The Fire Depart
ment has experienced trouble with the
engine suction because of broken valves
and the worn condition of the thread
part of the hydrants. 1 think there
should be other means by which these
sprinllers could obtain water instead
of using the fire MIGRANTS. In view OF
the facts as set forth. 1 respectfully ask
your honorable body TO forbid the use
of fire hydrants for other than Fire De-
partment purposes.
OVERHEAD WIRES
I wish to call the attention of your
honorable body to the danger of wires
supported by poles, as they are an OBJ