The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-01-20
EH0DBRAqB FIRBMED.
Commissioners Say They
Are Not to Blame for the
Reich Catastrophe.
I%REPORTS OF THE DEPARTMENT
Chief Conway Says the City Wants
More Engines and Wants
Them Badly.

The Board of Fire Commissioners met
last evening and the Committee of the
Whole submitted a report concerning the
recent fire in Germania avenue, which re-
suited in the death of -four of the Reich
family, who, it was charged, lost their
lives through the neglect of the firemen.
The Board thoroughly investigated the
matter at the two last meetings, and hav-
ing heard witnesses, concluded that the
firemen were not at fault as the evidence
tended<to show that the four victims were
undoubtedly dead before the firemen ar
rived,
The reports of the various officers of the
department. were then read. This is a
summary of the Clerks report
Repairs. to ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
$1,000; expenditures, So, 900; new fire engine
appropriation. s3,50e; expenditures, s., 475.
Balance, $500.
Total appropriation, $194, $50. III; monies
received and deposited with City Treas
urer, s755.45; total, $1e5, Oo5. 81; total expen-
ditures, slsS, 2T3. So; balance. s1,732.04. This
balance is credited to the several accounts
as follows:-Salary account, S1s2. AS; pen
sion account, SILT; claims account,
81, 51S.39; new fire engine, $500.
III III fIeQOIl lie CLERK says tudIH Oh
this account $l,4oS will be required to
pay for the erection of a brick stable
on Belmont avenue, for which contracts
were entered into by the Board in No
vember last and which is not yet com
pleted.
The next report read by the clerk was
that of the Chief Engineer. which was
as follows
In compliance with a resolution
passed by your Board January Z, 1898.
| herewith submit this the twenty
seventh annual report of this depart
ment since it's change from a volun-
teer organization, and the first report
since its reorganization, on May l,
1897, to that of a full paid system. The
manua force at present consists of
n Chief Engineer, one Assistant
Chief Engineer, two Battalion Chiefs,
one Medical Examiner, one Superin-
tendent of Telegraph, one Inspector of
Horses. five telegraph linemen, TWEEN
ty captains, fifteen engineers of
steamers, fifteen stokers of steamers.
fifteen drivers of tenders. five drivers
of trucks, five tillermen of trucks,
forty-five hosemen and twenty-five
truckmen, making a total of one hun
dred and seventy-two men.
This force is divided as follows:-
Thirteen steam fire engine compan-
les, two chemical engine companies
and five fire, hook and ladder com
panies.
During the twelve months 437 alarms
were received, of which 2s3 were by
telegraph, twenty-five by telephone
and 1874 were verbal. or still. alarms,
an increase over the year 1896 of fifty
two and 1896 of lightweight.
The losses that have been ascer-
tanned amounted to $1S1, 234, and the
insurance placed on property imme-
diately endangered amounted to $685.
253. There was paid in insurance on
loss $166, $50. This is a decrease in loss
altogether the increase in fires was
fifty-six over that of 1880 of $243, $50,
or about fifty-eight per cent. less.
The remainder of the report showed
what repairs had been done to all the
houses, apparatus, and the number of
hose on hand. The report also recon-
mended that the city have three more
engines, as one is badly needed down
town, one in G%reenville and one in the
Bergen section, as the city is growing so
fast that the Department has not got
enough apparatus to keep up with it.
The recapitulation of the Chiefs re-
port Was:-