The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-01-19

lent Condition and All Ap-
paratus is First Glass.
AT the meeting of the Fire Commission
ers last evening, previous to reading the
reports of the officers of the Department,
a number of communications were re-
ceived The GameweI Telegraph Com
pany, who notified the Board at a previ-
Gus meeting that the Department was in
fringng on one of their patents, sent
the following letter in response to let
ter sent by Clerk Esterbrook asking them
to show their patent
Dear Sirs-We are in receipt of yours
of the fourth inst. The first notice re-
ferred to by us was addressed and noiled
to the President Of your Board some
months previous to our communication of
the third inst. The patent to which we
refer is numbered $50, 3oI, dated April 3,
1898, subjeet-'Key-hole guard for fire
alarm boxes; patentee, Henry Smith. The
claim covers the device as. described,
recess d, and the door. d. provided with
the fang strips d, and the frangiver
pane e.
patent at hand but have sent to Washing
ton for one and will forward it to you
when received.
'sWe have no disposition or intention of
trouble, but we are quite sure if your
Board would exchange, positions With us,
it would appreciate and approve propriety
of our action in the premises
VERY sincerely yours.
JOSEPH w. SToV5ER,
A communica ton was received from the
Young Mems Republican Association en-
dorsing the application of Frederick Pet
ers for appointment in the Fire Depart
ment
A communication from H. O. Wessner,
now with the Fourth Regiment at Green.
Vile, S. c., was received. 1t asks if any
thing has been done with his application
made a year ago. and says he will be
ready for the position next July
H. j. Baker &. Bros. sent $50 for the re-
lief fund of the department as an ac-
acknowledgement of the efficient work OF
the Department at a recent fire on their
property.
Walter H. Farrier, hoseman of Engine
Company No. and detailed to No. 6, was
brought to trial for being absent without
leave He pleaded guilty and was fined
fifteen days pay.
The vacant captaincy in the depart
ment, of No. 10 engine, was filed last
evening by Charles w. Jobes, who was
formerly engineer of No. 10 company, and
his place was filled by Mr.. John Sonner-
born, hoseman of No. 8 Engine Com
pany.
The reports of the various officers OF
the department were then read. The
clerk reported balance of $S95S.19. There
will be required 81, $50 to pay for the new
chemical engine, for which the Board has
awarded contract and the balance to the
credit of appropriation for building en-
CINE house No. Is, will be needed to
complete the erection of that building
The appropriations are:-Salaries, $1S2,-
300; pensions, s., $50; claims, $4,000; new
fire house, $4,000; new fire engine, $4,000;
repairs to apparatus, $1,000; repairs to
Department buildings, $500; building
truckhouse No. 8, balance transferred
from Street and Water Board, $S24.16;
building engine house No. Is, $10,950. To-
tai, $229, ,624.16
Monies received from all sources and de-
posted with the City Treasurer are:-
From rent of ground adjoining bell
tower, $12; from rent of ground, junction
Newark and Railroad avenues, $276; from
auction sale of horses and old material,
500. 80; from sale of insurance badges, So,
from fees for permit $632; from rebate of
10 per cent on premium paid for insurance
on contents of Headquarters, $1.50 Total,
81, 2.s2.
There is no outstanding claim against
the department, all bids having been paid
except on work that is now being COM
pleted.
| Clerk Esterbrook then read Chief Engi-
neer Conway's report, which was as fol-
| lows
I'm compliance with resolution passed
| by your Board January 4, 1899, | herewith
submit my fifth annual report as Chief
Engineer, it being the twenty-eighth since
| its change from a volunteer to a paid de-
partment, and the second since it was
made full paid one on May l, 1898.
/ .sThe manual force of the department
consists of one chief engineer. one assist
/ ant chief engineer, two battalion chiefs,
! one medical examiner, one superintendent
| of telegraph, one inspector of horses,
twenty captains of companies, fifteen en-
| gineers of steamers, fifteen stokers OF
steamers, fifteen drivers of steamers, fif-
/ teen drivers of hose wagons, five drivers
/ of trucks, five tillermen of trucks, forty
five hosemen, and twenty-five truckmen
| There are thirteen steam fire engines
| five hook and ladder companies and two
| chemical engines.
"The department has in service at the
present time ten second size double steam
/ fire engines, three third size steam fire
/ engines. seven one horse hose wagons
| four four-wheel one horse tenders two
! two-wheel tenders or carts, two two
| horse chemical engines, five hook and lad
4 der trucks, four, officers wagons, on.
/ company supply wagon, one Telegram.
| wagon. three coal supply wagons, one foui
| wheel tender with pole complete, Will
/ 75O feet 21b-inch rubber hose, stationed a
4 hose depot, ready at all times for use.
The spare apparatus of the depart
4 ment is one second and one third SIZE
4 steam fire engine, one hook and Ladder
truck, two two-wheel tenders, and one
officers wagon all in condition for tenn
porary use. Truck No. i has been sup
i nlied with new 35-foot ladder and ha:
| received a thorough overhauling ant
| Truck No. 8 has been supplied with two
! new ladders of the same height Tht
/ hose of the department now in use con
4 sists of 16, $50 feet of cotton hose, and IL
! reserve. all of which can be used at {
moments notice, are 1880 feet of ~ incl
! cotton hose, $500 feet of 21a inch rubber
hose. and 125 feet of one inch rubber
| hose, all stationed in the. store room
/ The hose now in use is al fitted will
the Eastman patent holders, with siam
/ ese connections Part of 1t is only on,