The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-02-16
THE MOST FIRE ALARMS
LAST FEAR IN THE HISTORY OF
 THE CITY.

This is Chief Faneher's six annual re-
 port. The force remains the same as
 last year, numbering 12O on the perma- nent force. with fifty-one substitutes available on second and third alarms.
 The retired members of the force are
 H. H. Bishop, at s425 per year; ex-Su-
 perintendent W. c. Smith, at $75O per
 year; ex-Engineer James B. Toocker,
 ex-Captain Simon J. Hurley, ex-Cap-
 tain William H. Johnston and William
 H. Bishop, each at $500 per year, and
 Edward s. Johnston, at $45O per year. The purchase made of first size Metropolitan engine, with accompany ing transfers of steamers. is noted; also list of repairs of houses and improve ments of houses that are needed; also the purchases of hose are noted. The department responded to more
 alarms in the past year than in any other year of the departments exist , ence. Of a total of 354 alarms 12S were first alarms, three were second and 222 were stills. The total loss for the year, which is exceedingly small for a city of New Haven's size, was $S8,29 The causes of the fires are enumerat- ed. Of the causes 25 were accidental F were caused by hot ashes, IS by bon fires, 34 by chimneys, 15 by kerosene oil lamps, 10 by kerosene oil stoves, IA by boys with matches, Il by spontaneous combustion, by locomotive sparks, 20 by carelessness, 1S by automatic sys- tenn, and the rest from various other causes.
 Only one death--Hiram H. Bishop, re- tired-occurred during the year. The casualties were: Lieutenant R. J. Da- vidson, ankle broken, off duty 104 days;
 w. w. Miller, wrist broken, off duty 140 days; John East, foot pierced by nail,
 off duty seventeen days; T. R. Sherd- man, master mechanic and engineer, arm broken, off duty 1O4 days. The report further says. after giving various detail matters:
 Receipts.
 During the year received $91.5O and | turned the same over to the collector $4 for the use of hyrants and $S750 for
 services of engine No. 8 and company,
 rendered out of city limits.
 ] Conclusion.
 I am pleased to say that the work on our new engine house, No. il, is pro- gressing satisfactorily, and I expect it l to be ready to equip early next year.
 Our appropriations for 1904 provide for a combination chemical and hose wag- 1 on and eight men for the new house,
 and I regret exceedingly that sufficient
 money was not appropriated also for a new engine, as all of our reserve en- zines Gone of which must be placed in the new house) are unreliable. l I would again urge and recommend l that a combination chemical and hook | and ladder be located in the vicinity of Dixwell avenue and Webster street, l also an engine company on Prospect l Hill. This section of the city is being 1 built up very fast with expensive resi- | 6ences. On account of the elevation it I is impossible, at times, to get an engine up on the hill and the water pressure there is not sufficient for service with 1 out an engine.
 l As the number of high buildings is l increasing each year I would recom- mend the purchase of a water tower, in l the near future, in order to give them and the surrounding buildings adequate protection.
 | The number of men of each company | is not sufficient for effective work at l large fires. Our center companies have l but nine men and some of the other l companies have but seven. Every one 1 of our center engines is capable of throwing from two to four streams, but with the small number of men to each company we are unable to use all the streams at once. The center companies should not have less then twelve men each and the other companies not less than ten men each.
 The small losses for the year in com parison with the large number of alarms speak volumes for the efficiency of the department, and wish to thank each member of the department for the part he performed to accomplish the creditable result. The clerical work in the hands of our clerk, s. J. Metzger should receive meritorious recognition
 To the members of the department ot police service I desire to extend my thanks and appreciation for their CO operation and assistance during the year.
 The foregoing report, together with the reports of the fire marshal and the
 superintendent of fire alarm, I trust
 will meet with your approval.
 REPORT OF THE SUPERINTEND.