Evening journal., 1907-11-22
FIRE CHIEFS
ANNUAL REPORT
Total Loss by Fire During
Year Ending May IS,
$3S6,472
MANY HORSES WERE BURNED

Chief Engineer William NJ Ward
presented his annual report Of the Fire
Department to city Council last night.
The report which is well gotten up.
contains valuable information
Among the recommendation made
by Fire Chief Ward was that more
care be taken in the placing Of danger
signals where excavations are being
made, or any other distractions.
The chief calls attention 90 the de-
plorable condition of many streets
which he says interferes with the ef-
aciency of the department ia making
quick runs and is also dangerous 10
the firomen. He thinks from his ex-
perience that the bitulithic pavement Is
the best because Of its rough surface
and prevents the horses slipping lie
also recommends that all cars stop
at the approach Of the streets instead OF
lat the far side, as he thinks Il would
give a better chance to avoid acci-
dents
Seventy Box Alarms.
During the year ending May Is, 1907,
the department responded TO 20 box
alarms; AZ still, 90 telephone and
out Of town calls, making a total Of
i72 alarms, IA of which proved false
The out OF town calls included:
September 25. 1906. fire in DiclSinson's
Hotel at Townsend; Decem Der 20. 1906.
fire I'm two box cars on the Pennsyl-
vania railroad &C Newport; January
4, 1907 fire at the plant Of the Della
ware Company at Newport, ontailing
n loss OF 100000
Total Loss by Fire, $3S0,472.
The total loss by fire i'm the city
during the year was s360.472; total in
surance. SSi65OO; excess OF insurance
over loss, S46602S.
The apparatus Of the department
consists OF three Clapp and Jones.
three LaFrance. two Mott, one Metro
politan, one Sylsby and one Amoskeag
engines; two double sixty gallon Hol-
loway chemical engines; one Hayes
truck, with thirty-nve gallon tank: one
Chicago fire extinguishcr: one COM
hnation truck and chemical engine
three Holloway combination hose
wagons; one combination ladder hose
wagon; one Wunder combination hose
carriage; one American LnFrance hose
carriage; two American LaFrance hose
wagons: one Gleason and Bailey hose
wagon, and one ambulance
'fhe equipment of the department
consists. of 1900 feet Of hose. Sag gall
Ions capacity of chemicals 52s feet
Of ladders; and all the necessary
equipments OF one nrst-class and one
socond-clo1 truck.
There are nfty-two horses in use
in tho department
The number Of engine houses In the
city is twelve There are 70 fire alarm
boxes now Ia use, and 6 tower bells.
There has been no loss Of life to mem
bors of the department while at fires
during the year. but the loss OF horses
has boon very disastrous
Twenty y-four Horses Burned.
Tho number of horses burned to
death during fires was a. There were
nfty-two alarms by telephone during
the year Tho Phoenix ambulance nude
sf2 calls during the year ending May
rs.
Notwithstanding tho unjust criticism
given both the water and fire depart
mcnt by the Fire Underwriters As
ISOLATION tho water supply is and
always has been equal 10 the demand.
Tho fire hydrants arc kept in good
shape. being tested regularly every two
weeks. the standard distance apart
being $50 feet in the business section
and $50 feet an the residence section.
The population estimated in 1906
was SS.0o0; area. 1915 square miles.
with 93 miles OF streets. Estimated
number Of buildings. 1880
The report shows that during the
year there were more alarms at 8
O'Clock in the morning and z o'clock
in the evening than 40 any other hours
during the day there heng ten alarms
az each of these hours.
Tho report also shows that more fires
were caused from defective lues than
from any other causes. and the num-
ber Of fires from unknown causes was
90