'streets; breakdown in insulation of series arc circuit cable at point just above where it left standpipe on pole at above location, as a result of which wire burned off and insulation was burned for a foot or two and pole slightly burned; severe rainstorm in progress at the time. December 11, about 10.40 p. m., No. 40 Summer street; short circuit occurred in flexible cord caused by chafing of same against a wooden box; box was ignited but was extinguished by occupants before any material damage was done; members of Fire Department called on still alarm. December 12, about 3.54 p. m., No. 52 Endicott street; Engine 8 was called on still alarm on account of burning out of armature of a 4 horse power motor, Same being due to bearings becoming dry from lack of attention; no damage except to motor. December 16, 12.25 p.m., No. 273 Cambridge street; Ladder 24 called on still alarm on account of burn-out in 100,000 C. M. underground service cable entering basement; damage confined to cable and slight burning and Scorching of adjacent woodwork; insurance loss, $120. December 17, 6.10 p. m., Bellflower and Boston streets; reported by Fire Department; trouble was due to series arc street lighting circuit being in contact with limb of tree, with resulting arcing and flashing at point of contact. December 19, 4.44 p. m., L street and First street, South Boston; breakdown in insulation of series arc circuit, trouble being communicated to four other circuits in manhole. December 19, 8.15 p. m., Walnut street, near house of Engine 20, Neponset; tree fire, reported by Fire Department, found to be due to wire of street lighting arc circuit being in contact with limb of tree, with consequent arcing and flashing at point of contact. December 20, corner Weld and Worley streets; breakdown occurred in insulation of arc circuit at point where it entered series incandescent lamp fixture on pole; wire was burned off and pole was burned and charred at point where fixture was attached. December 22, 11.55 p. m., No. 109 State street; Engine 25 and Ladder 8 called on still alarm on account of fire in cable terminal room in basement of building. Fire was due to a cross between wires from a motor generator set and bell wires, which bell wires passed through cable terminal room in contact with the wires in same; fire, while confined to cable room, which was fireproof, caused considerable damage, as all telegraph circuits running from this, the main station, were out of commission for a number of hours. Insurance loss, $86.

December 25, 5.20 a.m., opposite 28 Maple street, Dorchester; tree fire reported by Fire Department; trouble was due to wires of 2,300 volt A. C. circuit being in contact with limb of tree, arcing and flashing occurring at point of contact; Ladder 23 called on still alarm. December 25, 10.40 p.m., Revere House, Bowdoin square; members of Engine 4 called on still alarm on account of slight fire in toilet room, basement, same being due to short circuiting of 110 volt lighting wires, due to wires and molding containing same being wet down from leaky pipe; no damage except to wires and a few inches of molding. December 26, 5.25 a.m., 737 to 749 Dorchester avenue; Engine 13 and Ladder 20 called on still alarm to above numbered buildings; during severe blizzard in progress, pole near houses broke, permitting wires to come down in contact with roofs of buildings; arcing and burning occurred at points of contact between wires and roofs, and water conductors and pipes, both on the outside and inside of buildings, were electrically charged, and in some cases injuries to pipes resulted as a result of arcing and burning where current passed to or from same. Insurance loss, $498.75. December 25–26, during severe blizzard many troubles with wires occurred as a result of same; 121 reports of wires down were made by police patrolmen during storm; fortunately there were no fires or accidents in so far as could be ascertained other than what is noted elsewhere. December 26, 11.10 a. m., Box 8; No. 12 Atlantic avenue; caused by burn-out in wires at underground service, due to deterioration of insulation from effects of moisture; several hundred dollars worth of damage done. Insurance loss, $396.40. December 27, 3.15 p.m., No. 367 Washington street; Fire Department called on a still alarm by frightened occupants on account of slight arcing and hissing at poor contact made by a 10-ampere Edison plug fuse, which had been loosened up in cut-out; no damage. December 27, 11.44 p. m., No. 159–159A Tremont street; Engine 26 called on a still alarm for slight fire in basement, same being probably caused by broken wire of a branch circuit, arcing between two ends of which wire ignited insulation, fire being communicated to adjacent woodwork; damage consisted of injury to wires and molding and the scorching and burning of two or three square feet of woodwork in the vicinity, and smoke damage; insurance loss, $1,750, entirely On COntentS. December 29, 6.20 p.m., 487 Tremont street; Engine 22

called on still alarm on account of burn-out in 100,000 C. M. electric service entering basement; with the exception of slight scorching of woodwork in the vicinity of service, damage confined to service. December 31, about 7 p.m., corner Cheney street and Blue Hill avenue; tree fire, due to wire of street arc lighting circuit being in contact with limb of tree, arcing and flashing occurring at points of contact. December 31, 9.03 p.m., City square, Charlestown; Chemical 3 and ladder carriage called on still alarm to Waverley House; water from leaky pipe ran down onto hanger board of arc lamp on ceiling beneath, grounding current from hanger board to an unused iron pipe back of hanger board, with consequent arcing and flashing; no damage except to hanger board. January 4, 1910, 7.30 a.m., 63 Hereford street; on table in basement were a number of 6-volt storage batteries being charged; some of the batteries had boiled over and current leakage had taken place between two of the jars, liquid on surface of table acting as conducting medium; no damage except to batteries; members of Engine 33 were called on still alarm by janitor, who on opening room at time given above found considerable smoke in same. January 7, 1 a.m., pole opposite 1061 Dorchester avenue; end of rope which had been used by lineman of a signaling system to temporarily fasten a new cable in position hung down in contact with wire of a series arc street lighting circuit; night was rainy, rope was wet, and current grounding through same set rope on fire; no other damage. January 7, 6.48 a.m., Box 64, corner Shawmut avenue and Castle street; burn-out in switch box of the Boston Elevated Railway Company at above location; trouble was due to breakdown of insulation, short circuit resulting, two 1,000,000 C. M. cables being affected; damage confined to cables and box. January 8, 12.45 a. m., Riverway, near Brookline avenue; members of Engine 37 called on account of fire on street arc light pole No. 1037; trouble was due to breakdown of insulation of arc light cable at gooseneck fixture at top of pole; no damage except to cable and slight burning of pole. January 10, 3.30 a. m., yard of L street station, Edison Electric Illuminating Company; burn-out in manhole as a result of breakdown in insulation of series arc circuit; 23 arc circuits affected. January 10, 6.15 a. m., members of Ladder 19 called to the corner of K and Eighth streets, South Boston, on account