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City Document No. 61.

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THIRD ANNUAL REPORT OF THE BOARD OF FIRE COMMISSIONERS, FOR THE YEAR ENDING APRIL 30TH, 1876.

OFFICE OF THE BOARD OF FIRE COMMISSIONERS,

CITY HALL, BOSTON, June, 1876.

To His Honor the Mayor and the City Council:

GENTLEMEN,- The Board of Fire Commissioners have the honor to submit their third annual report of the condition of the department under their charge, of the expenditures during the year ending April 30th, 1876, together with the record of fires and losses during the same period.

It

The past year has been a singularly uneventful one. has been marked by no great and disastrous fires, no large destruction of property by fire, and no loss of life in consequence of fire. On the contrary, the aggregate loss on buildings and contents amounts to less than $550,000-a loss smaller than has been recorded for many years. the record of the year is not without interest, as showing an essential progress in all that goes to make the department what it should be.

But

The general sense of security, which is in people's minds today and is manifested in numberless ways, is most desirable provided it is well founded in fact, and in so far as it is founded upon the condition of the Fire Department there seems no reason to think that this confidence in the ability and efficiency of the officers and members of the department is misplaced.

The organization of the force remains the same that it was a year ago, except that Engine Co. No. 22, at that time located on Parker street, has been changed from a "call" to a "permanent company," as was then proposed, and now occupies the new house on Dartmouth street.

The total force of officers and men, when all vacancies are filled, consists of,

Officers and men permanently employed, 292
doing duty only at fires, 368

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66

660

The only additions to the force proposed are Chemical Engine Company No. 6, which is to occupy the new house near Allston station the 1st of May, and Chemical Engine Co. No. 7, which will occupy the house at West Roxbury village when finished, and take the place of Hand Engine Company No. 2, Centre street. A more detailed statement of the organization will be found in Appendix A, page 6.

In the matter of appointments and the government of the force the Board have followed out the methods and principles fully described in former reports, and with very satisfactory results. While the discipline has not been relaxed, the number of dismissals for intoxication and bad conduct has been but 13, as compared with 31 dismissals the year before for the same causes. It is still a matter of regret that so many are forced to leave the service for such reasons. As usual, the use of intoxicating liquors is the cause of almost all the extreme cases of discipline.

The Board have again to thank Dr. Samuel A. Green, the City Physician, for his services in making the physical examination of all appointees of the department, and this recognition is the more due, as the duty is self-imposed, and one for which he receives no compensation.

HOUSES.

The buildings occupied by the department are now in good condition. In addition to the ordinary general repairs required every year, considerable alterations and more extensive repairs have been made in several of the houses, to provide more suitable quarters for the permanent companies occupying them.

The house on Wall street, occupied by Engine Co. No. 6, was not well arranged or commodious enough, and was enlarged and materially altered. The expediency of selling it and building a more spacious one on another lot was at one time considered; but the recommendation of the Board, to alter and enlarge the present building, was finally adopted. A new story was added, and the interior was remodelled at a cost to the city of $1,075.26, which represents the expenditure for materials, and for such labor as the Fire Department could not furnish. It is now as comfortable and well adapted for its use as a building of the size can be made.

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The house of Engine Co. No. 22, on Dartmouth street, was completed in July last. In point of location, architectural effect and internal arrangement, it answers the requirements in a very satisfactory manner.

During the past two years an important alteration has been made in the stables of several of the houses, which is of positive benefit to the horses, and makes a gain in the time required to hitch up. The horses stand at all times with their heads towards the apparatus, and the instant that the alarm strikes, the door of each stall (which is its front) flies open, and the horse moves rapidly forward to his proper place at the pole.

Owing to delays in purchasing the land, and acquiring satisfactory title to it, the three houses ordered by the City Council to be built, one at Egleston square, one near Allston station, and one at West Roxbury village, have not been completed. The one near Allston station is finished, and will be occupied on the 1st of May by Chemical Engine Co. No. 6. The one near Egleston square will be ready by the 1st of June, and will be occupied by Chemical Engine Co. No. 5, now temporarily located in a private building. The other will not be ready before July. These houses are all wooden and of similar style and construction, comparing favorably with the buildings in their vicinity.

The Board do not think that any additional houses will be needed for the use of the department the coming year.

The expenditures, for the repairs and alterations, have been but $4,960.70. That it is so moderate an amount, in view of the work done, is due to the fact that almost the entire labor has been performed by the permanently employed members of the department, in accordance with the system adopted the year before, and mentioned in the last report.

APPARATUS.

The apparatus of the department consists at present of,

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More than the usual amount of repairing of apparatus has been found necessary, and nearly all of it has been done in the apparatus repair shop. Engine No. 18 has been in great part built over, at an expense to the city of $1,800, and is now nearly as good as new. Under the head of "Apparatus Repair Shop" will be found a more detailed account of the work done. The wheels and axles of the apparatus are the parts most frequently needing repair. The carrying of such heavy loads at high speed over the rough pavements and cartracks is destructive in the extreme to ordinary running gear. To meet this excessive strain all new wheels and axles required to replace those which have given out have been made stronger and heavier. Another and equally important step taken has been the adoption of standard axle arms and wheels for the several classes of apparatus, so that the wheels of one engine or hook and ladder carriage will go perfectly well upon any other one, of one four-wheeled hose carriage on any other, etc. The importance of such a possible interchange of corresponding parts is self-evident with a department so large as this. It is only necessary to keep on hand a surplus of parts, such as poles, whiffletrees, springs, forward and hind axles complete, wheels, wheel-boxes, etc., and in fact all parts that most frequently give out, so that if any one of them breaks its place can be promptly supplied, and the piece of apparatus continue in service as before the accident. The broken part is repaired at leisure. Each builder has his own standard, and with apparatus from so many different builders there is always great variation in the dimensions of corresponding parts. The plan of reducing all the apparatus to the uniform standards involves considerable expense, but is justified by the great advantages gained. It will, however, be done gradually.

One reserve engine, old No. 7, is dropped from the list as being no longer serviceable and probably not worth repairing

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