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Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont film^s en commenpant par la premidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la dernidre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbole — ^ signifie "A SUIVRE ", le symbole V signifie "FIN". Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre film6s d des taux de reduction diff6rents. Lorsque le documer.t est trop grand pour etre reproduit en un seul clich6, il est film6 d partir de Tangle sup^rieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images n^cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. 1 2 3 1 32X Jfm €. stirpes. A REPORT ON THE MEANS OF PREVENTING THE LOSS OF IJFE AND PROPERTY BY FIRE. BY E. H. KEATmG, M.I.C.E.; M. AM. SOC. C.E. CITY ENGINEER OF HALIFAX, N. S. ipublijDhcb bp orlitr of the JjHanor anb QlitP Qlouncil. HALIFAX, N. S. : . MOKNING HeKALD PlUNTlNG AND PUBLISHING COMPANY. 1883. REPORT On the methods employed for extin- guishing and preventing the spread of fires, and on the different Fire Escapes adopted in several Ameri- can cities. City Engineer's Office, Halifax, 14th May, 1883. To His Worship the Mayor and City Council. Gentlemen : — ^ Wiiile engaged in inspecting the different kinds of Grav- ing Docks along the Atlantic coast of America, the followinj? extract from the minutes of the City Council, dated 29th JSovember, 1882, reached me in New York on the 5th December : " Resolved, That His Worship the Mayor be requested to " communicate forthwith with the City Engineer, requirincr <' him to inform himself upon the various modes adopted— " in the principal cities he may visit—for the prevention of "accidents by fire and the most improved fire escapes " adapted to public and other buildings for the perservation " of life." After receiving the above instructions, I called upon the heads of the fire departments at New York, Brooklyn rhiladelphia, Baltimore and Washington, and was in every instance received with courtesy by these gentlemen who cheerfully answered all my questions and put me in the way of acquiring such further information as I desired. New York. T^^o^^'l'^'^P^''^"'?*^ employs in round numbers 1000 men c««,«fFirr and 1,^0 horses, and costs annually about $1,250 000 not '^"«'*««"«- including appropriations for new buildings, which vvould add about $250;000 to the yearly cost. Of the 1000 men emplo/ed about 800 are effective firemen, who are divided into QQ companies of about 12 men to each company. 4 FIRE REPORT. Alarm Mtii- Within tho district under tlio control of tlie department EiiHRN j.],j,^g ^^,g Q^,^,^ >jQQ i^j.^, alarm .stations and about 7000 pliinr.s or nre hydrants, varyinf,^ from about 150 feet apart in the city to (iOO feet' ajiart in the outskirts. AppurtttuH. One company operates a marine steam fire or'n-iuo. Tiie apparatus consists of ')8 steam lire engines, drawn by horses, 5 self-propelling steam fire engines, 52 hose ten- der.«, 1 water tower, 24 hook and ladder trucks, 10 chemical fire engines, 14 fuel wai-gons, 1 wrecking truck, 110 chemi- cal fire I'xtingnishers, 5 hand engines,. 2 liose carriages, 17 hose jumpers, 4 ajrial or extension ladder.s, and 1 supply waggon. "*'"'' Tlie hose tendi.rs or reels carry about 750 Pneal feet of hose each. The total lengtli of serviceal)le liose is a little over 04,000 feet of the following bran Is : — Rubber hose 30,500 feet. Eureka Cotton hose 20,000 n Baker " i' . . 22,250 " Bovd's " " 5,200 " Red Gross " " 800 single ply. Linen lined. ..." 2,250 " " unlined " 1,100 " Total 04,100 orcaniKHtion 'j'l^g department is oro-anized in the followinir manner • — 38 companies are each equipped with a steam lire enoine drawn by two V.orses, and a tender drawn by one liorse. Or? of these companies mans and operates the water t.;vver, Mdiich is a tube in sections drawn on a carriage constructed for the purpose, with the necessary gearing for handling and controlling the tower in any position. (The tower can be used vertically up to a height oi' 50 feet., or it can be canted to any angle. From one to four engines can bo con- nected at the base and thus a powerful jet of water from 2 to 8 inches in diameter can be injected into windows at a high elevation, vvhich the firemen on many occasions could not otherwise possibly approach. 3 companies are each equipped with a steam fire engine drawn by 2 horses, and a tender drawn by 2 horses. 1 company is equipped with a steam fire engine Jrawn by 2 horses, a tender drawn by 1 hor.se and a hook and lad- der truck drawn by 2 horses. 1 company is equipped with a self - propelling steam fire engine and a tender drawn by 1 borse. 1 company is equipped with a chemical fire engine drawn by 2 horses. "50^7 8 KEW YORK. ,. 14 hook aiul ladd.T co:n])anii'.s arc each cqiiippod with a truck drawn \>y 2 liorsc^. '} hook and ladfk'i* companies are each equipped with a truck (h-awn by 2 liorses, and a chemical engine drawn by 1 horse. 1 company is ({|iiipr,ed witli a truck drawn 1)V 2 liors^s, a chemical cuLnine diawn by 2 horses and a tender drawn by 1 horse. On a series of trials made to ascertain the time it would 'riuicto «-.oi. take to coli(!ct the men. hitch tlie horses to tie dillerent ■«'<■•*•■""•♦•<'• appliances a'oove enumerated and to (jro.t everythiniL,^ ri>ady for a start to a f':re, it was i'ouud that the averaijfe time I'or the whole depiirtment v/as 7.25 seconds, the quickest being 2.20, and the slowest 15.33 seconds. "The water tower or portable stand pipe is an appliance Water tow«' for elev^fiting and directing streams oT water into upper stories of high binldings. Jt coiisi.sts of carriarje and plat- form, with 4 sections of iron pipe, with coupling.^, play pipes, nozzles from 1^ inch to 2i] inches diameter, ;ind four 2^ inch iidets to receive the water. The first or lower section of the pipe is mounted on the platform permanently on trimni(jns, the other .*> sections are carried on a side rack." The iirst ejection is 14 ft. (3 inches in length, the second 12 feet, the third 10 feet and the fourth 5 feet 3 inches. Tliesc sections have n>)t necessarily to be coupled together in the order here given. Oil the tir.st alarm of fire bcin"- (dven 5 companies turn Ait^mdanM out with 3 steam hre engines, bidders, and otlu^r ap|)liances. «*•''*■«•»• On the second alarm 4 more engines and 2 hook and ladder companies respond. At the third aictrm 4 additional engine companies are called out. Tlie captains of companies are required to familiarize B>"ti«»*«f them.selves with all buildings in their company districts, ^^^ and to make regular and periodical examinations or all churcliiis, liotels, factories, warehou.ses, theatres, stores and all other buildings used for purposes of business, instruction or amu.sement, and to keep in tlu^ir (]uarters written descrip- tions and drawings of all such buildings. They are also re- quired to report all dangerous places where tire works or kerosene oils are sold without permission. They are empow^ered " at any time to enter into and examine all buildings, livery and other stables, hay boats or vessels and places where any merchandise, gunpowder, hemp, flax, tow, hay, rushes, tire wood, boards, shingles, shavings or other combustible materials may be lodged," in order to .see that the municipal laws are rigidly enforced for the protection of the public against the risks of lire. €onini»ii«liii{: 6 FIRE UK POUT. l*«*iiiiUy for ncKlcrtliuK nri'H, ttrlll. LnddrrH. AvceNH to roofH. KeportH of ttrei). A fine of $5 is cxactod from any person visin<^ a chimney or Hu(! wliieli may take tire thronirli car 'lessness or nef^lccfc to prevent tiiu same from l)ecoming foul. The firem(>n are drilled as frequently as possihli; in the use of the various ladders and appliances with which they are expecte«l to be familiar. There are 4 Ban^^or extension lachlers in the department, the lonu'est of wliicli is capable of being e'lt^vated to a height of 7»S feet. As many of the ))uildings considerably exceed this height, the firemen depend upon their scaling ladders to reach the liigher stories wlien access cannot be had h) tho building in any other way. These are short light ladders with a large hook at one end. A tireinan standing upon any projection or sill, at any height, can hook the ladder over the sill of the next nearest window above him and thus with slight assistance and without much difficulty pass from one story to another. Common ladders and scaling ladders are, as a rule, said to be used in preference to the extension ladders, as they are found to be quicker and more easily operated, and the Chief Engineer of the department recommends their uso in all ordmary cases. The Bangor extension ladder to be promptly and properly handled, requires about 12 men well drilled in its use, and it must be always kept in good order to be serviceable quickly when needed. The " Hayes Extension Ladder and Fire Escape" is said to be a better appliance, but it is much more expensive and none are in use in the New York department. All buildings are required to have some ready means of access to ihe roof. Sky lights or scuttle frames and covers must in ali cases be made of some fire-proof material, and the ladders leading to them — in order to prevent their be- ing destroyed for fuel — are required to be of iron. The scuttle is not allowed under any circumstances to be locked, and the ladder is supposed never to be obstructed in any way so that it may be readily reached a^d used at a moment's notice. Commanding oflticers of companies are required to send in reports of the operation at all lire-s. These reports give the following particulars : 1. At what time and in what manner the alarm was re- ceived. 2. What time was consumed in hitching up and getting to the hydrant ; also, its location. If there was any delay state how lono- and its cause. NEW YORK. * t ' i 3. In what condition the liydrant was found ; also, the water jiressure. 4. State what officer reported to, and what orders were received. 5. What time was consumed in stretchinjy in and getting a stream on the fire. It' ther.? was any delay, state how long and its cause. 0. State where the pipe was taken, and by what means, Htairway, ladder, &c., and at what points, and how long the stream was kept on the tire at each point. 7. Was the supply of water good or otherwise. If not good, the reason. 8. If there was any delay after the engine got to work, from bursting hose, or other accidents, state the time and cause. 9. State the number of feet of hose in line, size and style of nozzle used. Also, the highest and average water pressure at the pump of engine. 10. If hose burst, state number of lengths, kind, trade- mark, pounds pressure, and date of issue. 11. Total time stream on fire. Total time company on duty at tire. Time company out of quarters. 12. In the column of remarks, if first due at station, state whether the company arrived at the tire first, and was the first to get water on, and in case of any failure so to do, the reason therefor. If the fire was confined to the point of starting, and if not so confined, the reasons therefor. Un- der what chief officer's command the company operated ; also if accident happens, the particulars and cause. 13. On the backs of the reports, the number of officer^ and men that left quarters with the apparatus, and the number on duty at the fire or alarm ; the absentees accounted for by name and cause of absence stated. Of 1785 fires which occurred in 1881, 510 wtre caused by heating appliances, such as stoves, furnaces, stove-pipes, flues, etc.; 440 in lio-htin": and illuminating buildings ; 228 in manufactories by the prosecution of business, and 607 from miscellaneous causes. 200 of these fires were accidental ; 1071 arose from care- lessness ; 149 were caused by defective Gonstruction in build- ings ; 101 by mischievousness ; 15 from maliciousness; 10 by incendiaries ; and in 179 the exact causes could not be ascertained. Beams built into chimneys or under fire grates, and de- fectively constructed flues and fire-places caused 72 fires. Foul flues caused 185 fir.js, all from carelessness. Soot from chimneys and fire places igniting woodwork caused Nauibcr Mud caane wf Jirivt. 8 KIRK HE POUT. Water Snp< My. 4.S HiVH, all IVoin cai'drssm'ss. ( 'nrolo.ssly noL,'l<'r't('i| stoves, stove |)i|)t's iiiul Itoiicis causfd 124 tiics. ( 'aiidlos jind lamps iniiitiiiL,' clothiiij^ and lu-ddin«j; caiisod 7'essly handled or lelt in danLCerous places caused DcS tires. Sparks from chimneys, steamships and locomotive.s, (i.'). I'oiitires, 27. ('iL;iirs and pipes, 127, all Irom carelessnes.s. Children playinif with matches, iSl. Telegraph and telephone wires are found to he a nuisance to the tin; de[)artm(mt, as they often inqnide their opi!ra- tions and cause infinite trouhje iuid considerable delay in clevatinfj their laihlers when time is of tlie utmost im- portance. On eiupiiriuLf into the state of the wattT suj)ply lor Hie purposes 1 was informed that there are larj^e districts wlun-e the water will not flow h)r the greater part of the day and that the department fi'e(piently lab,)urs under ijjreat disad- vantfio'e in this respect. In no part of the city is the normal pressure of the water i^ood or sutHcient for Hri> )Mir- poses, so tliat enii^ines have always to be called out and used from the beginninjj^ of a lire to the end. The best pressure obtainable dir(^ctly from the niiiins is said to ranuje from 20 to 2.") H^s on the srpuire inch, while the lowest is zero. It will be showMi, luireafter, that other cities suffer in the same way, and that in Halifax even with tlie abunLlant water supply which we possess, we are steadily and rapidly rpproachinc^ the same unsatisfac- tory state of affair.s owini>' to the ahs(;nce of any control whatever over water pi[)es and littiuizs in private premi.ses and establishments. In most American and nearly all European cities waste of water is regarded in the light of a crime and is punish- able as such, while in this liighly favored City (jf Halifax a citizen may with impunity lavislily waste $1000 worth oi water — or more if he has the facilities for doing so — and if, by cliance, detected he can escape by the payment of one dollar, which, by the way, can seldom be collected. It is true we have an ordinance forbidding the water to be wasted and empowering the Boai^l of Works to place meters wherever may be thouijfht advisable, but this law is largely inoperative and does not confer the power to charge for the water consumed. While this state of things exists it is useless to complain of the low pressure in certain « * i NKW VOIIK. 9 « > ♦listricts, or to be expoctivl that it can ho inaih; permaiiontly bettor. It is not a (luostiou of tho ainoiiKt of wator in o\ir hii\('S cr i'i'>.tM'voirs, as sonu' siMsin to ima'^niu' ; thon^ is always alMiml'UK'o t!u!i(!. Th(! tnu' stito of tin," case is that tiio mains aro capabli! of (hilivoririijr only a nivon quantity of watt r in a <^MVon time nudt'i- a i;iv('n pressure. If tho water is beiii^,^ consnnied or allowisil to run from open taps in C'citain distriets where it will readily How, the })r(vssuro recjnisite to disehar^je it in the n-iven time will also be eon- .sunied, both aro lo.st, and neithisr can be utili/.ctl (dhewhero at tlio same time. This is tlm wholo ease and is I he reason why the water pressure is small in some parts of this city. The only jiroper remedy is one of prevention, wliieh althoui^di dillieult to iuiuii^nn-ate is not impi'aetieahie to be carried into etKect, nnd if prudently enforced with Kxtin- tin^nishers aro issued to each company, and are always kept «""'*»"'»•'*• at their (quarters in some convenient place ready i:or use. The hook and 'adder compani(!s carry thes on their trucks on tlie forward part of the reach. The charij^e necessary for* an ordinary extin^uislier is three pounds of bi-ca»'bona"te of so la and '>nt^ pound of acid. T!ie cbarujes are issueil in pack;i,o-es, tin; soda being in a tin box and the acid in a glass bottle. The hook and ladder companies are provided with resjii- itoHpinuorH. ratf)rs, l»y the use of which the men are enabled to enter buildings wliieh may be chargeil with dense smoke, and where they would be in danger of suffocation without such ap])aratus. The following are the instructions issued by the depart- ment for the guidance of the men in usin.; respirators : — '■'The mouth-piece at the end of the two rubber tubes of the air-bag is introduced iut ) .vi I hermetically connected at the nozzle of the elbows, which can then be quickly tilled with air by rapidly working the bi;llows. ^When the bag is filled with air care must be taken to prevent its escape by bending or doubling the tubes or by closing th<' mouthpiece by means of a cork. 'The big is then placed on and fastened to the back of the person il(;-;ignated to use it, by means of the .strap.*? pro- vided for the purpose. 10 Alnrm-box kcya. FIRE REPORT. " The montli -piece is inserted between the teeth, and the lips closed around it. "Tiie eyes are protected by glass goggles, and the nos- trils are closed by a spring clip. " The pressure on the rubber tubes must then be removed. " The apparatus is novv ready for action, tlie air contained in the bag being sufficient to sustain respiration for from twenty to twenty-tive minutes. Should the wearer feel his breath quickened he will return, but without haste or fear, there being no occasion for either, as the apparatus will certainly sustain him for an a'^'ditional rive minutes in the most suffocating smoke." A small rope and two whistles are furnished, which are used lor the f(jllowing pmposes : Wlieii a man — with the respirator — enters a building filled with smoke the rope or " life-lire " is attached to the arm or wrist and is payed out by him as he progresses so as to be used as a sfuide on returninjx. A man is stationed outside, or when practicable, at a safe and convenient place inside of the building, whose duty it is to renuiin in that position and hold the outside end of the life-line until the r'-turn of the man wirli the respirator; he line being held as tight as practicable with- ^out interfering with the movements of the wearer. " The whistle is a rubber iilobe with a valve attached and is workt'd by pressure of the hand." The following are the sio-nals observed : 2 sound« of tlie whistle, or pulls or jerks at the life-line from without denote " come oat." 3 .sounds or pulls denote " / am vefAtrning." 4 " " " (iJl rl(/hf, or I iinderstdnd." 5 " » " an additional renpirator is 7'eqiiirfid." Rapid or c ntinuous sounding of the whistle, or pulling or jerking of the life-line denotes " f hive fdlen " or " / am fastened" or that immediate assistance of some kind is requirer!«. Fire bnckM. niid flucM. Pipes. Latbod uud piantered walls. Steam i'lpe*- l*reeautioii!« (o prevent II res. Fire EseupeH. 12 FIHE HE POUT. Llfe^HavIng fin' escapes, alarms and door.s, as the superintendent shall direct, " and the said superintendent shall have power in deterniiniuLf the method of constructing' the halls, stairway*, ceilinnjs. cellars, flues, furnaces, tire-places and heaters in all huildinujs hereafter erected in said city. And the owner or owners of any luiiMinij^ upon wliich any iire escapes may now be, or uiay hereafter be erected, sh;ill keep the same in good repair and well painted, and no person shall at any time place any encmnbrance of any kind whatever upon any said tire escapes." The fii'e escajuvs principally in use on buildings consist of light iron ladders or steps from the top story to the first tloor. They are placed outside of the buildings, in front or rear, and as a rule at the ends of hallways, so that in case of necessity the inmates may step out ol a liall windo\v on to a liglit iron balcony ami from thence descend by the ladders to the succeeding balconies below, which ar(i pro- vided at each floor. The lowest balcony is from ten to fifteen feet above the pavement and from this the; j.eople must either ju)np or be removed by temporary ladders, unless they can manage to escape tlu'Ough the burning building. In teiuMuent houses the balconies are sonietimes made t<.) run past each window for the wdiole or nearly the whole length of the building, in order to provide readv means of escape from each room. One of the chief objections to tire escapes which consist of a light iron ladder — built almost in a vertical position in the wall of a building (as most of them are) — appears to me to be that old or timid [)eople and particularly women and children of a timid nature, would be utterly incapable of using them, especially when re([uired tocome-o Eurojioan cities, and as recciitly adt)ptod in (Jhicano an Drill. M Ncallng uevH. belts, with pouches behind and a heavy steel spring hook in front. The apparatus consisted of about six scalingf lad-- dels and an ordinary thirty-foot, ladder. The building which they were about to scale was French's Hotel. At the word of command being given, " Fireman No. 1 stepped "from the line, caught up a ladder and swung it against "the wall of the hotel. The iron hook v)assed throuuh the "window at the tirst story and clutchi'd the sill securely. " \jp went No. 1 in a twinkling to within a few feet of the "window letlge. Then the spring hook at his belt was " with one hand adjusted to the ladder pole, his feet were "securely planted on the rests, and his body leaned back " perfectly unconstrained, and with both hands free to work. "No. 2 at once passed up to him another ladder, wliieh was "adjusted to the second story window. Up this Nd. 1 "climbed, while No. 2 scaled the lower ladder to the tirst "floor and hung with spring hook fastened and body braced "ready for the next ladder, which No. -] passed to him, and " he in turn passed to No. 1, standing ready to receive it at "the second storv. The new ladder adjusted at the third "story window brought No. 1 up there, while No. 2 took '■ his place at the second. And so with No. 1 receiving lad- "ders from those behind, planting them above hitn and then "scaling them, he ascended to the sixth floor, while Ids five "associates swarmed up after him. Every soul was inside " the topmost window in less than four minutes. They des- "cended in half the time." The third exercise was to place the ordinary ladder f gainst the building and from thence to scale to the top by means of the light scaling ladders. '• The rope drill was the last. In this the ropes, which " are carefully woven and soaked in chemicals to make them " proof against Are, were suspended from two windows in "the sixth story and hung parallel about twenty feet apart. " One had a loop at the end to be fastened about the "shoulders. By it the person descending was to be lowered "by flremen above. The other rope was part of a contriv- "ance by which the person descending could lower himself " and rejxulate his own descent. The firemen who came " down both ropes did so safely and rapidly." " The second " part of the rope drill was quite exciting. This time the men " themselves not only came down by the ropes, but each one " carried a comrade along." The scaling ladders used were somewhat peculiar in con- struction. They range from twenty to twenty-two feet in length, and are made of hickory wood banded with iron. Each ladder consists simply of a pole crcssed by transverse I J NEW YORK. 16 1 1 • pieces, about a foot apart, which form the steps, and a large iron hook at one end. The ladders are light enough to be handled by one man with ease, and sufficiently strong to bear heavy weights. Sailors, carpenters and painters are said to be best suited as members of a life-saving corps, by reason of tlieir special training in scaling to and working at great heights. In relation to theatres and phices of amusement, the law provides that detachments of men composed of the ' best, most reliable, cool, discreet and experienced men " of the department shall be upon the stage half an hour before the performance commences and remain after its close a suffi- cient time to make proper examination and assure them- selves that all is secure from fire. They are particularly cautioned to remember that they are there on duty and not to witness the play or talk with those on the stage and that prompt instantaneous action is necessary to success in case of their services being needed. All buildings of a public character, such as hotels, churches theatres, schools, public halls, restaurants, and railruad depots are required by law to have the halls, doo.s, stair- ways, seats and aisles so arranged as to facilitate egress in case of fire or accident and to afford the requisite and proper accommodation for the public protection in such cases. " And all aisles and passageways in suid buildings devoted to purposes of amusement or instruction, shall be kept free from camp stools, chairs, sofas, and other obstructions, during any perfornmnce. service, exhibition, lectiu-e, concert, ball, or any public assemblage. The Superintendent of building is empowered to direct any work to be done on or about such buildings as may be deemed nt^cessary in the ii;terests of the public, such as the remodelling or alteration of halls, doors, windows, stairs, seats, aisles and escapes, so as to afford the greatest pctssible security to the public in the uses to which these things may be applied. J Whatever the cause may be there is good reason to believe that these laws — and even those relating to the con- struction of buildings, in the first instance — are often evaded to a very glaring extent. If the New York Sun is to be believed "there are blocks of buildings in New York that would be pulled down if the present building laws were applied to them." "There are other blocks that have been erected in the very cheapest manner and on the very verge of unlawful methods, that they will have only an ephemeral existence. They have been put up under constant protest from the department of buildings, and in some cases by sharp watching for opportunities when inspectors were Nrn HUitHbir for lifr-Nnv* iiiK <'«>rpH. riucoH of aniiiM>ni4'ii(. t'hiirchcM un>* EviiHiouH of the law. \ IG FIRE REPORT. not witliin si^ht, they have hoen built in direct violation of law. It is an easy thini; to get ready for laying the l)(\'inis of a house mid then seize a chance to slip tliem into walls with.ont particular regard to whore tliey shike the flues. Tn the case of a recent fire in an apartment house, it was discovered that one of the bearn-s had its end directly in the flue of the furnace. It had been charring for more than a yenr, and Avhen the fire broke out it was so concealed as to liaffl(^ those who were looking for the cause." Specu- lative building is said to be the cunie of the city and the fraud is stated to begin with the foundations. UydraiilH. Alarm boxes. 4;uHt. fire cngini'N, Ac. Hose. K«|uipnicii(. N«-UttlCH. Brooklyn, N. Y. The population is stated to bo C)')0,()00. Number of built<'iip<"H. 18 FIHE REPORT. WaKT >*np- ply. The water supply for fire purposes is better than in New York, the greatest pressure at the hydrants in the low parts of the city beinn^ about 65 tbs. on the square inch, Li the highest portions, which are said to be about 130 feet above tide, the pressure does not exceed 10 lbs., while at some of the plugs it is said to range from zero to 5 tt)s. Philadelphia. COHt. Hydrants. Alarm sys' tern. HoHt. 4»rKanizatiou The organization of the fire department is said to be the same as in New York, though upon a smaller scale. There are about 4G(; firemen, 40 horses, 33 steam fire engines }i'1 33 hose car. i ages, carrying from 800 to 1000 feet of ho c ach. The cosL of the department is about $450,000 per annum. The fire hydrants are all of the upright or post pattern, mostly with a single nozzle, and placed about 450 feet apart. The fire alarm system in use is not considered satisfactory, and that known as " Gamewell's System " is about to be introduced, with alarm boxes at every alternate corner. On account of the existing defects, six of the steam fire, engines now turn out on the first alarm being sounded. No particular brand of hose is recommended, but as the department has recently purchased 10,000 feet of " Eureka " cotton hose, it is to be inferred that this kind must at least be considered as possessing some advantages over others. Three Hayes Extension ladders are in use by ihe depart- ment and two more are about to be purchased. These ladders can be elevated to a height of aboi t 85 feet, and it is said that they can be raised by men properly trained in about one minute. The department has also two Bangor ladders but they are not used, as they are considered diflfi- cult to handle. Telegraph and telephone wires are found to be ;i great hindrance to the operations of the firemen, who are now supplied with specially made cutters or pliers for cutting the wires, which by this means can be quickly cleared out of the way. Fire-escapes are put up under the direction of a " Board of Fire-escapes." The Mayor issues notices to the owners of buildings where escapes of some kind appear to be required, but in case of objections being raised by the owners, the de- cision of the Board is final. The chief of the fire department considers outside steplad- ders of iron with an iron landing at each floor, one of the best KxteiiHlon' ladflers. Telegraph wircu. Fire escapes. s PHILADELPHIA. 19 tind mo.st practicable kinds of escape. Another fire-escape, lately introduced and recommended for mills and factories consists of fireproof stairways, in one or more corners of the biiildinf:^, completely surrounded by brick walls having no opening or communication with the interior of the mill or fac- tory. An outside balcony is provided on the level of each floor, and ingress and egress is had by passing through out- side doorways and along the balconies. The following sketch plan will show this arrangement more fully : — j4avy flaoy* (rf^fzll^ cyr^^Fa^^yy. lyooR. PLAN. Although some of the patent contrivances for saving life at fires seem to possess more or l^ss merit, the chief of the department does not recommend any he has as yet seen as suitable for general adoption. During the past summer a person interested in a fire-escape consisting of a long light canvas bag, through which it was proposed to rc^ue the in- mates of a burning building by passing them out at a win- dow and sliding them down to the street, gave an exhibition of one of these improved contrivances. An arrow to which a string was attached was first shot up to an upper story window and one end of the bag was then drawn up and fastened, the other end being held by men on the street. In order that there should be no doubt about the practica- bility of the arrangement, a young woman was induced to try this novel means of descending to the pavement below. She accordingly got into the bag at its upper end, feet fore- most, but having negleteted to remove her boots they cut through the canvas by reason of the rapidity of her des- cent, and the unfortunate woman fell out. The exhibition thus came to a sudden termination, and the p.^tent escape was not adopted. Had the experiment been tried by send- ing the w^oman down head foremost the probabilities are that the result would not have been so disastrous, but few persons would care to undergo such an ordeal, either to prove its practicability or in case of real danger. 20 FIRE REPORT. ply. The water pressure at the Ijydrnnts is said to be pfood throughout the city, and varies from 20 to 150 lbs. on the square inch. Baltimore. Fin' r»rc<*. <'oitt. F.agincK. Approximaie popuhition 400,000, nu mber of buildings about 1)0,000, ; id about 000 tire hydrants at no regular distances apart. There are 205 effective tirenien in the department, 17 steam fire engines, 74 horses and 20 hose carriages carry- ing from 800 to 1,500 feet of hose each. The hose carriages or reels carry also two Holloway's Chemical Extinguishers which cost $40 each. The department costs about $200,000 per annum. On the first alarm of fire, from two to six steam fire engincM are called out according to locality. Steam is said to be always kept up in the boilers of the engines while they stand in the engine houses so as to be ready at a moment's notice. Both in Baltimore and else- where the " Clapp and Jones " steam fire engine seems to be held in high estimation and from all I have been able to gather it appears to be one of the best that are made. There are 162 fire alarm boxes ranging from three to ten blocks apart, some of the blocks being 300 feet long. Both rubber and fabric hose are in use ; the latter is how- ever preferred because of its being lighter and easier handled. The department has one "Hayes' Patent Extension Ladder ion iad(icri«. and Fire Escape," and two more have recently been ordered. They are made at Elmyra, N. Y., at a cost of $3,500 each. The ladders are capable of being extended to 85 feet in height and are said to be quickly handled by the men who are drilled in their use. \n using this appliance on side hills it is found necessary to tear up tlie pavement in order to afford a tolerably level bearing for the truck. The following description is taken from the official report of the Baltimore Fire Commissioners for 1881 : " The Hayes' patent truck carries seven ladders ranging from eight to forty feet in length, and an extension ladder, which is fastened to a turntable on the forward part of the truck, 80 that the ladder can be turned in different ways when it is being elevated, to clear the telegraph wires that it might come in contact with ; and in narrow streets it can be thrown from the houses on one side of the street to those on the other side, without taking the ladder down or removing the truck. The ladder can be raised to the 4lariii itMXPH. NOHP. HayoK' FiVU'H- 1 / i RAI.riMORE. 21 I t / height of 8;") foct — a crank V)cin found not having, in his judgment, the proper means of exit, then it becomes his further duty to notify the owtier, trustee or lessee of said property to alter or improve the premises in such manner an to secure the desired object. Failure to comply with which notice, within thirty days, will subject the party not com- plying to a fine of one hundred dollars for neglect, and a further fine of twenty-five dollars for every day the requisite improvement is delayed." This law, it is stated, is shortly to be amended so as to include all buildings. The chief engineer of the fire department recommends that every building used as a manufactory shall have " two scuttle holes leading to the roof, one in front and the other in the rear, with steps to them; the stairways to be stationary, and the tread of the steps to be not less than four inches ; the doors of the scuttle holes to be unfastened every morn- ing before work counnences, and not closed Ixjfore the employees leave the building in the evening. In buildings over three stories in height, and where more than fifty liands are employed, there should be an outside stairway, built of iron, to connect with each story, or a tower, built of brick, in the buildings, with an iron spiral stairway and iron doors to the outlets from the diflierent floors to the tower." With ^reference to places of public amusement he says " in some of the theatres in this city there are pipes run in from the water mains, with connections for hose, and if there is hose attached, it is very apt to be old and unre- liable, likely to burst as soon as the pressure is put on it, and the places to attach the hose blocked up with scenery and other stage property, so that, they can not be used. A building may have a great many ways of exit, and wide stairways leading to the front doois, so that it can be emptied in a short time when there is no excitement ; but when three or four thousand people are congregated to- gether, and a panic ensues, it is quite difl'erent ; everyone pushes towards the street, struggling and crushing each UALTIMORE. 23 other; some fall . for proper protection against fire in several sections of the !»'»• city. The best pressure at the hydrants is about GO pounds on the squareinch.but in some portions of the city these hyd- rants are at great distances apart, (but this is now being reme- died,) and at other places the pressure is not sufficient to force the water up to the level of the nozzles. This state of t 24 FIRK REPOllT. things is by no means peculiar to Baltimore', as will bo seen by reference to portions of this report relatinij to the water supply of other cities, and, as was before stated, owing to the great waste of water which is tolerated in our own ci':v, there are a few localities which are rapidly approaching the the same unsatisfactory condition, Washington. Flr«' |>Hrt- AppHrutUM. tout. OiiilinnieM. HoMe. Alarm HyH- trm, Fire Mtrrams. Spray iioz« xleH. Population about l7o 000, with about 850 fire hydrants. The tire department is controlled by three commissioners and is composed of 02 officers and men, divided as follows : 1 chief engineer, 1 assistant chief engineer, 8 foremen, G en- gineers, 2 tiller men, firemen, 8 hostlers, 54 privates '.] watchmen, 1 superintendent of fire alarm teh'graph and 2 operators. The principal apparatus consists of 8 steam firi' engines, 8 hose carriages, 3 hook and ladder trucks and 1 fuel wag- gon ; 38 horses are employed, and the cost of the depart- ment is a little over $100,000 per annum. The city is divided into seven fire districts. Tliere are six engine and two hook and ladder companies. The en- gine companies number 10 men to each, and the hook and ladder companies 12 men each. On the first alarm of fire 3 engines and from 20 to 30 men turn out. The hose-reels carry from 1,000 to 1,350 feet of hose each. Tl.iini|i>. used in preference to Babcock or Holloway chemical extin- guishers. Two of these hand-pumps are carried on each hose-reel. Thev are very small, light and handy contrivan- ces, by which one man with a bucket of water can throw a jet for a distance of 80 to 40 feet. They cont only about $8.00 complete each. Ordinary ladders from 30 to 4o feet in length, with seal- i-addrr^. ing ladders, are used by the department, which also has two extension ladders from 70 to 90 feet long. The latter are substantially the same as the Bangor ladder, altered so as to work upcni platfonn, which can be readily detached from the wheels of the truck. The alteration is the invention of the chief engineer, Mr. Cronin, and costs fubout SoOO. There are not many tire escapes attached to buildings in Fin- «'>.<-ai»<-*i, use in Washington, as the laws relating to their application are new. A few buildings have outside iron step ladders from the top to the first floor with landings on each stor}^ The Ebbitt House has an outside ornamental spiral stair- case running the whole height of the building, and also outside vertical iron ladders at the ends of the principal halls. Riggs' Hotel is provided with the " Burrows Escape " on all four sides. This invention is also termed the "National Permanent Fire Escape." After the necessary appliances were attached to the hotel a public exhibition of its usefulness was given, the following description of wdiich is taken from a local newspaper: "The escape is very simple in construction, being composed of tackling blocks and wire rope, so arranged that it does not distigure the appearance of the building. Upon this tackle a large basket of wire can bo run from window to window on any floor of the building and to the ground in a very short time. The perfection attained by this invention in delivering a person from any window of a building to the ground in a few secoiuls, makes it the most efficient fire escape yet pi'o- duced. The basket will hold four or five people, and in case of emergency persons can be a'so let down to the ground by being fast-ned to the ropes with belts. The apparatus works very rapidly. The experiments yesterday were very interesting and satisfactory. A little child was taken from the upper story and brought to the ground in tlie basket very quickly, and other persons were taken from the different windows of the building. The apparatus in case of fire would serve a double purpose, as men couM be sent in th* basket from the ground to any pait of the 26 FIRE REPORT. building when it would bo impracticable to use ladders. Every one seemed delighted with the experiment, and the gentlemen having charge of the apparatus received many congratulations for their success." The accompanying cut will show more explicitly the manner of attaching and operating this form of tire escape which the Inspector of Buildings has approved of and con- siders the best and cheapest appliance for saving life yet invented There are others, however, in the department who do not hold the same opinion. THE BUKUOWS KlUIO ESCAPE. The chief engineer prefers fixed outside ladders with a stand-pipe attached and a nozzle for coupling hose at each floor. Firemen would thus be provided with the ready 4 i 1 i MISCELLANEOUS. 27 means of reaching persons in dan^'er, if incapable of help- ing themselves, and the stand-pipe would form a permanent water tower ready for use at any moment. The building laws require the inspector of buildings to insniM-tioB •r examine every building occupied as a hotel, boarding or '»""«""s»' lodging house, ftactory, mill or manufactory, or for offices or workshops in which persons are employed above the se- cond story, and if, in his opinion, such building is not pro- « vided with proper facilities for the escape of persons in case of fin^, he shall immediately serve a notice in writing upon the owner or owners, agent or other party or parties having an interest in said building, requiring the necessary addi- tional facilities to be provided without delay. It is stated in the Fire Commissioners' Report for 1881 w»t«'i- snii. that, " without a proper and ample supply of water the best ''''" " drilled and equipped department in the world is powerless, "and I again call your attention to the fact that, in the " event of a large fire in the business section of the city, the " water supply or water fixtures are not sufficient to work " the full force of the department." Some of the pipes be- ing considered too small, it is recommended to take them up and substitute others of larger diameter, and to increase the number of fire hydrants. The best pressure at the hy- is given as about 30 lbs. on the square inch, while the low- est is zero. It is also said that in few parts of the city can a jet from a hydrant be obtained exceeding twenty feet in heio'ht. Miscellaneous. I> !■«»■<( It is of interest — and may possibly lepjl to extra precau- naiisri tion being taken in regard to the construction and systematic ciiiu«iH'y». cleaning of chimneys — -to note that in London during the year 1882, out of a total of Go78 calls to fires, no less than 4287 were chimnev alarms, and in Paris in 1881, of 8875 fires which occured in that year, " 2114, or about two-thirds originated in chimneys, more or less poorly constructed." With regard to fires in other European cities, the " Boston Fires in Kwr- Herald" is responsible for the truth of the following state- "i**"*" «•*•••"». mentr, which, however, had better be accepted with a certain amount of reserve. "Afire of any magnitude in any of the continental cities of Europe is very rare. The smallest blaze is looked upon as an afifair of importance, anil in such a town as Heidelberg, in Germany, when an alarm is sounded, the firemen arrange themselves with as much care before responding as if they were glutting themselves up for a wedding or funeral. They not only wait to put on their uniform, but they blacken their boots and indulge in a clean sax 28 rnris Itr*- <1<>' imrlmciit. FIRE KKPORT. shave if their appeai?ance is in the least rusty. Buildings in Germany, as a rule, are all fire proof, with tile roofs, tile or stone floors, walls and partitions of heavy stone or brick masonry, and stairways and halls built without the intro- duction of wood in any shape, there is but a slim chance for the fire fiend to <:et a foot hold, and much less to get under any headway. Europeans don't go to bed at niglit with the vague fear ha)mting them that before morning they may suffer the martyrdom of St. Lorenzo by being roasted alive, ar.d it seldom happens that their own houses prove to be their funeral pyres. The property holders pay little or no insiirance, and they are not taxed heavily every year to keep up an expensive fire department. Were the architects and builders to erect such combustible, tinder-box buildings as are being constructed in the United States every year by the thousands and tens of thousands, these " despotic " governments would proclaim an f^dict within twenty-four hours, either to cut off the architects' and builders' heads or transport them to the United States for life. The yearly statistics, which have been carefully gathereai There fire many things of importance in relation to the »-anK«K»rnron causes of fires and the means of their prevention and sup- pression, to which only bare allusion has been made in this report ; some have not even been referred to because they do not come s ictly within the scope of my instructions. It may perhaps be thought by some that too much space has been occupied in the description of details api arently trivial or of little concern to our citizens. When, however, it is considi^red that the most disastrous fires are frequently — I might almost say always — occasioned by the neglect to observe the dictates of common sense in the arrangement of trivial details, either in construction or internal arrange* ments of buildings and their present necessary appen- dages, it may be concluded — on the principle of " an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure " — that it would be the part of wisdom to examine into such triviali- «" t ' 'f* n i 96 Hi g> ■r \ f inSCELLANEOUS. 81 ties with the closest scrutiny. Matters of great moment can, as a rule, safely be allowed to take care of themselves, because they are apparent to the dullest comprehensions. The things mostly to be feared are : the beam in the flue or under'^the hearth; the unfilled joint in the unswept chinmey ; the improperly constructed elevator shaft, perliaps further bum, led in some stupid alteration ; the woodwork too close to the furnace or the pile of wood carelessly heaped near it ; the stove pipe hole in some wooden or plaster partition ; the wnmgly placed gas jet ; and such triviali- ties. Any one of these things may cause more damage in a few short hours than the whole revenues of a city for years ioor'ther could repair, even if they could be devoted to that purpose. As to lire-escapes, permanently fixed on buildings, there oniinan seems to be little need of them in ordinary dwellings up to «i"«>iiinK«. four stories in height, because the firemen's ladders can al- ways be brought into service in cases of extremity. Tene- ment houses (of which, however, we have few) need special Tem-nu'in.. attention, and the ordinary fire-escapes, even when affixed to them, cannot always be used when most needed. To il- lustrate this, the destiuction on the IGth December last of a tenement house, No. 172 Suffolk St., N. Y., may be cited. The tire occurred in the day time, had it been at night, the loss of life would inevitably have been great. The outside escapes, with which the building was provided could not be approached by reason of the tire in their vicinity. The flames swept \ip the stairways from story to story until « they reached the roof, and so rapid was tlicir progress that the means of escape for the inmates was quickly cut oft'. The occupants of the top stories managed to reach the roof before the tire and thus were rescued, but for those in tlie lower stories the only recourse was the windows, from which they were compelled to jump. Other buildings needing special attention are hotels, ituiiuiaits n- theatres and public halls, schools, manufactories, mills, asy- '^^''^l^^^^ll^ lums and prisons. In the last five it would appear judici- ous, in addition to whatever life-saving appliances may be adopted, to periodically drill and instruct the occupants in the quickest and best means of escaping in case of danger and so as to avoid a panic. No tixed fire escape has yet been devised which is suited rasesimiHiN to all localities under all circumstances, and, in the nature ^^^'''^J.,;)"^ of things, it never can be ; and although preference may be criven to one style of escape over another, each peculiar case must be dealt with separately. It seems superfluous to say that in all cases careful and special precautions should 82 FIRE REPORT. be taken to guard against accidents from fire, but as architects and Iniilders — in designing and erectinij strnc- -seldom irive themselves much concern in this matter HllSKi'Nlioil!*. tures- unloss required to do so by law, and as city and town authorities are not always sufficiently informed in what is actually needed for the proper protection of life and property, 1 may mention a few mjitters, which in the public interests, ought to leceive special attention in almost every community. 1. A carefully pn^pared act relating to the construction and alteration of buildings, containing stringent rules by which the constructors of all buildings, intended for public purposes, or for occupation by large numbers of people, can be compelled to arrange and biuld the stairways, passages, doors and windows in such a way as to afford the best pos- sible protection against accidents to the inmates. 2. in connection with the above, the appointment of a skilled and competent person as Inspector, to see that the laws are properly enforced, and whose special duty it should be to examine most crit-ically all flues, fire-places, heating appaiatus, stove-pipes, and other minor matters which may be considered dangerous ; with the power to enforce such alterations to be made, as he may deem necessary for the public security. 3. If there is a public water supply every effort should be made to control and check the waste of water, as this waste i;- productive of no good purpose whatever, and in all cases leads to the loss of pressure for fire and other purposes. 4. In connection with the foregoing rule, the enforcement of rigid laws, — relating to the inspection of internal plumb- ing work, the class of water-pipes and fittings which will be allowed, and the placing of these pipes and fittings — is necessary. 5. The fire force, especially if a volunteer one, should receive every consideration and aid which it is practic- able to afford to it. It should, of course, as far as possible, consist of trained, able-bodied and resolute men, and it is not in the interests of the public, or conducive to the public safety to cut down the grants or allowances to the department to the lowest possible figure. 0. The fire department,' besides being possessed of the most modern and best appliances with which similar bodies elsewhere are usually furnished, should have every facility offered them for reaching a fire in the shortest possible space of time, and in addition should carry with them such ropes and lifesaving apparatus as can be conveniently handled and operated by the men of the force. Respectfully submitted, E. H. KEATING.