HEADQUARTERS FIRE DEPARTMENT,
OLD CITY HALL,

SAN FRANCISCO, July 1, 1889.

To the Honorable Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco:

GENTLEMEN ; According to the law governing the Department, the under, signed, Chief Engineer, has the honor of herewith submitting for your consideration the following report of the operations of the Department under his charge for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1889.

Therein will be found a full list of the officers and members comprising the force, a record of the alarms responded to, and fires that have occurred during the year; the loss by fire and the amount of insurance on property affected; the aggregate of insurance paid; also such suggestions and recommendations that appear to me necessary to increase the efficiency of this branch of the municipal service.

During the past year the Department responded to 296 first-bell alarms, 3 second-bell alarms and 1 third-bell alarm, and 161 still or verbal alarms, making a total of 461 alarms of fire answered by the Department.

The total loss by fire as determined by Captain White of the Underwriters Fire Patrol was $1,042,367.35 Amount of Insurance Paid 593,557.27
Actual Loss to Property- owners $448,810.08

NOTABLE FIRES.
July 25, 1888, 2:55 P. M., Box 219. This alarm was for a fire in the packing house of Roth, Blum & Co., caused from a defective smoke house. In consequence of the inflammable nature of the contents of the premises, the fire spread with great rapidity. Owing to the inadequate supply of water in this neighborhood, there being but two hydrants in this vicinity, it required great effort on the part of the Department to stop the fire from spreading to the adjoining buildings. The loss at this fire is estimated to be $37,731.50.

September 9, 1888, 1:40 P. M., Box 265. This alarm was for a fire which started in the Main Street Planing Mill, caused from a spark from a furnace Owing to the inflammable nature of the building and the adjoining structures and the high wind which at the time was prevailing, the fire spread with great rapidity, and proved to be the most disastrous conflagration of the year, consuming everything in its path, from Main street to the water front. The rapidity of this fire was so great that the hose of the Department was consumed in many instances as soon as it was laid, thereby causing considerable loss to the Department. The loss at this fire is estimated to be $453,000.

May 9, 1889, 2:52 A. M., Box 78. This alarm was for a fire in the Pacific Box Factory, on Ninth street, between Harrison and Bryant streets. Estimated loss, $20,000.

CASUALTIES.
            In view of the dangerous duties the members of the Department have to perform, and the great risks they take in the discharge of those duties, the
casualties, I am pleased to say, have been few during the year. The following is the list of the most serious :
            February 18, 1839, Henry Ryder, Hoseman in Engine 9; crushed foot and injured ankle joint by being run over by the hose cart.
            April 18, 1833, James Riley, Foreman Hose Company Xo. 5; broke ankle joint.
            June 5, 1833, James Riley. Assistant Chief Engineer, in responding to an alarm of fire from Box 36 was thrown from his buggy and had his wrist broken and leg injured.

MORTUARY.
            During the year the following members and employees of the Department died :
            August 23, 1838, Thos. Creighton, Hoseman in Engine 17, died of consumption.
            September 2, 1833, N. H. Arnett, Driver of Hose 5, died of heart disease.
            September 23, 1888, David Donahue, Hoseman Engine 9, killed.
            October 13, 1883, Fred Rose, Engine 5, died of consumption.
            November 28, 1833, C. Quigley, Hoseman Engine 10, died of consumption.
            February 23, 1333, Wm. Vaughn, Truckman Truck 4, died of consumption.
            April 27, 1333, Jno. Adams, Hoseman Hose 3, died of consumption.
            May 19, 1839. Geo. Holmes, Hoseman Engine 3, killed.
            June 1, 1839, Edward Toeller, Hoseman Engine 14, died of heart disease.

CORPORATION YARD.
The relief apparatus of the Department for service consists of 7 Steam Fire Engines, 1 Hose Carriage, 6 Hose Carts and 3 Relief Trucks.

During the year 17 Horses were purchased. , Five Horses that were declared of no further use to the Department were transferred to the stables of the House of Correction and Industrial School. Three Horses having received fatal injuries were killed ; 1 Horse died from disease and 4 were sold at auction by order of his honor the Mayor.

The Horses now in service are distributed as follows : To Engine Companies, 54; Hose Companies, 9; Hook and Ladder Companies, 10 ; Engineers' Buggies, 8, and Relief Horses in Corporation Yard Stables and Alamo Square Stables 17, making a total of 98 Horses in service in the Department at the close of the fiscal year.

Forty-nine Hydrants were set in new locations, making a total of 1,563 Hydrants in use by the Department.

FIRE WORKS
Pursuant to order No. 2,031, amendatory to Section 86 of Order 1,917 of the Honorable Board of Supervisors of the City and County regulating  the sale of Fire Works,
            I have granted 17 Wholesale Permits, at $50 each $ 850.00
            109 Retail Permits, at $10 each . 1,090.00
                        Making a Total of $1,940.00

One-half of which has been turned over to the License Collector and the other half to the Treasurer of the Charitable Fund of the Fire Department, and receipts taken for the same by the Secretary of the Board of Fire Wardens.

RECOMMENDATIONS.
I again renew my recommendation for a full paid Fire Department, at least in the business portion of the city.

The experience of Seattle, W. T., Durango, Col., Hailey, I. T.. Ellensburg, W. T.. Bakersfield, Cal., and Fresno, Cal., should be a sufficient warning to this city of the necessity of increasing the Fire Department.

The appropriation for the ensuing fiscal year is the same amount as in 1878, and I can say, I think with safely, that the city has increased during  the last eleven years at least one-third larger.

The Western Addition and Commerfordville has lately been built up with fine residences, and are greatly in need of fire protection, but the appropriation of money for salaries of the Department is not sufficient to pay the present force of the Department for the year.

It is also essentially necessary that more Hydrants be set in the Western Addition, Commerfordville and south of Market street.

The fire of September 9th last proves conclusively that the appropriation for running expenses and material should be increased sufficiently to allow the purchase of at least 10,000 feet of Hose, to be stored in the Corporation Yard in case of a large conflagration.

I also recommend that a suitable building to be used as a stable be erected on some lot belonging to the Department for the keeping of relief horses and forage.

The stable now used is in a remote part of the city, a long distance from the center, and requires considerable time to send horses or forage there from when required by the different companies.

I suggest that the stable be moved and the building be altered so as to increase the capacity of the Repair Shop, where all work necessary for the repair of the apparatus can be done with great facility.

In closing this Report, I desire to tender my thanks to the Honorable Board of Fire Commissioners for the active interest you have manifested in all matters pertaining to the success of the Department, and I desire also to thank the officers and members of the force for the alacrity manifested on all occasions in complying with my orders.

I also desire to express my thanks to his Honor Mayor Pond and the Board Supervisors for the interest they have manifested in all business pertaining to the Department.

To the Chief of Police and members of his force, to Fire Marshal Charles Towe, to Captain White and Lieutenant O'Kell of the Fire Patrol, and to Superintendent Rankin, Fire Alarm Telegraph, I am under many obligations for the manner in which they have assisted the Department in the discharge of their duties on all occasions.

Respectfully submitted,

DAVID SCANNELL,

Chief of Fire Department.

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