CHIEF ENGINEER'S OFFICE, FIRE DEPARTMENT,
San Francisco, July 25th, 1864.  

To the Honorable the Board of Supervisors of the

City and County of San Francisco :

GENTLEMEN : In compliance with Resolution No. 3,449, of your honorable body, I herewith submit my Annual Report, on the condition and expenses of the Fire Department, for the fiscal year, ending June 30, 1864.

FIRES.
During the year past, the number of fires of any considerable magnitude, as during the three years preceding, have been remarkably limited, and loss from that cause, in consequence small.

The only fire that occurred, which was not subdued through the promptness and efficiency of the members of the department nearly as soon as it showed itself, occurred in October last, in the block bounded by California, Sacramento, Davis and Drumm Streets. This fire originated in a. cooper's shop about half after one o'clock in the morning, and the buildings in the vicinity being all of wood, it spread with amazing rapidity to the houses, and piles of dry lumber adjoining.

The members of the Department, as usual, were promptly on hand with their apparatus, but unfortunately for them, as well as the owners of the property, a scarcity of water in the hydrants, and the low state of the water in the bay, (the tide being out at the time,) prevented them from confining it to the buildings where it was first discovered.

As the fire spread, a current of air sprung up, apparently to aid it in the work of destruction, which, from the causes above set forth, the firemen were unable to stay, until it had swept the entire triangular block ; and it was only by the most superhuman efforts that they succeeded in preventing it from spreading southerly across California street, to the large piles of dry lumber lying there, apparently ready to feed the devouring element.

The department and citizens on this occasion were under many obligations to Admiral Popoff of H. I. M. Navy, for the assistance rendered by the officers and men sent from his vessel, lying in the harbor, in subduing the fire.

The fire being near the wharves, they were early on the ground, and worked with the most determined will, in assisting the members of the Department to man their engines, or move goods arid furniture from the burning buildings to a place of safety, and I regret to say, that some of them, being more careful of the property of our citizens than of themselves, were quite seriously injured by the falling of a balcony.

It is due to the water companies to state, that they say that the water was not shut off from that portion of the city when the fire broke out, but if such was the case, I must say that the supply was wholly insufficient for the apparatus of the Department, and would recommend that hereafter they should be required to lay larger sized pipes in all cases were hydrants are attached.

The loss by this fire was estimated by some of the city papers as high as $125,000, but from all the information I have been able to acquire, I think that $100,000 is a full estimate.

FIRE TELEGRAPH.
I am pleased to be able to state that the contract has been let for the erection of a Fire Telegraph in this city, and that the work on the same will commence as soon as the material, which is now on the way from the east, arrives.

GUNPOWDER.
As it is designed to have a station at every Engine, Hook and Ladder, and Hose House, as well as other accessible points throughout the city, I deem it of importance that lots should be secured for the companies about to be moved, so that no delay will occur from this cause when the work of putting up the wires commence.

With proper safeguards, I believe, the assistance of the telegraph will be of -vast benefit to the members of the Department, as well as to the citizens in preserving their property.

BADGES.
Your attention has been so 'often called to the necessity of providing badges, to be worn by the members of the Department at fires and alarms, but without any beneficial results, that it appears like a waste of time to say anything on the subject again, yet my duty, and the universal wish of the members of the Department compel me to say that they ought to be provided at once. They are used in nearly every Eastern city, with beneficial results, and I learn that they have recently been adopted in the Virginia City Fire Department.

GUNPOWDER.
Since my last report, your honorable body passed an ordinance, in regard to the storing, and safe keeping of gunpowder, which was very much required, and will tend greatly, if strictly enforced, to the safety of life and property. Before its passage, large quantities of powder had been found at different times stored in stables, outhouses and dwellings, in the thickly populated portions of the city, where fires were likely to occur at any time, the results of which might have been of the most disastrous character. Since its passage, no palpable violation has occurred to my knowledge, though it has been suggested that some of the street contractors in the vicinity of Telegraph Hill are in the habit of having more powder on their premises than allowed by law.

UNPROTECTED PROPERTY.
Improvements in the city are extending so rapidly in all directions, that, for the protection of property, hydrants should be erected at every available point, A large number have been set during the past year, but the supply has hardly kept pace with the wants of the city.

A complete list of all the hydrants in the city, up to the present time, and their location, is annexed to this report, as it is of considerable importance to the firemen for reference.

COMPANIES RUNNING ON SIDEWALKS.
The ordinance passed by your Board, to prevent Companies from running their apparatus on the sidewalks, has had a beneficial effect ; and instances of its violation rarely occur except where the streets are in a bad condition.

CISTERNS.
During the present summer, a contract to repair twenty-three of the Cisterns used by the Department, that were in bad order, was let to Mr. John Purcell, and the work has been done in a satisfactory manner, and they are now in good condition, being filled and ready for use at any moment. It was deemed prudent to take this course, as the past winter was remarkably dry, and some apprehensions were felt for a constant supply of water at all times in the Hydrants. Only three Cisterns remain in bad order, to wit : one corner Powell and Bush, one corner Kearny and Pacific, and one corner Kearny and Post streets, and I would recommend that they be repaired as soon as possible.

HOSE.
There is at the present time about nine thousand feet of good Hose in use by the different Companies of the Department, and about two thousand nine hundred feet more in bad condition. An additional quantity of Hose is required, and I would recommend the immediate purchase of ten thousand feet of the best double-riveted Eastern Hose. Some time must necessarily elapse before it can be landed here, and, as the supply of good Hose on hand is limited, the order for its purchase should be forwarded at once.

The increasing use of powerful Steam Engines in the Department, makes it necessary that a good supply of strong new Hose should be provided for them, so that, when in service, accidents by the bursting of Hose, and the delay consequent thereon in replacing a defective length, oftentimes at the most critical moment of the fire, may not occur.

BONFIRES.
I regret to say that alarms from Bonfires during the year past have been altogether too frequent, causing unnecessary labor to members of the Department, as well as great injury to their apparatus. An ordinance exists against the making of bonfires, and I hope hereafter, that citizens, as well as firemen and policemen, will assist in having the guilty parties arrested and punished, on every occasion that they can be caught, and I would esteem it a favor to receive such information as would lead to the arrest and conviction of any person guilty of that offence.

Your Obedient Servant,

DAVID SCANNELL,
Chief Engineer.

Back to the Top