To the Honorable the Board of Fire Commissioners of the City and County of San Francisco:

GENTLEMEN : In presenting my Annual Report of the operations of the Department which have come under my supervision for the year ending June 30th, 1877, you will please permit me to acknowledge my high appreciation of the confidence reposed in me as Chief Engineer of the Fire Department, as well as of the promptness with which every necessary assistance has been rendered by your Honorable Body towards maintaining the Department in the highest condition of efficiency and discipline of men.

I respectfully present for your consideration the Annual Report of this Department, showing the condition of the Fire Department: a record of all the fires and alarms which have occurred in the city during the year, with the loss and insurance on the same; the condition of the engines, houses and apparatus; the location and number of fire hydrants; the number and names of the officers and members of the companies under my charge; together with such suggestions for your consideration as will, in my opinion, promote more fully the large and growing interest of the city, and other information relating to the Department, of interest to your Honorable Body and the citizens of San Francisco.

The number of fires and alarms from all causes for the year ending June 30th, 1877, have been 359, an increase of 41 over the number reported last year. August, 1876, the cigar-box manufactory of Korbell Bros., on Brannan street, between Third and Fourth streets, took fire from some unknown cause. The building, a wooden one, was filled with large quantities of light lumber, upon which the fire took hold, and before the Department could be successfully operated, the fire had spread to the adjoining buildings, which were of a very combustible nature, and, owing to the high wind prevailing and to the scarcity of water in that section of the city-to which I had called the attention of your Honorable Body in my previous report-did much to hinder the operations of the Department, another evidence of the necessity of a fire-boat, recommended in my previous reports.

HOSE.
In another portion of this Report will be found a statement of the quantity, quality and condition of all the hose in possession of the Department and available for fire purposes, and how and where distributed; also a statement of the quantity of hose in the possession of private parties, the names of said parties, and where the hose is kept.

CISTERNS.
In another portion of this Report will be found a tabular statement of the number, location and capacity of cisterns from which the Department can, in case of need, obtain a supply of water, all of which have been thoroughly overhauled and are in perfect order.

HYDRANTS.
The number of hydrants erected prior to June 30th, 1876, were one thousand one hundred and forty-two (1,142); during the fiscal year ending June 30th, 1877, the number erected was sixty-six (66), making a total of one thousand two hundred and eight (1,208), now available for the purpose of extinguishing fires.

DEPARTMENT APPARATUS.
All the Engines of the Department have received the closest attention, and such repairs have been made from time to time as have been required, and at present 'all the Engines are in excellent working condition. The Hook and Ladder Trucks are in good condition, as are also all the appendages connected with them. During the year a Hayes' Fire Escape Truck has been built and placed in service in the house of Hook and Ladder Company No. 2, on Broadway street.

A great many of the Hose Carts in the Department, from long and continued service and constant repairing some of them having been in constant service since the organization of the Department are in a dilapidated condition, and are not safe or reliable in going to and from fires.

DEPARTMENT HOUSES.
A great many of the houses in the Department require painting and more or less repairs and some alteration, especially the stalls of the horses, which should be so placed as to be on the floor facing the apparatus, as in the present- style of stalls the horses, in backing out, frequently slip and are very often crippled. During the fiscal year ending June 30th, 1877, the old house of Engine Company No. 8, on Pacific street, has been repaired; and Hook and Ladder Company No. 4, recently organized by your Honorable Body, has been placed in service.

HOUSES.
I would recommend to your Honorable Body that a provision should be the next Legislature providing for a special appropriation to be used as a building fund for the erection and repairs of Engine Houses, as the money which had accumulated by the sale of houses and lots of the old Volunteer Department has been exhausted, and all the repairs to houses have been taken from the Running Expenses, which has a tendency to make said fund short $8,000 having been taken from the Running Expenses of the Fire Department during the last fiscal year for repairs to Fire Department Houses.

WATER SUPPLY.
I would also recommend to your Honorable Body that the Board of Supervisors request the Spring Valley Water Company to have the mains extending along East, Davis and Drumm streets enlarged, as this portion of the city is composed of the most inflammable materials.

FIRE-BOAT.
I would again call the attention of your Honorable Body to the necessity of a Fire-Boat, as evidence the Brannan street fire, in August, 1876,' where, if we had a Fire-Boat, the strength of the Department would have fully increased the necessary supply of water four-fold.

HOSE.
The Department has but 18,000 feet of reliable Hose which will stand the ordinary fire pressure. This is entirely inadequate to the wants of the city. I would recommend the purchase of ten thousand (10,000) feet of the best quality of carbolized Hose, without which, in case of a large fire, the city would seriously suffer, perhaps more than many times the cost of such supply. An abundant supply of water for all emergencies is necessary; but it is just ;is necessary that good and sufficient means be constantly -on hand to make proper use of said water, or the Department is, in a measure, powerless to arrest a large fire.

CIRCULATING HEATERS.
I would again call the attention of your Honorable Body to the necessity of supplying Engine Companies Nos. 2, 3, 4, 6, 9 and 10 with heaters for generating steam, so that the Engines can have from twenty- five to thirty pounds of steam on at all times. Since their introduction, cases have occurred where a stream of water directly from the Engine has been the means of checking what might have been a serious fire.

CHEMICAL ENGINE.
Experience has demonstrated the fact, that, with an abundant water, as San Francisco now has in the business portion of the city, where fires occur frequently in the upper stories of buildings filled with valuable goods, the danger of damage by water is very great, especially when, as at present, it is necessary to run a line of hose to the upper floors and turn on water, which must of necessity cause more or less damage to goods, furniture, etc., on the lower floors. This could in a great measure be avoided if the city had a chemical engine for such service, which could be used to advantage in nearly all cases, and the danger to stock greatly lessened, if not wholly prevented.

The experience. of cities where the chemical engines have been fully tested, warrants the assertion that fully three fourths of all fires are extinguished by the chemical apparatus with scarcely any damage or loss by water. I earnestly recommend that such an engine be procured as soon as possible.

APPARATUS.
I would recommend the purchase of ten (10) new Hose Carriages for the Department, as a great many of the old ones, from long and continued service some of them having been in service since the organization of the Department in December, 1866 are constantly in need of repairs, and are unsafe at the rate of speed they are required to go. To continue the present Hose Carts, imposing as they do the expense of frequent repairs, will be a proceeding far from economical. I would, therefore, repeat my recommendation for the purchase often (10) new Hose Carts.

COMPANIES.
The rapidly growing districts known as the Potrero and Northwestern Addition are not so fully protected against fires as their needs demand, and I would recommend to your consideration the practicability of adding two more Hose Companies, to be located in said districts: on the Potrero, where they have large interests at stake the rolling mill, rope-walk, Hope Iron works and San Francisco Gaslight Company's works; and also the Northwestern Addition, where a large number of valuable residences have been erected.

CONCLUSION.
In all the above recommendations I have thought best to call the attention of your Honorable Body to such points as will, in my opinion, make the Department much more efficient, and fully believe that none of them are unimportant; but that, whatever view you may take of these suggestions, if adopted I believe will make our Fire Department second to none in the United State."; but if not thought best to incur the expense this time, will say that we will in the future, be in the past, do the very best we can under the circumstances, with such means and apparatus as your Honorable Body have already furnished us, relying upon your judgment and liberality to furnish, from time to time, such appliances as may be found necessary to meet the wants and demands of the people, whose property and life we are often called upon to protect.

I desire to tender my sincere thanks to the gentlemen constituting the Fire Department Committee of the Board of Supervisors for the cordial support and endorsement of all matters tending to the improvement of the Department; also to the Board of Supervisors for their continual liberality to all the financial wants of the Department we are under renewed obligations; to his Honor the Mayor, Chief of Police, and the Police Department generally, for valuable assistance rendered at fires, our thanks are specially due. To Fire Marshal Durkee, Capt. White of the Fire Patrol, and Mr. Lohse, Assistant

Superintendent of the Spring Valley Water Works, for their valuable assistance at fires, I desire to return my sincere thanks. To the officers and members of the Fire Department for the prompt, willing and efficient manner in which they have responded to all the calls for their assistance, and the generous support I have ever received from them, I desire to tender my sincere thanks.

Thanking you, gentlemen of the Board of Fire Commissioners, for the confidence reposed in me, ;and for your prompt approval of every suggestion tending to advance the interest and increase the efficiency of the Department entrusted to my management, I remain,

Yours, most respectfully,

DAVID SCANNELL,
Chief Engineer San Francisco Fire Department.

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