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

GENTLEMEN : I have the honor to submit to you my annual report of the workings of the San Francisco Fire Department for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1882.

This department has responded to 301 hall-bell alarms and 105 "still alarms," making 406 actual fires, causing a loss of $701,626.35.

PROPORTION OF BUILDINGS BURNED.
            Totally destroyed  70
            Considerably damaged (loss above $500) 91
            Slightly damaged (loss below $300) 322
            Fires confined to one building 239
            Fire and no damage to building 40
            There were three fires during the year at each of which the loss exceeded $50,000, viz :
            1881 September 25, Overland Warehouse $ 61,908 83
            October 13, California Mill 119,423 68
            1882 June 10, Silk Factory 65,653 61
             Aggregating a loss of $216,986 12
            Or very nearly 34 per cent, of the entire loss for the year.

The first occurred on September 25, 1881, alarm from Box 186, being for a fire discovered at the Overland Warehouse, located on the east side of Third street and extending from King to Townsend ; one story brick building containing valuable goods on storage.

The second and most disastrous fire during the year was that at the California Lumber Mill located corner of Howard and Spear streets. Alarm from Box 39. A general alarm was sent in and responded to by the whole department. The fire burned with such rapidity that three workmen, engaged in the upper part of the building were unable to escape and were burned to death.

The cause of the fire, as ascertained by Fire Marshal Durkee after a careful investigation, was carelessness of children with matches in an unoccupied building adjoining the mill. The combustible nature of the building, contents, and surroundings (lumber), caused the fire to spread with such fierceness that the whole force of the department was required to extinguish it.

The third was a silk factory and four dwellings situated on the corner 11th avenue and P street alarm from Box 281. Building of wood, two stories. There being no water available in the vicinity, the efforts of the department were powerless.

APPARATUS.
The apparatus of the department is kept in the best possible condition for service, and comprises twelve steam fire engines and hose tenders in service with companies. Six engines (relief) four, four-wheeled hose reels, and four two-wheeled reels in company service five two-wheeled reels (relief) . Four hook and ladder trucks in company service, and two relief. Also, through the courtesy of the Honorable Board of Harbor Commissioners, the steam tug "Governor Irwin, to be used as a fire boat when occasion requires.

HOSE.
The department will require an additional supply of hose before the expiration of the present year. We have on hand extra hose, 2, 100 feet, at the corporation yard, in addition to what is on the reels of the different companies, a large conflagration would seriously cripple the department. I would, therefore, recommend the purchase of hose sufficient for any emergency.

HOUSES.
I call the attention of your Honorable Board to the fact that a number of valuable lots which were set apart for fire department purposes are now occupied by squatters who pay no rent or taxes to the city. They have taken forcible possession, built houses, and are now occupying them without leave or authority. They should be evicted, as the time is not remote when the department will require them for building purposes.

The necessity for a new location and building for Engine Company No. 11, located at South San Francisco, has been called to your notice in my previous reports. The location now occupied by that company is in a low and swampy place, the building old and very much out of repair. I am constantly the recipient of complaints by the members, of its dangerous and unhealthy condition. An exchange of the property can be made, I am informed, and would respectfully urge upon your Honorable Body that a change be made at your earliest convenience.

I recommend the formation and location of an additional engine company in the vicinity of Valencia and Twenty-sixth streets "ommorfordville." the property owners and residents have made very urgent requests, and petitions have been presented for the location of a fire company in that part of the city. Property owners in a measure are almost unprotected, and a fire occurring would likely be serious before an engine could arrive. Water facilities are good, and a company located as suggested would be ample protection against fire in that rapidly growing portion of the city.

HYDRANTS.
The Department, in the discharge of their duty of extinguishing fires, has been materially aided by the prompt response of the Spring Valley Water Company made to it for setting and resetting hydrants. During the year 20 additional hydrants have been set, aggregating 1,348, the property of the city, and 43 owned by private parties, making a total of 1,391 available for fire purposes. In addition, there are 55 cisterns, with an aggregate capacity of 2,000, 000 gallons.

HORSES.
This Department has lost seven horses during the year two by accident, one by disease, and four condemned as unserviceable and sold by order of his Honor the Mayor. I would urge the immediate purchase of four horses of the kind and character suitable for our service, and all horses hereafter required, to be selected and purchased subject to a trial of one month. In the month of December, the disease called "pink-eye" attacked the horses of the Department in a mild form, and in every case yielded to proper treatment. We have on hand 71 horses, distributed as follows:
            With engine companies 36
            With hose companies 13
            With truck companies 8
            With Chief Engineer 1
            With Assistant Engineer 1
            With Corporation Yard 12
            With Corporation Yard, (mule) 1
                        Total: 72

FIRE ORDINANCES.
The Engineer Corps of the department are by law constituted a Board of Fire Wardens, whose duty consists of examining all buildings erected or in course of erection. Many cases have come under their observation wherein large and costly brick buildings have (through ignorance or incompetency of the architects) been constructed in such a manner as would seriously endanger the lives of the occupants.

Notices have been served, and the attention of the owners called to the danger, who have in all cases acceded to the demands of the Fire Wardens, and the mistakes or errors rectified. Some, wherein party walls were in question, refused to comply with the ordinance, and a criminal prosecution was the result, and many cases were dismissed through defects in the law. My experience, and also that of the Board of Fire Wardens and of the expert of the Board, P. J. O'Connor, is that the fire ordinances should be materially amended. I have accordingly called attention to the sections I would have amended:

SECTION 3. The floors of buildings constructed for the following uses shall, be capable of sustaining with safety the following weights:
            Tenement houses 100 pounds to the superficial foot.
            Dry goods 310 pounds to the superficial foot.
            Flour store or mill 350 pounds to the superficial foot.
            Public assembly hall 180 pounds to the superficial foot.
            Warehouse store 350 to 600 pounds to the superficial foot.
            Sugar houses 350 to 500 pounds to the superficial foot.
            Roof 60 pounds to the superficial foot.
            When floors are supported on wooden columns the weight imposed upon them shall not exceed one-quarter of the breaking weight.

SECTION 8. Party walls for buildings exceeding four stories in height, the basement walls shall be not less than twenty -four (24) inches in thickness; the first story shall be not less than twenty (20) inches in thickness; the second and third story shall be not less than sixteen (16) inches in thickness. Division walls shall be considered as walls dividing a building whose outer walls have been constructed in accordance with Section 8.

SECTION 12. Cast iron lintels shall, in all cables where they are required to carry brick work or other material, be constructed as follows: The top flange shall contain not less than one-quarter of the metal contained in the bottom flange, and the thickness of metal in the rib or blade and top and bottom flange shall be as 5, 6, 8, and they shall have skin backs cast on them to receive the brick arch.

Wrought-iron girders of the box pattern, made of plate iron, shall have diaphragms placed not more than five feet apart, properly riveted in place. All riveting shall be done with hot rivets, to be hammered to a conical head. In the calculation of the strength of cast-iron lintels, the load shall not exceed one-quarter of the breaking weight, and for wrought-iron girders the load shall not exceed one-third of the breaking weight.

SECTION 15. The brackets to sustain the cornices of buildings shall be of wrought-iron bars of not less than 2x2 inches, to pass through the walls. Wooden brackets may be secured to them.

UNIFORMS.
The uniforming of the engineers, and permanent men of the Department on duty at the different houses, in compliance with the orders of your Honorable Body, has been so generally commended by the public, and has proven to be so promotive of discipline and esprit du corps, that it gives rise to the hope that the time is not far distant when the whole, if not the greater portion, of the Department may become permanent men, and uniformed, thus placing it on an equality with other metropolitan cities.

Your attention is respectfully called to the statements hereto annexed, showing the workings of the Department for the year.

I take this occasion to return my thanks to Capt. Russell White of the Fire Patrol; Capt. John L. Durkee, Fire Marshal; and to P. Crowley, Chief
of Police, for the valuable aid and assistance rendered the Department on occasions requiring such service; also to Superintendent John Curran, for the admirable system and management of his branch of the service.

To the officers and members of the Department I am under obligations for the intelligence and efficiency displayed by them on all occasions, and to your Honorable Board for the unceasing diligence displayed by you to keep the Department in a manner alike creditable to all concerned.

Respectfully submitted.

DAVID SCANNELL,

Chief Engineer, San Francisco Fire Department.
SAN FRANCISCO, July 1, 1882.

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