HEADQUARTERS FIRE DEPARTMENT,
OLD CITY HALL,

SAN FRANCISCO, July 1, 1887-

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

GENTLEMEN : I respectfully present my annual report of the operations of the department under my charge, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1887 :

During the year 299 first bell alarms, six second bell alarms and one third or general alarm, were received at and sent out from the Fire Alarm Station ; 219 still or verbal alarms were received at department houses, making a total of 525 actual fires extinguished by the Department.

The total loss by fire as determined by the Fire Marshal, Mr. Charles Towe, was $870,219.10, an amount much less than the preceding year The amount of insurance paid was $567,878.56, leaving the actual loss to property owners of $311,340.54.

NOTABLE FIRES.
The most extensive and disastrous fire which occurred during the year, was on August 21st, 1886 time 6:05 P.M.; alarm from Station 68. The alarm was sent in for a fire on Brannan street, between fourth and fifth, in the rear of I. H. Small's machine shop and foundry. In the rear of the shop was located the Centennial Planing Mills, a three story frame structure, and also the large three story frame building occupied by Krelling Bros, as a furniture factory. So fierce and uncontrollable did the fire become by reason of the inflammable and highly combustible materials contained in the large structures, that a second alarm was sent in for more engines. The flames spread with the rapidity of a prairie fire, and seemed so dangerous and spreading over such a vast area, that it was deemed necessary to summon the entire force of the Department by a third or general alarm. The water mains in that portion of the city afforded but a limited supply, being only eight inches in diameter, and consequently greatly interfered with the effectiveness of the service of the engines.

The fire was under control in three hours, and the entire force of the Department was engaged. Loss estimated at $300,000.

January 16, 1887, Station 154; time, 1:45 o'clock, P.M. This alarm was for a fire in the buildings Nos. 512 to 528 Fifth street, occupied as a furniture factory by Korbel Bros, and others. Owing to the combustible nature of the building and contents, the fire gained ground so rapidly that a second alarm was sent in for more help. The fire was under control in one hour, and required the services of eight engines, three hose companies and three truck companies. Loss estimated at $30,000.

May 10, 1887, Station No. 36; at 2:45 o'clock, P.M., for a fire at the hay barn of Scott & McCord, situated on Stewart street, in the block bounded by Stewart, Folsom, East and Howard streets.

The fire burned with fierceness, and a high wind blowing at the time, so much adjacent property was endangered that a second alarm was sent in to bring additional apparatus. At this fire the necessity for a suitable fire-boat on the water front was made plainly manifest. Without the services of the V Governor Irwin, used as a fire-boat on this occasion, the shipping at the water front in that vicinity, would have suffered great loss. The " Governor
Irwin " had four streams in active play, and the men in charge were materially assisted in their operations by the members of the Underwriters' Fire Patrol, under Captain Russell White, and to them I am under obligations for their volunteer services at this fire.

The fire was under control in one hour and required the services of ten engines, three hose companies and three truck companies, and the fire-boat 1 ' Governor Irwin. " Loss estimated at $50,000.

May 17, 1887, an alarm was sent in for a fire at South San Francisco, Station 281; time, 11:40 o'clock, p. M.
The fire broke out in what was known as " Butchertown, " and was first discovered in the pork packing establishment owned by Michaelson, Roth & Co. This building and a large number of others, frame structures, was soon a mass of flames, and companies of the department which reached the scene of the conflagration, had to let the fire have its sway, as they were powerless to cope with the element for want of water facilities. At Sixth and Railroad avenues, where the fire broke out, there were but four hydrants, which furnished only a very limited supply of water, and at the time of the fire the tide was out, so that the engines could not draught from the bay. The loss was estimated at $100,000.

MORTUARY.
During the year the following members of the Fire Department died:
Monday, August 23, 1886, George W. L. Post, messenger at Headquarters. At the Harpending Block fire in 1871, Mr. Post, then an active member of Engine Company No. 2, while in the discharge of duty, was felled to the ground by falling timbers, and before he could be rescued he was frightfully burned about the head and face at the same time he received an injury to his left arm. The injury was of such a serious nature that it became necessary to amputate the arm. From the injuries to his head he never recovered, and this in a great measure was the cause of his death.

In recognition of his services at this fire, and in consideration of the fact that he was incapacitated from further active fire duty, he was appointed messenger at headquarters of the Department. He left a. widow and a son six years of age.

October 12, 1886, Peter Galligan, Hoseman of Engine Company No. 3, died of consumption.
December 16, 1886, John O'Brien, Foreman of Hook and Ladder Company No. 2,' died of consumption.
December 25th, 1886, Lawrence Kenney, Truckman of Hook and Ladder Company No. 4, died of consumption.
February 10, 1887, John J. Wilkinson, Hoseman of Hose Company No. 5, died at his post of duty at the fire at No. 619 Post street. Wilkinson, with others of his Company, were in the building directing the stream of his Company. The building was deemed unsafe, and the men at work were ordered out, but before they could escape, the structure collapsed, crushing poor Wilkinson and severely injuring several members of Hose Company No. 5 and Engine Company No. 4.
March 21, 1887, Daniel V. Holland, Hoseman Engine Company No. 6, died of consumption.

CORPORATION YARD.
In addition to the fifteen steam engines in service in the different Companies, there are in the Corporation Yard seven relief engines, eleven hose carts, one four wheeled hose carriage and three hook and ladder trucks, for relief service ; also, thirteen relief horses and two thousand feet of extra hose.

During the year, ten horses were purchased, four horses were transferred to the Alms House and three died ; also, seventy-two hydrants were set and reset, making a total of 1,494 hydrants in use by the Department.

RECOMMENDATIONS.
I take this occasion to renew my recommendation made in my last report, namely, that a lot of sufficient size be purchased in the vicinity of the block bounded by Market, Powell and Ellis streets, to locate one or two engine companies (one steam and one chemical) thereon.

That portion of the city is remote from any of the engine companies, and being composed of most valuable buildings, I deem it of the utmost importance that the above recommendation be complied with at the earliest possible time.

FOURTH OF JULY.
I respectfully call the attention of the Board of Commissioners, and through them that of the Board of Supervisors, to the great necessity for the enactment of an ordinance which will prohibit the sale and explosion of Fireworks particularly! on the Fourth of July.

Numerous conflagrations and many personal injuries are the consequences of the indiscriminate use of explosives on that day.

It is the experience of most cities that a terrible lesson in the form of a great conflagration is necessary to urge the necessity of the enactment of some law or modification of existing laws in relation to the sale and use of Fireworks on the Fourth of July. I am the last person who would place any impediment in the way of a proper celebration of the anniversary of our national independence, but I do think some restriction should be placed on the sale and careless use of Fireworks. I, therefore, would suggest that the explosion of fireworks on the fourth of July be restricted or confined to the public squares and parks where damage to property would be nominal. I state the above from the fact that during the twenty-four hours of July 4, 1886, no less than twenty- three alarms for actual fires occasioned by Fireworks were sent in and responded to by the Department, and it is the experience of the Department that, in the event of two large fires occurring in different sections of the city at one time, it would in all probability be a very severe lesson to the owners of property. I take every precaution on that day to have all the men on duty at the houses of the Department; at every alarm of fire the trained men respond with alacrity, and fires are promptly extinguished.

I think I would be derelict in my duty to the citizens if I did not call attention to the above facts as they appear to me, and hope sincerely that this wooden city may be as fortunate in the future as it has been in the past.

HEIGHT OF BUILDINGS.
I desire to call your attention to the necessity of limiting the height of frame buildings to be used as hotels,, lodging and tenement houses. Property owners evince a desire to erect structures for such purposes to a height which in my judgment is not only dangerous to the safety of the inmates, but is a direct menace to the district in which they are situated. Several large structures have recently been erected in portions of the city which have heretofore been desirable for residence purposes only, These districts are not so well supplied with water facilities as to warrant the building of houses five and six stories in height, for should a fire break out in one of these and get beyond the control of the Department, it would undoubtedly involve a vast amount of property in the immediate neighborhood With the limited supply of water in these districts, the Department can cope with fires in houses not over sixty feet in height, but in houses higher than that it cannot expect to do so successfully.

I would therefore suggest the necessity of passing an ordinance limiting the height of wooden buildings to sixty feet, except for churches, and these should be covered with fire-proof material. Fire escapes should be provided in all buildings used as factories, lodging-houses or hotels, or buildings in which there may be any large number of persons above the line of the second story. Many persons who were caught in the Bancroft building, on Market street, owe their lives to the fact that there were side windows in the building through which they were enabled to escape to adjoining roofs.

I would also suggest that an ordinance be passed requiring the owners of buildings of four or more stories in height to erect within said buildings on each floor, pipes connected with the street mains; these to have butts of the size recognized by the Department, so as to enable the firemen to make connection with their hose,. This ordinance should also require owners of property to erect on the sidewalk in front of their premises a Siamese connection or hydrant, so that immediate connections, with a fully supply of water, may be had.

To the officers and men of the Department I extend my sincere thanks for the promptness and energy displayed by them on all occasions in their efforts to save life and property.

My especial thanks are due to Captain Russell White of the Underwriters' Fire Patrol, and the men of his command, for the voluntary aid on all occasions requiring their services, also to Fire Marshal, Mr. Charles Towe, P. Crowley, Chief of Police, and the department under his command. To John Curran of the Fire Alarm Office, and to your Honorable Board of Commissioners in according to me all assistance within your power for the successful efforts made by the Department for the past year.

Very respectfully,

DAVID SCANNELL,
Chief Engineer S. F. F. D.

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