1852 April 20
To the Honorable Common Council of the City of San Francisco:
Gentlemen: — I would respectfully report to your honorable body the present condition, and also the wants of the Fire Department for the ensuing quarter.
            Chief Engineer — GEO. H. HOSSEFROSS.
            First Assistant Engineer; Wm. McKibben:
            Second Assistant: Jas. Hustman
            Third Assistant; G. P. Kingsley

"LIST OF COMPANIES.”

EMPIRE ENGINE, No. 1 —George W. Green, Foeman — Has thirty seven members; engine in perfect order, and has three hundred and fifty feet of hose: located on Kearny street, between California and Sacramento; engine room good; the Company needs a meeting room.

PROTECTION ENGINE, No. 2 — Archibald Wasson. Foreman — Has forty-nine members ; engine in good order, with two hundred and fifty feet of hose ; needs one hundred feet more ; engine house good: location good; on Montgomery, between Washington and Jackson streets : the Company ask for trifling amounts.

HOWARD ENGINE, No. 3 — Franklin Whitney, Foreman. — Has ninety-six members; engine in perfect order with six hundred feet of good hose, and one hose carriage; located on Commercial, between Liedesdorif and Sansome streets; location good; the Company ask lot nothing.

CALIFORNIA ENGINE, No 4 — H. H. Haste, Foreman.— Has thirty seven members ; engine new, and in good order, with six hundred feet of hose and hose carriage; house good ; located on Battery street, near Market street ; location good ; the company ask for nothing

KNICKERBOCKER ENGINE, No. 5 — James H. Cutter, Foreman — Has thirty-eight members; engine very indifferent, but in as good order as her interior works will admit; has three hundred feet of hose, and hose carnage: house good; location good; location on Merchant street; the Company are daily expecting the arrival of a new engine which they have ordered; report nothing wanted at present.

MONUMENTAL ENGINE, Nos. 6, 7 and 8 —William Divier, Foreman — Has two hundred members, with three engines and two hose carriages, and fourteen hundred feet of hose ; house good ; location had, as it is a very difficult matter for the members to bring their apparatus down the steep descent of Clay street in case of fire. The Company have asked for nothing from the city.

VIGILANT ENGINE, No. 9 — M. R. Roberts, Foreman. — Hat thirty-five members ; the Company is new, and I have furnished them with a good engine and two hundred and fifty feet of hose ; they need an engine house, their engine now being exposed to the weather ; location to be in Stockton street, between Jackson street and Broadway.

ST. FRANCIS HOOK AND LADDER, No. I— John P. Buckley, Foreman. — Has twenty-seven members ; truck, ladders, &c, in good working order; house good ; location good; location on Dupont street, near Clay street.

SANSOME HOOK AND LADDER, No. 3 — J. L. Vanbockelen, Foreman — Has sixty members ; truck, ladders, &c., in good order ; house good. The Company ask for rope, chains, &c, to complete their working implements. Location good on Washington street, between Sansome and Montgomery streets.

You will perceive, gentlemen, by this quarter's report, that the number of persons connected with the Fire Department has been reduced I may say nearly one half, in consequence of the Board of Delegates having limited the various companies to sixty-five members. It is the intention of the firemen composing the department to have no names appended to their rolls but those who attend to all the duties appertaining to firemen. Since my last report there have been twenty-six alarms of fire from the following causes :

Beds and bed clothing Ml tire 4
Window curtains on lire 3
Houses on fire 4
Transparencies on fire 2
Burning old hulks 2
Steam paddy on fire 1
Stove pipes and chimneys 5
False alarms 5
Total : 26

It affords me much pleasure to report the completion of six new wooden cisterns, built doing the past quarter. These cisterns average about 25,000 gallons of water, and are all full at present, tour of them having been filled by the Fire Department, and the other two by ditching. "There are now twelve cisterns in the lower portion of the city, and all full, containing in the aggregate some 350,600 gallons of available water. These cisterns have all been filled without any expense to the city. The brick cistern located at the corner of California and Montgomery streets is now undergoing repairs, by having a new brick bottom placed therein ; and when completed, it will contain about 30,000 gallons of water. I would most respectfully urge upon our Honorable Body the necessity of having nine more cisterns, to complete the number asked for in my last report. In case of fire, the upper portion of the city is entirely destitute of water. Should a fire occur above Dupont street, much valuable time would be lost in fanning lines from the Plaza, and which, when formed, would be of no service if, by loss of time, the fire should have spread to the surrounding buildings. In the event of such an occurrence, those cisterns already furnished would be useless, as it would be impossible for the firemen to maintain their positions at any one of the cisterns, with the heat of a dozen burning houses sweeping down upon them. The hope of the Fire Department is to arrest the fire at the commencement, and to do that they must have a plentiful supply of water at hand ; and that water can be furnished at the expense of a few thousand dollars. With a bountiful supply or water at hand, I will pledge the reputation of the Fire Department that they will for the future prevent the recurrence of the largo and disastrous fires which have on six occasions swept away the fairest portions of oar city. I would likewise recommend that an appropriation of five hundred dollars be made to each Company, for the purpose of defraying their incidental expenses, such as paying for dubbing; hose, cleaning engine, &c. From the large reduction of members made by many Companies, they find it impossible to pay the heavy assessments necessary for the maintenance of their organization. In recommending the above appropriation, I do it from a correct knowledge of what has been the assessment of each fireman during the past year. Your Honorable Body will perceive that the cost of all the above mentioned will not exceed the sum of twelve or fifteen thousand dollars, including the cost of nine cisterns. Should your Honorable Body think proper to make the small outlay asked for, it is my firm belief that it will be the means of saving millions of dollars from such devastating fires as have visited this city during the past summer seasons. The necessity of having a range of cisterns along Dupont street, I will not urge, as I am satisfied that your honorable body will at once see the utility of the plan. The Fire Department of this city is now in good condition and requires but trifling aid. The Fire Department, with the aid furnished by other city authorities to their Fire Department, will prove itself as efficient and effectual as any of a similar character in the world. Indulging the hope that your honorable body will not delay making such appropriations as are actually necessary, I am, very respectfully,
                        Your obedient servant,
                                     Geo. H. Hossefross, Chief Engineer.
            San Francisco, April 20, 1852.
Source: Daily Alta California, Volume 3, Number 122, 2 May 1852 — LOUIS NAPOLEON'S DESTRUCTIVE LAW UPON THE PRESS. [ARTICLE]

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