MISCELLANY

MISCELLANY

The London Fire Department Report.

报告队长肖的伦敦大火禁闭室ade states that the number of calls for fires, or supposed fires received during the year 1888 was 2693. Of these 532 were false alarms, 173 proved to be only chimney alarms and 1988 were for fires, of which 121 resulted in serious damage and 1867 in slight damage. These figures only refer to regular calls and fires or supposed fires, involving the turning out of firemen, fire engines, fire escapes, horses, coachmen and pilots. The fires of 1888, compared with those of 1887, show a decrease of 375 ; or, compared with the average of the past ten years, a decrease of 50. The number of fires in the metropolis in which life was seriously endangered during the year 1888 was 123, and the number of these in which life w'as lost was 37. The number of persons seriously endangered by fire was 178, of whom 130 were saved and 48 lost their lives. Of the 48 lost, 28 were taken out alive, but died afterwards in hospitals or elsewhere, and 20 were suffocated or burnt to death. The number of calls for chimneys was 1535. Of these 470 proved to be false alarms and 1065 were for chimneys on fire. In these cases there was no attendance of engines, but only of firemen with hand pumps. The number of journeys made by the fire engines of the brigade was 32,384, and the total distance run was 61,629 miles. The quantity of water used for extinguishing fires during the year was just 9,000,000 gallons, or about 40,100 tons. Of this quantity about 13,000 tons, or nearly a third of the whole, was taken from the river, canals and docks and the remainder from the street pipes. During the year there were 19 cases of short supply of water and 5 of late attendance of turn-cocks, making altogether 24 cases in which the water arrangements were unsatisfactory. The strength of the brigade is as follows ; Fifty-five land fire engine stations, 4 floating or river stations, 27 hose cart stations, 127 fire escape stations, 7 steam fire engines on barges, 48 land steam fire engines, 78 6-inch manual fire engines, 17 under 6-in manual fire engines, 30^ miles of hose, 80 hose carts, 1 self-propelling fire float, 6 steam tugs, It barges, 146 fire escapes, 9 long fire ladders, 9 ladder vans, 2 ladder trucks, I trolley for ladders, 2 trolleys for engines, II hose and coal vans, 8 wagons for street duty, 7 street stations, 103 watch boxes, 591 firemen, including chief officer, second officer, superintendents and all ranks, 16 pilots, 67 coachmen, 131 horses, 70 telephones between stations, 55 alarm circuits round fire stations, with 358 call points, 21 telephones to police stations, 12 telegraphs to public and other buildings, 35 telephones to public and other buildings and 17 bell-ringing fire alarms for public and other buildings. The number of firemen employed on the several watches kept up throughout the metropolis is at present m by day and 245 by night, making a total of 356 in every twenty-four hours ; the remaining men are available for general work at fires. The list of wounds and other injuries for 1888 is heavy. There have been during the year 218 cases of ordinary illness and 96 injuries, making a total of 314 cases, of which many were very serious and 4 resulted in death.