USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1912 > Part 34
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428
ANNUAL REPORTS.
Wheatland street, 78 feet south from Mystic avenue. Whipple street, 101 feet north from Highland avenue. Whitfield road, 85 feet west from Packard avenue. Wigglesworth street, 14 feet north from Pearl street. William street, 8 feet east from Chandler street. Willoughby street, 146 feet west from Sycamore street. Willow avenue, 14 feet north from Summer street. 3 feet north from Lexington avenue. 46 feet south from Morrison avenue.
42 feet south from Fosket street.
85 feet south from Frederick avenue. 171 feet north from Frederick avenue. Opposite Mallet street.
Wilton street, 6 feet east from Nashua street. 10 feet east from Hinckley street.
Windom street, 7 feet south from Summer street.
Windsor road, 86 feet east from Willow avenue. 45 feet west from Hancock street.
Winslow avenue, 145 feet east from College avenue. 5 feet west from Grove street. 224 feet east from Grove street. 8 feet west from Clifton street.
Winter street, 130 feet east from Holland street.
Wisconsin avenue, 210 feet south from Pennsylvania avenue.
Woodbine street, 222 feet west from Centre street.
Wyatt street, 8 feet south from Taunton street.
List of Private Hydrants Supplied from the City of Somerville Mains.
John P. Squire & Co.
· 12
North Packing and Provision Co. .
10
New England Dressed Meat and Wool Co.
5
Boston & Maine Railroad
14
Union Glass Works
1
Fresh Pond Ice Co.
1
American Tube Works
2
Middlesex Bleachery .
3
Boston Elevated Railway Co.
1
Metropolitan Sewerage Pumping Station
1
Middlesex Paper Co.
2
Derby Desk Co.
1
M. W. Carr & Co. .
3
City of Somerville, Water Department. .
1
City of Somerville, Highway Department
2
Locations of Waterposts.
1-Albion street, 83 feet west from Centre street.
2-Appleton street, 49 feet west from Willow avenue.
3-Bartlett street, 26 feet south from Broadway.
4-Beacon street, 33 feet north from Concord avenue.
5-Beacon street, 135 feet east from Washington street.
6 -- Beacon street, 33 feet west from Vine street.
7-Beacon street, 94 feet east from Sacramento street.
8-Bolton street, opposite Baxter school.
9-Bonair street, 19 feet west from Wigglesworth street.
10-Bond street, 14 feet north from Broadway.
11-Boston avenue, opposite Prichard avenue.
·
!
429
WATER DEPARTMENT.
12-Boston street, 107 feet west from Greenville street.
13-Broadway, 75 feet west from Fellsway East.
14-Broadway, 6 feet west from City road.
15-Broadway, 6 feet west from Irving street.
16-Broadway, 120 feet west from Clarendon avenue.
17-Broadway, 20 feet west from North street.
18-Cameron avenue, 6 feet north from Glendale avenue. 19-Cedar street, 96 feet south from Morrison avenue.
20-Central street, 89 feet north from Highland avenue.
21-Cherry street, 161 feet south from Fairlee street.
22-Cleveland street, 169 feet east from Harvard street. 23-Columbus avenue, 54 feet east from Walnut street.
24-Concord avenue, opposite Knapp school.
25-Curtis street, 50 feet east from Professors row.
26-Dana street, 30 feet east from Pearl street.
27-Elm street, 25 feet west from Burnside avenue. 28-Flint street, 47 feet east from Cross street.
29-Francesca avenue, 50 feet east from College avenue.
30-Franklin street, 127 feet south from Broadway. 31-Frederick avenue, 66 feet east from Willow avenue. 32-Gilman street, 63 feet east from Walnut street. 33-Grove street, 19 feet south from Highland avenue. 34-Jaques street, 159 feet west from Grant street. 35-Laurel street, 20 feet south from Summer street. 36-Liberty avenue, 46 feet south from Broadway. 37-Linwood street, 70 feet west from Poplar street. 38-Lowell street, opposite Crown street.
39-Lowell street, 34 feet north from Highland avenue. 40-Lowell street, 102 feet north from Wilton street.
41-Meacham road, 39 feet west from Dover street.
42-Medford street, 35 feet east from Ward street.
43-Medford street, 24 feet north from Highland avenue. 44-Medford street, at Gilman square.
45-Medford street, 19 feet east from Glenwood road. 46-Montrose street, 204 feet west from School street. 47-Moreland street, 28 feet north from Meacham street. 48-Mt. Vernon street, 71 feet south from Broadway. 49-Mystic avenue, 33 feet west from Union street. 50-New Cross street, 64 feet north from Broadway. 51-Orchard street, 107 feet west from Dover street. 52-Otis street, 127 feet west from Cross street.
53-Packard avenue, 55 feet southwest from Powder House boulevard.
54-Paulina street, 26 feet east from Holland street. 55 -- Pearl street, 28 feet east from Myrtle street.
56-Pleasant avenue, 104 feet west from Walnut street.
57-Prospect street, 30 feet north from Somerville avenue.
58-Putnam street, 96 feet north from Summer street. 59-School street, 116 feet south from Broadway. 60-School street, 188 feet north from Highland avenue. 61-School street, 50 feet north from Berkeley street. 62-Shawmut street, 74 feet north from Shawmut place. 63-Somerville avenue, 871 feet west from East Cambridge line. 64-Somerville avenue, 150 feet west from Congress place. 65-Somerville avenue, 89 feet east from Mystic street. 66-Somerville avenue, 119 feet west from School street. 67-Somerville avenue, 35 feet east from Central street. 68-Somerville avenue, 92 feet west from Kent street.
69-Somerville avenue, 120 feet west from Oak square.
70-Somerville avenue, 42 feet east from Mossland street.
430
ANNUAL REPORTS.
71-Summer street, 14 feet east from Belmont street. 72-Summer street, 32 feet east from Cedar street. 73-Summer street, 35 feet east from Cutter avenue. 74-Sycamore street, 28 feet west from Medford street. 75-Temple street, 31 feet north from Broadway. 76-Tremont street, 120 feet south from Webster avenue.
77-Tufts street, 114 feet east from Cross street. 78-Vernon street, 45 feet west from Central street. 79-Washington street, 96 feet west from Myrtle street. 80-Washington street, 7 feet west from Boston street. 81-Washington street, 34 feet west from Union square. 82-Washington street, opposite Leland street.
83-Wheatland street, 30 feet south from Mystic avenue.
Locations of Drinking Fountains.
Broadway, opposite park, near Fellsway East H Union square, junction Somerville avenue and Washington street . H
Union square, in front of Hill building ·
DI
Gilman square DI
Cutter square ·
C Davis square, in front of Medina building · DI
H, horse trough ; D, drinking fountain ; I, ice water ; C, combination trough and drink- ing fountain.
Summary of Statistics
FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1912. In form recommended by the New England Water Works Association.
SOMERVILLE WATER WORKS.
SOMERVILLE, MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASS.
GENERAL STATISTICS.
Population by census of 1910, 77,236.
Date of construction: commenced in 1868.
By whom owned: City of Somerville.
Source of supply: Metropolitan water system.
Mode of supply: Water is delivered into the city's mains, under both high and low pressures, by the Metropolitan Water Works.
STATISTICS OF CONSUMPTION OF WATER.
Estimated total population at date, 80,000.
Estimated population on lines of pipe, 80,000.
Estimated population supplied, 80,000.
Total consumption for the year, 2,352,465,000 gallons.
Average daily consumption, 6,427,500 gallons. Gallons per day to each inhabitant, 79.
STATISTICS RELATING TO DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM, 1912. MAINS.
Kind of pipe, cast-iron. Sizes, from 4-inch to 20-inch. Laid 9,621 feet; discontinued 1,654 feet; net extension, 7,967 feet. Total now in use, 97.34 miles.
431
WATER DEPARTMENT.
Number of leaks per mile, .10.
Number of hydrants added during year (public, 17; private, 1), 18.
Number of hydrants (public and private) now in use, 1,158.
Number of stop gates added during year, 47.
Number of stop gates now in use, 1,566.
Number of blow-offs, 155.
Range of pressure on mains, 35 pounds to 100 pounds.
SERVICES.
Kind of pipe: Lead: wrought iron-lead-lined; wrought iron- cement-lined; cast iron.
Sizes, one-half to six inches.
Extended 9,328 feet.
Total now in use. 82 miles.
Number of service taps added, 264; discontinued, 25; net increase, 239. Number now in use, 12,596.
Number of meters added, 717; discontinued, 79; net increase, 638. Number now in use, 7,171.
Percentage of services metered, 57.
Percentage of receipts from metered water, 63.
Number of motors and elevators added, 0.
Number now in use, 7 (included in number of meters).
FINANCIAL STATISTICS.
RECEIPTS .
EXPENDITURES
From Water Rates : -
A. Fixture rates .
$85,636.79
Water Works Maintenance :- AA. Operation (management and repairs) .
$27,119.41
BB. Special :- Miscellaneous accounts · 14,042.60
CC. Total maintenance .
.
.
$41,162.01 .
DD. Interest on bonds .
1,740.00
EE. Payment of bonds .
6,000.00
Water Works Construction: -
GG. Mains
$12,427.64
HH. Services .
5,837.22
JJ. Meters .
5,145.62
KK. Total construction ·
$23,410.48
LL. Unclassified expenses :-
Metropolitan water assessment .
MM. Balance :----
(aa) Ordinary
·
.
.
.
.
..
71,213.86
N. Total
.
.
B. Meter rates .
148,215.28
C. Total from consumers .
$233,852.07
.
.
N. Total
$252,758.49
.
·
.
.
·
.
·
ANNUAL REPORTS.
%
Disposition of balance: applied to municipal purposes. 0. Cost of works to date $963,135.00
P. Bonded debt at date 38,000.00
R. Average rate of interest, 4 per cent.
$252,758.49 ·
·
.
M. From other sources :- Water service assessments Labor and materials 4
4,863.82
14,042.60
.
·
.
.
·
109,232.14
71,213.86
Total balance .
432
REPORT OF CHIEF ENGINEER OF FIRE DEPARTMENT.
OFFICE OF CHIEF OF FIRE DEPARTMENT, Somerville, Mass., December 31, 1912.
To His Honor, the Mayor, and the Board of Aldermen :-
Gentlemen,-I have the honor of presenting to you for your consideration the annual report of the fire department for the year ending December 31, 1912 :-
Alarms of Fire.
Number of bell alarms
Number of still alarms
287 410
Total alarms
697
Number in excess of 1911
163
Value of buildings at risk
$535,750 00
Insurance on buildings
391,090 00
Damage to buildings
35,865 10
Value of contents .
307,650 00
Insurance on contents
235,215 00
Damage to contents
32,919 05
Total value of risks
834,400 00
Total insurance
626,305 00
Total damage .
68,784 15
Causes of Fires.
Accidental
2
Automobile .
9
Auto truck
5
Alcohol stove
1
Burning rubbish
2
Bonfires
6
Bed clothing in contact with gas
1
Clothing falling on stove
2
Children playing with matches
16
Chimney fires
9
Combustion
5
Cigar stub
3
Cigar in wooden spittoon
1
Clothing hanging near furnace
2
Cigarette
3
Curtain in contact with gas jet
5
Cleaning clothing with gasoline
1
Decorations in contact with gas jet
1
Defective chimneys
5
Defective fireplace
1
Drying plastering
3
Electric car
2
Electric wire in tree
2
Electric wire in cellar
1
Carried forward
88
434
ANNUAL REPORTS.
Brought forward
88
Fire in Boston
2
Fire in Cambridge
5
Fire in Medford
3
Fire in dump
1
Fire cracker in window
4
Fire cracker in awning
2
False alarms
47
Friction
1
Fire cracker on roof
4
Fire balloon on roof
1
Grass fires
12
Gasoline stove explosion
1
Gas explosion
1
Hot ashes in barrel
6 1
Hot water burst
Hot ashes around exhaust pipe
1
Incendiary
Kerosene lamp upset
Kerosene lamp too near ceiling
1
Kerosene oil heater .
1
Kettle of tar upset
1
Kettle of fat boiling over .
1
Lime in cellar
1
Lightning
1
Overheated oil stove .
2
Overheated coal stove
3
Overheated furnace
1
Overheated shafting
4
Oil on street
2
Playing with fire
1 3
Red fire on roof
1
Smoke from stove
6
Smoke from chimney
5
Salamander
2
Soot in chimney
2
Sparks on roof from chimney
11
Sparks from railroad
7
Sparks from tobacco pipe
9
Sparks from cigarettes
3
Sparks from forge
2
Sparks from open chimney flue
2
Stepping on match
2
Stove pipe not connected .
1
Thawing water pipes
8
Unknown
.
2
287
14 7
Rats and matches
1
Smoke mistaken for fire
-
Engine 1.
Engine 2.
Engine 4.
Engine 6.
Hose 2.
Hose 3.
Hose 5.
Hose 7.
Chemical A.
Ladder 1.
Ladder 2.
Ladder 3.
Totals.
CHIEF ENGINEER,
Bell alarms responded to
183
118
108
77
114
119
105
145
118
111
117
64
1,379
Still alarms responded to
47
34
15
81
38
45
37
44
35
13
3
18
410
Miles traveled
409
232 14
186 12
193 14
390
146
212
261
166 12
134
166
82
2,5781/2
Feet of 21/2 inch hose used
15,000
15,100
8,350
21,100
9,550
7,250
12,200
9,850
·
.
·
·
·
·
.
.
·
.
·
.
·
2,600
2,700
14,500
15,000
11,700
16,900
.
.
.
6,300
69,700
Feet of ladders used ·
·
.
90
95
·
· ·
.
18
16
1,443
2,634
1,526
5,822
Chemical extinguishers used
22
15
10
4
10
.
·
.
.
.
8
2
10
97
Gallons of chemical used
·
.
·
·
.
702
935
2,300
1,890
1,895
3,500
.
1,004
12,226
Times on duty at other stations
1
4
3
·
.
·
·
·
·
.
9
435
·
·
·
·
·
98,400
Feet of chemical hose used
.
DEPARTMENT.
1
16
.
Service of Companies in Fire Department, Year 1912.
FIRE
.
436
ANNUAL REPORTS.
Fire Stations and Equipment.
There are eight fire stations located and equipped as follows :-
The Central fire station, 261 Medford street :-
1 Third size Metropolitan engine, drawn by three horses, capacity 600 gallons a minute, put into service in 1903.
1 Concord hose wagon, drawn by two horses, carries 1,000 feet of two-and-one-half-inch hose and two three-gallon chemical ex- tinguishers, rebuilt in 1910; nine permanent men.
1 Holloway chemical engine, motor driven, equipped with two fifty- gallon tanks, 250 feet of chemical hose, put in service 1894, mo- torized in 1912; three permanent men.
1 Chief's auto, Cadillac phaeton, put in service May 4, 1912.
1 Assistant chief's horse and buggy, repaired and painted in 1912.
Engine No. 2 station, corner Broadway and Cross street :- 1 Third size Silsby engine, drawn by three horses, capacity 600 gallons a minute, rebuilt in 1904.
1 Hose wagon, drawn by two horses, carries 900 feet of two-and-one- half-inch hose, two three-gallon extinguishers, and thirty-five feet of ladders; eight permanent men.
1 Combination ladder truck and chemical engine, No. 3, drawn by three horses, carries 386 feet of ladders, longest ladder fifty-foot extension, two thirty-five-gallon chemical tanks, 250 feet chemi- cal hose, put into service December, 31, 1910; four permanent men and four callmen.
Union square station, Union square :-
1 Ladder truck, No. 1, drawn by three horses, carries 415 feet of lad- ders, longest ladder fifty-foot extension, and two three-gallon extinguishers; four permanent men, seven callmen.
1 Combination hose and chemical wagon, No. 3, drawn by two horses, equipped with two thirty-five-gallon chemical tanks, 250 feet of chemical hose, 800 feet of two-and-one-half-inch hose, and twenty- four feet of ladders, put into service in 1908; four permanent men, three callmen.
1 Relief hose wagon.
Engine No. 4 station, corner Highland avenue and Grove ·street :-
1 Second size Silsby engine, drawn by three horses, capacity 700 gal- lons a minute, rebuilt in 1907.
1 Hose wagon, drawn by two horses, carries 900 feet of two-and-one- half-inch hose, two three-gallon extinguishers, and forty-five feet of ladders, painted in 1912; six permanent men, seven call- men.
Hose No. 5 station, 651 Somerville avenue :-
1 Combination hose and chemical engine, drawn by three horses. equipped with two forty-five-gallon chemical tanks, 300 feet ·of chemical hose, 800 feet of two-and-one-half-inch hose, and two three-gallon extinguishers. Four permanent men, one callman.
Engine No. 6 station, Teele square :--
1 Second size Metropolitan engine, drawn by three horses, capacity 700 gallons a minute, put into service in 1907.
1 Combination hose and chemical wagon, drawn by two horses,
.
437
CHIEF ENGINEER, FIRE DEPARTMENT.
equipped with two thirty-five-gallon chemical tanks, 300 feet of chemical hose, 600 feet of two-and-one-half-inch hose, and twenty-four feet of ladders, put into service in 1908; six perma- nent men, two callmen.
1 Second assistant chief's horse and buggy, repaired and painted in 1912.
Ladder No. 2 station, 265 Highland avenue :-
1 Seagraves trussed ladder truck, drawn by three horses, equipped with 408 feet of ladders, longest ladder sixty-five-foot extension, two three-gallon extinguishers, put into service in 1904; four permanent men, nine callmen.
1 Pope-Hartford combination hose and chemical No. 7, motor driven, equipped with one thirty-five-gallon chemical tank, 200 feet of chemical hose, 600 feet of two-and-one-half-inch hose, and two three-gallon extinguishers, put in service April 1, 1910, over- hauled and painted in 1912; four permanent men, two callmen.
Hose No. 2 station, Marshall street, near Broadway :-
1 Combination hose and chemical wagon, drawn by two horses, and equipped with two thirty-five-gallon chemical tanks, 300 feet of chemical hose, 900 feet of two-and-one-half-inch hose, and two three-gallon extinguishers, twenty-four feet of ladders; four per- manent men, four callmen.
Manual Force.
The manual force as now organized consists of :-
Chief engineer. First assistant engineer.
Second assistant engineer.
Six (6) captains.
Eleven (11) lieutenants. 1.
Four (4) enginemen.
Three (3) assistant enginemen.
Forty-one (41) permanent men.
One relief driver.
Thirty-nine (39) callmen.
Total, one hundred and eight (108) men.
During the year two men have resigned, seven men have been appointed, three of whom were needed to maintain the same standard of efficiency at the time of the adoption of one- day-off-in-five.
Horses.
The number of horses has been greatly reduced during the year, there being but thirty-eight (38) at present, as against forty-four (44) on December 31, 1911.
On Sunday morning, May 12, 1912, the three horses attached to Hose No. 5, responding to an alarm from box 23, stepped upon a buried spur track on Water Street, which had be- come charged with electricity by the falling across it of a high powered service wire of the Edison Company, and were elec- trocuted.
438
ANNUAL REPORTS.
October 16, 1912, at 1.25 A. M. the horses attached to En- gine 1, having been summoned by special call to the fire at 89 Mystic avenue, ran away and dashed themselves against an up- right of the Elevated structure at the junction of Main street and Mystic avenue, and the middle horse was killed.
The general health of the horses has been excellent, as is evidenced by the very small expense for medicines and veteri- nary services.
Although numerically the horses are fewer, the maintenance has been materially greater, owing to the high price of hay and grain.
As in my previous reports I must again recommend the pur- chase of horses to replace some that are getting along in years.
Hose.
The amount of serviceable hose in the department at pres- ent is 9,300 feet of two-and-one-half inch and 1,900 feet of three- quarter inch or chemical hose.
During the year there has been purchased 900 feet of two- and-one-half inch hose, and 1,150 feet condemned.
It requires 13,600 feet of two-and-one-half inch hose to fully equip the companies carrying hose, therefore there should be 4,300 feet more to properly equip the apparatus.
Recapitulation.
The insurance loss is in excess of last year, but that is to be expected as the total alarms outnumber last year by 163, which goes to show that the city is growing and the fires are naturally becoming more numerous.
The per capita fire loss is but $.81, an unusually low figure when compared with other cities and towns.
Box 435, Ball Square, has been sounded for the two worst fires of the year, with a loss of more than one-third of the whole total.
There have been but eleven fires (six less than last year) with an insurance loss exceeding $1,000. as follows :-
February 14, 7.54 A. M. Box 47, 36 Hawthorne street, dwelling owned and occupied by R. S. Martin; damage to build- ing, $1,300; to contents, $200. Cause, thawing water pipes. March 2, 11.23 P. M. Box 37, 458-460 Broadway, dwell- ing owned by Isaac Heller, occupied by A. W. Chamberlain and Daniel R. Webb ; damage to building, $1,995 ; to contents, $810. Cause, defective chimney.
March 18, 10.15 A. M. Box 443, 71-73 Dover street, build- ing owned by Boston Elevated Railway Co., occupied by J. H. McCreery. M. W. Palmer, and F. A. Teele ; damage to building, $933.50; to contents, $211. Cause, hot ashes in boiler room.
439
CHIEF ENGINEER, FIRE DEPARTMENT.
April 23, 11.45 P. M. Box 435, building owned by Joseph Cohen, occupied as dwelling, offices, and stores; damage to building, $4,400; to contents, $1,754. Cause, defective wiring.
May 6, 8.45 A. M. Box 156, second alarm, 8.55 A. M., 11-17 North Union street, buildings owned and occupied by Joseph Cotter, Incorporated; damage to buildings, $2,506; to contents, $500. Cause, man's clothing set afire from a spark from a furnace. Man sent to hospital.
May 12, 2.27 A. M. Box 23, second alarm from box 21 at 2.30 A. M., buildings situated on Water street owned by John P. Squire Co. and John Russell, occupied by A. Bundle Wood Co .; damage to buildings, $1,275; to contents, $1,875. Cause, carelessness with matches.
October 16, 1.25 A. M. Box 156, special call, 3 blows at 1.39 A. M., 89 Mystic avenue, wagon repair shop, building owned by H. E. Wright & Son, occupied by Welch, Dwyer & Grady ; damage to building, $1,336 ; damage to contents, $2,510. Cause, incendiary.
October 22, 4.40 P. M. Box 435, second alarm 4.55 P. M., 674-690 Broadway, stores owned by Joseph Cohen and George N. Blake, occupied by Caragianis Brothers, Allen's Lunch Room, L. H. Gray, George E. Rogers, Vincent De Feo, S. Sandelman, S. D. Orne, George Bates, Jr., George N. Blake ; damage to building, $5,375; to contents, $8,232.42. Cause, gas explosion in basement.
November 23, 10.46 P. M. Box 324, second alarm 10.56 P. M., 16 Taylor street, building owned and occupied by H. M. Hillson & Co., tinsmiths; damage to building, $1,205; to con- tents, $7,100. Cause, probably spark from forge.
December 15, 10.26 P. M. Box 336, 431-433 Medford street, dwellings and stores owned by Benjamin Bernson; damage to building, $1,300; to contents, $75. Cause, careless- ness with matches in cellar.
December 17, 11.35 A. M. Box 427, 167 Elm street, dwelling owned and occupied by William I. Brown; damage to building, $2,300; to contents, $530. Cause, defective chimney.
The telephone has played a very important part in giving notices of fires, there having been 163 telephone alarms re- ceived at the Central Station and transmitted to the several stations, thereby very materially reducing the department ex- pense, extinguishing the fire with one piece of apparatus in- stead of five or more that would necessarily respond in event of a bell alarm.
False alarms have been all too frequent this year, there having been 47, double the number of the previous year. There should be some plan of action or method pursued to check this criminal thoughtlessness. It is not infrequent to hear or read of some serious or even fatal accident happening
440
ANNUAL REPORTS.
to fire apparatus or its men responding to a false alarm. The majority of instances are directly attributable to the desire of children "wanting to see the fire department go by." There should be some scheme of education or instruction devised to teach the children the seriousness of the offence and also the attendant dangers every time fire apparatus responds to alarms. The chances of accidents to apparatus with the possi- ble painful or fatal injuries to the men, the exposure of persons and vehicles in the streets, small children playing in the street, careless of danger, and now motor apparatus, with the added speed, greatly increases the possibilities of accidents.
Mention should be made here of the almost universal ob- servance of the ordinance relative to "setting of fires in the open air." Alarms for this class of fires have been reduced to a minimum.
One hundred and seventy-six applications for fires have been received and locations inspected and eighty-nine permits granted.
The machine shop has become a very necessary adjunct to the department and a great saver of mechanical repair work. There have been 693 hours' work performed in the shop, ap- plied to transforming the chief's buggy into a supply wagon, changing the desk room at the Central station, rebuilding and changing Chemical "A" from horse drawn to motor driven. and thoroughly overhauling Hose 7 auto-combination. This does not include small repairs to apparatus and buildings, which. if kept track of, would make a much larger total. With the introduction of motor apparatus, with the numerous small re- pairs such apparatus calls for, it will be necessary to enlarge the present shop, and the installation of a five-horse-power motor in place of the two-horse-power in present use.
Defective chimneys and flues, and cellars littered with rub- bish and unnecessary accumulations have been the causes of many of the worst losses during the year. Owners and occu- pants of buildings are earnestly urged to correct these condi- tions, as the department has no knowledge of the existence of these hazards except when called to put out a fire or upon the complaint of a person having an interest in any building or premises or property adjacent thereto.
On May 4, 1912, there was delivered to the city an auto- mobile for the use of the chief, a Cadillac, phaeton type, pur- chased from maintenance at an expense of $1,875.
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