Report of the city of Somerville 1913, Part 34

Author: Somerville (Mass.)
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Somerville, Mass.
Number of Pages: 540


USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1913 > Part 34


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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


·


434


ANNUAL REPORTS.


Boston Elevated Railway Co.


Metropolitan Sewerage Pumping Station ·


1


Middlesex Paper Co.


2


Derby Desk Co.


1


M. W. Carr & Co. .


3


City of Somerville, Water Department .


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.


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. In combination with drinking fountain.


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 -- Cross street east, 64 feet north from Broadway. 26-Curtis street, 50 feet east from Professors row. 27-Dana street, 30 feet east from Pearl street. 28-Francesca avenue, 50 feet east from College avenue. 29-Franklin street, 127 feet south from Broadway. 30-Frederick avenue, 66 feet east from Willow avenue. 31-Gilman street, 63 feet east from Walnut street. 32-Grove street, 19 feet south from Highland avenue. 33-Jaques street, 159 feet west from Grant street. 34-Laurel street, 20 feet south from Summer street. 95-Liberty avenue, 46 feet south from Broadway. 36-Linwood street, 70 feet west from Poplar street. 37-Lowell street, opposite Crown street. 38-Lowell street, 34 feet north from Highland avenue. 39 -- Lowell street, 102 feet north from Wilton street. 40-Meacham road, 39 feet west from Dover street.


41-Medford street, 20 feet north from South street. 42 -- Medford street, 24 feet north from Highland avenue. 43-Medford street. at Gilman square. In combination with drinking 44-Medford strect. 19 feet east from Glenwood road. 45 -- Montrose street, 204 feet west from School street. 46-Moreland street, 28 feet north from Meacham street. 47-Mt. Vernon street, 71 feet south from Broadway.


48-Mystic avenue, 33 feet west from Union street.


1


.


1


435


WATER DEPARTMENT.


49-Orchard street, 107 feet west from Dover street.


50-Otis street, 127 feet west from Cross street.


51-Packard avenue, 55 feet southwest from Powder House boulevard.


52-Paulina street, 26 feet east from Holland street.


53-Pearl street, 28 feet east from Myrtle street.


54-Pleasant avenue, 104 feet west from Walnut street.


55-Prospect street, 30 feet north from Somerville avenue.


56-Putnam street, 96 feet north from Summer street.


57-School street, 116 feet south from Broadway.


58-School street, 50 feet north from Berkeley street.


59-Shawmut street, 74 feet north from Shawmut place. 60-Somerville avenue, 871 feet west from East Cambridge line.


61-Somerville avenue, 150 feet west from Congress place.


62-Somerville avenue, 89 feet east from Mystic street.


63-Somerville avenue, 119 feet west from School street.


64-Somerville avenue, 35 feet east from Central street. 65-Somerville avenue, 92 feet west from Kent street. 66 -- Somerville avenue, 120 feet west from Oak square. 67-Somerville avenue, 42 feet east from Mossland street. 68-Summer street, 14 feet east from Belmont street. 69-Summer street, 32 feet east from Cedar street. 70-Summer street, 35 feet east from Cutter avenue.


71-Sycamore street, 28 feet west from Medford street.


72-Temple street, 31 feet north from Broadway.


73-Tremont street, 120 feet south from Webster avenue.


74-Vernon street, 45 feet west from Central street.


75-Washington street, 96 feet west from Myrtle street.


76-Washington street, 7 feet west from Boston street.


77-Washington street, 34 feet west from Union square.


78-Washington street, opposite Leland street.


79-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 .


Union square, in front of Hill building . H


Gilman square


DI


Gilman square


Combination W P & H C


Cutter square


Davis · square, in front of Medina building DI


Teele square .


Combination W P & H & D


H, horse trough ; D, drinking fountain ; I, ice water ; C, combination trough and drink- ing fountain ; W P., waterposts.


Summary of Statistics.


FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1913. 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.


1 .


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.


DI


436


ANNUAL REPORTS.


STATISTICS OF CONSUMPTION OF WATER.


Estimated total population at date, 82,000.


Estimated population on lines of pipe, 82,000. Estimated population supplied, 82,000. Total consumption for the year, 2,174,666,000 gallons. Average daily consumption, 5,958,000 gallons. Gallons per day to each inhabitant, 72.


STATISTICS RELATING TO DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM, 1913. MAINS.


Kind of pipe, cast-iron.


Sizes, from 4-inch to 20-inch.


Laid 6,909 feet; discontinued 4 feet; net extension, 6,905 feet.


Total now in use, 98.65 miles.


Number of leaks per mile, .9.


Number of hydrants added during year (public, 16; private, 0), 16.


Number of hydrants (public and private) now in use, 1,174.


Number of stop gates added during year, 33.


Number of stop gates now in use, 1,599.


Number of blow-offs, 159.


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 less discontinued, 8,508 feet.


Total now in use, 83.67 miles.


Number of service taps added, 241; discontinued, 10; net increase, 231. Number now in use, 12,827. Number of meters added, 763; discontinued, 78; net increase, 685. Number now in use, 7,856. Percentage of services metered, 61. Percentage of receipts from metered water, 67.


Number of motors and elevator registers added, 0.


Number now in use, 7 (included in number of meters).


FINANCIAL STATISTICS.


RECEIPTS.


EXPENDITURES.


From Water Rates : -


Fixture rates .


·


.


$76,921.47


Meter rates .


·


.


Water Works Maintenance :- Operation (management and repairs) .


$33,890.51


Special :-


Miscellaneous accounts .


4,817.51


Total maintenance .


Interest on bonds .


.


.


.


Water Works Construction : -


Mains


$9,797.58


Services .


.


·


.


5,634.99


Meters


4,791.87


Special :-


Miscellaneous accounts .


108.26


Total construction .


.


.


$20,332.70


Unclassified expenses : -


Pensions ·


.


643.83


Metropolitan water assessment


116,320.88


Balance :- Ordinary .


58,561.62


Total balance


58,561.62


Total .


.


.


$242,067.05 .


Disposition of balance: applied to municipal purposes. Cost of works to date .


$978,279.93 Bonded debt at date ·


32,000.00 Average rate of interest, 4 per cent. .


437


WATER DEPARTMENT.


.


·


Total


$242,067.05


$232,061.77


From other sources :- Water service assessments


5,079.51


Labor and materials


4,925.77


Payment of bonds


6,000.00


.


.


$38,708.02 1,500.00


155,140.30


Total from consumers


REPORT OF CHIEF ENGINEER OF FIRE DEPARTMENT.


OFFICE OF FIRE DEPARTMENT,


Somerville, Mass., December 31, 1913. 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, 1913 :-


Alarms of Fire.


Number of bell alarms


Number of still alarms


343 346


Total alarms .


689


Number less than 1912


8


Value of buildings at risk


$798,775 00


Insurance on buildings


565,008 80


Damage to buildings


72,568 20


Value of contents


252,050 00


Insurance on contents


133,506 00


Damage to contents


66,579 52


Total value at risk


1,050,825 00


Total insurance


698,567 80


Total damage


139,147 72


Showing Probable Causes of Fire.


Accidental


2


Automobile


6


Burning rubbish


7


Bonfires


4


Bed clothing in contact with gas


1 34


Child playing with fire


1


Clothing in contact with lamp


4


Clothing in contact with stove .


8


Cigars and cigarettes


10


Chimney fires


16


Dropping lighted match on floor


5


Dropping lighted candle


1


Defective gas fixture


2


Electric wires


9


Electric car


4


False alarms


34


Fire in Boston


1


Fire in Cambridge


5


Fire in Medford


1


Firecracker on roof


7


Fire in old tree .


1


Fire in manure pit


1 11


Gas explosion


1


Gas stove upset


1


Gasoline explosion from hot iron


1


.


.


.


.


Children playing with matches


13


Combustion


Grass and dump fires


439


CHIEF ENGINEER, FIRE DEPARTMENT.


Hot ashes


8


Heating japan on stove


1


Incendiary .


31 1


Lightning


Light in building mistaken for fire .


1


Lighting matches going to cellar


4


Lantern upset in wagon in street


1


Lace curtain in contact with gaslight


2


Leaking gas in cellar


1


Lighting matches going to closet


3


Overheated oil lamps and stoves


21


Overheated coal stove


5


Overheated furnace


4


Overheated japan furnace


1


Plumber working on gas in cellar


1


Plumber's furnace


2


Painter's torch


1


Papers in gas stove oven .


1


Pouring fat in stove .


1 4


Smoke from stove


3


Smoke from chimney


2


Smoke from bakery


1 1


Smoke mistaken for fire


3


Spark from furnace in ventilator


1


Spark from gas mantle on couch


1


Spark from boring machine


1


Snark on roof from chimney


5


Spark from locomotive


8


Spark from tobacco pipe


20


Spark from stove on couch Tar kettle .


2


Thawing water pipe


4


Unknown


3


Wood in oven


1


343


Jack-o'-lantern in clothes basket


1


Rats and matches


Smoke from steam roller


1


-


Service of Companies in Fire Department, Year 1913.


Engine 1.


Engine 2.


Engine 4.


Engine 6.


Hose 2.


Hose 3.


Hose 5.


Hose 7.


Ladder 1.


Ladder 2.


Ladder 3.


*Chemical A


Totals.


Bell alarms responded to


236


136


119


70


123


155


164


153


153


123


89


15


343


Still alarms responded to


27


49


7


62


33


63


20


31


16


1


28


9


346


Miles traveled


492


244


218


174


380


235


337


301


166


174 1/2


123


2,844 1/2


Feet of 21/2 inch hose used


25,000


15,350


13,900


18,800


13,650


23,300


16,950


14,950


.


.


.


.


.


2,700


6,100


17,400


17,350


13,350


7,200


64,100


Feet of ladders used


.


·


108


227


.


.


·


.


·


315


36


3,720


3,223


3,088


10,717


Chemical extinguishers used


5


15


13


·


·


.


.


17


15


15


2


13


115


Gallons of chemical used


.


.


.


.


.


.


706


1910


3.045


2,970


2,525


1,438


12,594


Times on duty at other stations


1


2


3


.


.


.


.


.


·


.


7


Times responded out of town


9


14


2


29


9


16


3


.


.


.


.


.


.


87


*On the 27th of March the Chemical Company was merged into Engine No. 1 Company.


440


ANNUAL REPORTS.


·


.


·


·


·


.


.


.


·


.


.


1


1


.


3


2


·


141,900


Feet of chemical hose used


·


.


.


·


.


20


.


441


CHIEF ENGINEER, FIRE DEPARTMENT.


In Memoriam


LINDORF D. BIXBY Engineman Engine Co. No. 4 Appointed May 1, 1871 Died April 14, 1913.


GEORGE L. BLACKBIRD Driver Central Fire Station Appointed May 1, 1885 Died June 3, 1913


442


ANNUAL REPORTS.


Manual Force.


During the year nine (9) men have resigned, two (2) have been pensioned, and one (1) has died ; four (4) permanent have been appointed, the force of the department now consisting of seventy (70) permanent and thirty (30) callmen, as follows :-


1 Chief engineer.


1 First assistant engineer.


1 Second assistant engineer.


7 Captains.


9 Lieutenants.


4 Enginemen.


4 Assistant enginemen.


43 Permanent men.


30 Callmen.


Apparatus.


The department apparatus consists of the following :-


2 Second size, horse drawn steam fire engines.


2 Third size horse drawn steam fire engines.


3 Horse drawn combination chemical engine and hose wagons.


2 Horse drawn hose wagons.


2 Horse drawn ladder trucks.


1 Horse drawn combination ladder truck and chemical engine.


2 Motor driven combination chemical and hose wagon.


1 Motor driven chemical engine.


1 Automobile Chief's car.


2 Four wheel buggies for assistant chiefs.


1 Horse drawn relief hose wagon.


7 Horse drawn exercising wagons.


1 Horse drawn supply wagon.


Horses.


There are thirty-eight (38) horses in the department, three having been disposed of and three having been purchased dur- ing the past year.


The general health of the horses has been fair although there have been some painful accidents necessitating consider- able surgical and veterinary service.


The advent of motor driven apparatus will materially re- duce the number of horses the coming year.


Hose.


The amount of servicable hose in the department at pres- ent is 9,700 feet of two and one-half inch rubber lined cotton hose, and 2,150 feet of three-quarter inch chemical hose.


There has been purchased 1,700 feet of new hose and 1,300 feet condemned, practically replacing old with new.


There should be at least 4,000 feet more to place the de- partment on a safe hose footing.


Brief Resume.


The insurance loss has been unusually large as compared to previous years owing to the increased numbers of fires, par-


443


CHIEF ENGINEER, FIRE DEPARTMENT.


ticularly in merchantile establishments which contain much greater values in the same areas than are usually found in resi- dences.


The months of January and February show fully one-half of the total loss of the entire twelve months as is shown by the following table giving the fire losses by months :-


$57,598 70


January


11,842 14


February


3,109 15


March


12,516 00


April


10,992 39


May


3,329 96


July


8,836 62


August


9,175 06


October


4,708 00


November


4,546 00


December


7,693 00


$139,147 72


There have been twenty-two fires with an insurance loss exceeding $1,000 as follows :-


On January 7, at 4.32 P. M. the first bell alarm of the year was sounded and the indicators in the several stations showed box 227; the apparatus responded and no fire being found, the department was dismissed, whereas box 237 had been pulled ; at 4.40 P. M., box 237 was pulled again, and on arrival of the department, a brisk fire was burning in the six apartment house, 19-21 Harvard street, owned by Mrs. A. S. Hardy, and occu- pied by E. J. Ackroyd, Charles Perry, M. N. Phillips, William Wood, Mrs. L .. Burton and Miss Grace Oliver; damage to building, $11,821.70; to contents, $5,750. Cause, from heater in basement. Before this fire was fully extinguished, a large part of the apparatus not having returned to quarters ; box 23 was pulled at 6.55 P. M., for fire in the building corner Water and South streets, owned by John P. Squire Estate, and occu- pied by I. S. Drake & Co. as a rattan factory ; a general alarm was sounded for this fire, the Cambridge department rendered valuable assistance at this fire. The loss on building, $14,600.00 ; contents, $15,250.00. Cause, carelessness of employee smoking.


January 17, 9.46 A. M. Box 123, 73-75 Cross street, three- story building, stores and dwelling owned by L. S. Rosenfeld, occupied by Bernard Kipnis, John T. Connor, William A. Robes, H. E. Russell, and P. E. Auclaire ; damage to building, $2,500.00; to contents, $3,614. Cause, carelessness of smoker.


February 4, 12.12 A. M. Box 32, 54 Bonair street three- story wooden dwelling owned by Scully Bros., occupied by James Field, John Hunter and H. E. Pillsbury ; damage to build- ing, $1,884.00; to contents. $400. Cause, rats and matches.


February 15, 8.55 P. M. Box 32, 17-19 Otis street, three-


June


4,801 00


September


444


ANNUAL REPORTS.


story wooden dwelling owned by Harry Schlager, occupied by A. R. Spear. Orest Tregoli and Myrr Grodzen; damage to building, $1,097; to contents, $100. Cause, spark from to- bacco pipe.


February 27, 2.40 A. M. Box 116 and 156, 89 Mystic ave- nue, wagon repair shop, owned by H. E. Wright & Son, occu- pied by Welch, Dwyer & Grady; damage to building, $1,280; to contents, $1,950. Cause, incendiary.


March 6, 9.40 A. M. Box 36, 138 Central street, garage owned and occupied by E. J. Kraetzer, adjoining dwelling 140 Central street, owned and occupied by Edgar Fernald ; damage to buildings, $285; to contents, $1,000. Cause, oil heater in garage drying varnish.


April 25, 12.48 P. M. Box 38, second alarm 12.52 P. M., corner Cedar and Alpine streets, hay and grain sheds, owned and occupied by William J. Thompson; damage to building, $1,904; to contents, $1,176. Cause, incendiary.


April 27, 12.30 P. M. Box 25, general alarm sounded, 3-4 Union square, hay and grain sheds owned and occupied by Fulton O'Brion ; damage to buildings, $2,000; to contents, $1,- 900; to exposed buildings, $715. Cause, unknown, probably careless smoker.


May 13, 7.52 P. M. Box 114, general alarm sounded, 17 Poplar street, stable, barrel sheds and dwellings owned and occupied by Michael Gavin ; damage to building, $3,088 ; to con- tents, $1,825. Cause, spark from tobacco pipe.


May 16, 8.38 P. M. Box 443, second alarm 8.45 P. M., car barns of the Boston Elevated Railway Co. on Dover street, OC- cupied by F. A. Teele, Farnham & Mahoney. M. W. Palmer, American Wet Wash Laundry Co., and Home Laundry Co .; damage to building, $1,000; to contents, $3,477.56. Cause, in- cendiary.


July 28, 10.25 P. M. Box 37, 500 Broadway, three-story wooden dwelling and stores owned by J. A. Walker ; store occu- pied by M. Bayard; damaged to building, $395; to contents, $3,125. Cause, incendiary.


August 3, 9.00 P. M. Box 24, wood sheds in Boynton's Yard, owned by I .. J. Mullin ; damage to buildings, $1,350; to contents, $1,200. Cause, defective wiring.


August 7, 9.00 A. M. Box 14, 128-A Cross street, three- story dwelling and stores owned by Charles Evans ; occupied by S. Kreidberg, H. D. Wickham and J. A. Norris ; damage to building. $305; to contents, $1,381.07. Cause, match in cloth- ing being pressed.


September 4, 12.35 P. M., Box 326, 41 Meacham street, dwelling owned by Mrs. Sarah Checkoway, occupied by Jacob Faroloman and Samuel Bresnick ; damage to building, $835; to contents, $250. Cause, spark from tobacco pipe.


445


CHIEF ENGINEER, FIRE DEPARTMENT.


September 14, 2.13 A. M. Box 214, 59-59-A Central street, Guild Hall building, owned by the Guild Association, oc- cupied by Benjamin P. Sawyer and J. Ryan ; damage to build- ing, $1,450; to contents, $1,266.66 Cause, careless throwing away of cigarette.


September 14, 5.00 P. M. Box 23, 18 Webster street, stable owned by John P. Squire Estate, occupied by Frank Callahan and Cambridge Bag Wood Co .; damage to building, $1,500 to contents, $150. Cause, spark from tobacco pipe.


September 20, 7.28 P. M. Box 35, 95 Heath street, dwell- ing owned by Charles W. Knox, occupied by Benjamin Sherer ; damage to building. $1,505.40; to contents, $690. Cause, going to closet with match.


October 4, 9.05 P. M. Box 23, 53 Willow street, stable and barrel sheds owned and occupied by Nathan Weiner ; dam- age to buildings, $650; to contents, $870. Cause, smoking in stable.


October 13, 9.28 P. M. Box 324, 4 Florence terrace dwelling owned and occupied by Abram Weinberg; damage to building, $1,418; to contents, $445. Cause, unknown.


November 16, 1.38 P. M. Box 232, 362 Somerville avenue, store and dwelling owned by P. Volpe, occupied by I. Baum ; damage to building, $423; to contents, $900. Cause, lamp ex- plosion.


December 16. 4.56 P. M. Box 427, 17-19 Cutter avenue, dwelling owned and occupied by James M. Towle and Andrew A. Wilson; damage to building, $1,750; to contents, $900. Cause, overheated furnace pipe.


December 24, 3.17 A. M. Box 39, 330 Lowell street, dwelling owned by Elizabeth C. Lowrey, occupied by Peter Mulloney ; damage to building, $861 ; to contents, $250. Cause, incendiary.


December 24, 11.49 P. M. Box 421. 59-59-A Central street, Guild Hall building owned by Somerville Guild Asso- ciation, occupied by Benjamin P. Sawyer and J. Ryan ; damage to building, $486; to contents, $550. Cause, careless throwing away of cigarette.


December 25, 12.20 A. M. Box 114, 120 Linwood street, dwelling owned by John P. Squire Estate, occupied by Michael Ellison ; damage to building, $750; to contents, $566. Cause, incendiary.


False alarms are still too numerous and emphasis must again be laid upon an effort being made to stop this criminal thoughtlessness. The city is fast motorizing its apparatus, thereby installing finer and more expensive machinery and eternal care must be exercised to keep this class of apparatus in readiness to respond to legitimate alarms for fires. Appara-


446


ANNUAL REPORTS.


tus responding to a false alarm may, through accident, be put temporarily out of service when its assistance at an actual fire would be of inestimable value.


Careless smokers have been responsible for a very con- siderable amount of the fire loss. Mercantile establishments should restrict the time and place, when and where its employees may smoke, and the use of cigarettes in such places should be strictly prohibited.


Defective chimneys and cellars littered with rubbish have contributed no small amount to the total loss. The adoption of an annual house-cleaning day with the co-operation of the health department, when all useless collections of old clothes, boxes, papers and rubbish in cellar and garret could be dis- posed of, would materially reduce this class of fires.


There have been 123 applications for bonfire permits, eighty-four of which were investigated and granted. The num- ber of alarms from this cause has been very materially re- duced, owing in a great measure to the activity of the police department in enforcing the "Setting of Fires" ordinance.


During June and July there was an epidemic of incendiar- ism in the Patch district, so-called, and the department was called upon two or three times daily to extinguish fires, the offices of the police and the state fire marshal being required to put a check upon them.


On March 18, there was delivered to the city from the American La-France Fire Engine Co., of Elmira, N. Y., a six cylinder, double tank combination chemical engine and hose wagon designed for service at the Central Fire Station, but the condition of the apparatus at Hose 5 Station was so insecure that this piece of apparatus was placed in service at that station on March 28.


Considerable attention has been given during the year to the up-keep and appearance of the apparatus : Hose 5 wagon was repainted and placed in Engine 2 station ; Engine 4 wagon, painted and varnished ; Engine 6 wagon, painted and varnished ; Hose 3 painted and varnished, and Ladder 2 was given a thor- ough overhauling and painted and sent to the Union Square Station to replace Ladder 1, which has been unsafe and unfit for service for a long time.


The machine shop is demonstrating itself to be of the most valuable importance to the department. Owing to the instal- lation of more and larger pieces of motor apparatus, the shop will be called into more frequent use, and for the purpose of meeting an exigency ; it has been enlarged to twice its original size and equipped with every needed tool and machine to per- form such work as can be satisfactorily done outside the manu- facturers' machine shops.


447


CHIEF ENGINEER, FIRE DEPARTMENT.


Recommendations.


The enormous fire loss throughout the country is one of the paramount issues of the day and everything is being done to reduce it, and to that end all departments are motorizing their apparatus. Our city has made wonderful progress in this direc- tion, resulting in a marked improvement in the efficiency of the department, and the motorizing of the whole department is de- sirable. This can be done with the most up-to-date equipment for a sum not exceeding $38,500 and I suggest that, if it can- not be done in one year, as much as practicable be done each year.


I recommend the immediate motorizing of the horse-drawn combination chemical engine and hose wagon located on Mar- shall street, Winter Hill. This can be done by the purchase of a chassis, the labor of changing same being done in the de- partment machine shop. This piece of apparatus is scheduled to report to six Medford boxes on first alarms. Alarms from these boxes, together with the Somerville boxes and still alarms responded to in this section has obliged this company to climb Winter Hill sixty-six times this year.




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