USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1918 > Part 23
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26
In October similar transfer to the low-service system was made as follows :
Street
Houses Tenements
Alewife Brook Parkway .
3
3
Bailey St.
10
20
Chetwynd Road, from Hillside Road to West Adams St.
2
4
College Hill Road
15
30
Conwell Avenue, from North St., to easterly line of Hillsdale Road
31
87
High St.,
.
5
10
Hillsdale Road
13
26
North St., from southerly line of Raymond Ave., to Medford city line
40
76
Raymond Avenue .
39
78
West Adams St.
29
58
West Quincy St. .
.
10
20
The water pressure in the district affected by this change has been reduced about thirty pounds, but is still ample for domestic and fire service. The transfer should relieve to an appreciable extent the strain upon our overtaxed high-service system and, as the low-service is a gravity supply, there should result a fuel saving equivalent to that needed heretofore in pumping into the high-service approximately 100,000 gallons of water daily.
Labor.
Wages of common laborers were advanced on April 1st from $2.75 to $3.00 a day, and of skilled laborers from $2.90 to $3.25 a day. In October the mayor further advanced the wages of common laborers to $3.25 a day and of skilled laborers to $3.35 a day.
Laborers are not paid for holidays but are granted Satur- day afternoons off throughout the year without loss of pay ; they are also given a vacation of two weeks with pay. They are paid time-and-a-half if called out on emergency work nights, holidays and Sundays; if the work is continuous, regular pay is given.
Pension Roll.
Michael E. Brady, an efficient and honored employee of the department for more than twenty-five years, was added to
319
WATER DEPARTMENT.
the list of pensioners in March at rate of $7.49 a week. It is with regret that his death is also to be recorded this year, the end of his earthly life having come in November.
Richard Whelan, an old-time and faithful servant of the city, and a pensioner since May, 1913, also passed away this year in the month of April.
There are now on the pension roll the names of Andrew Mc- Caffrey, John H. Keefe and Thomas Fitzpatrick.
Financial.
The year has been a very successful one financially and notwithstanding extraordinary and unexpected expenses in the early part of the year our books closed showing a transfer by the Board of Aldermen from our extension appropriation of $3,874.97, unexpended balances in our department, appropria- tion accounts amounting to $2,691.69 and a general surplus of $75,490.45 after paying all indebtedness chargeable for the year to the water department or connected with its operations.
The policy of paying every bill contracted up to the closing of the last payroll of the year in December has been continued and in pursuance thereof all outstanding accounts against the department have been settled.
Emergency Pump.
No substantial interest seems thus far to have developed in the matter of providing an emergency pump for the high-ser- vice system and its annual recommendation may as well now be dropped from these pages where it has appeared for the last four years.
In this swan song the writer desires, however, to once more record his belief that the subject of securing to the higher dis- tricts of this city. a city which is said to be the most densely populated of any in the United States, an ample and dependa- ble water supply and suitable fire protection at all times is one of sufficient importance to warrant your earnest considera- tion.
Tabulation.
The accompanying table gives further details of the work performed during the year in the main distribution system and is made a part of this report.
Respectfully submitted,
FRANK E. MERRILL,
Water Commissioner
Street Mains, Gates, Hydrants, Etc., Laid, Set and Removed in 1918.
PIPE.
GATES.
HY- DRANTS.
BLOW-OFFS.
LAID.
REMOVED. SET.
RE- MOV'D
SET.
RE- MOV'D
SET.
MOV D
STREET.
DESCRIPTION.
Size.
Feet.
Size.
Feet.
Size.
Kind
Size.
Kind
Size.
Kind
Size.
Kind
Size.
No.
Size.
No.
Adrian street
Main gate: 13 feet 4 inches west from east line of Adrian street, on south line of Joseph street.
Alewife Brook pkwy Street main: From connection with Metropolitan Water works 16" main pipe at point 77 feet north from north line of Gordon street, to point 60 feet south from north line of Gordon street.
16" 12"
114 '20
12" R
Arlington street
Hydrant: 36 feet east from Hathorn street.
6" Co. 6" H C'
Buckingham street
Hydrant: On south line of Dimick street.
6" Co. 6" H C
Gate on hydrant branch: On south line of Dimick street, 4 feet out from hydrant.
6"
6" Co. 6" HI ('
Gate on hydrant branch: 37 feet south from Dimick street, 4 feet out from hydrant.
Columbus avenue
Hydrant: 151 feet east from Bonner avenue.
6" Co. 6" Co.
Conlon ct (foot of)
Street main: Set 6" tee on main pipe 6 feet 4 inches east from east or dead end of Conlon court.
Hydrant: 13 feet south from Auburn avenue.
6" Co. 6" MI
Cummings street
Hydrant: 24 feet west from west line of Middlesex avenue. (Comple- tion of 1917 work.)
1
6". Co .. 6" Co. 1" BM
Curtis street
Hydrant: 64 feet south from south line of Powder House boulevard. Gate on hydrant branch: 64 feet south from south line of Powder House boulevard, 31/2 feet out from hydrant.
Electric avenue
Hydrant: 170 feet east from Packard avenue connected with tee that was set when main was laid in Electric avenue.
6" CO.
Gate on hydrant branch: 170 feet east from Packard avenue, 4 feet out from hydrant.
6"
S
1
Cross street
Gate on hydrant branch: 13 feet south from Auburn avenue, 3 feet out from hydrant.
6"
S
Section gate: On south line of Gordon street, 10 feet west from east line of Alewife Brook parkway.
Gate on hydrant branch: 36 feet east from Hathorn street, 4 feet out from hydrant.
R
Calvin street
Hydrant: 37 feet south from Dimick street.
Gate on hydrant branch: 151 feet east from Bonner avenue, 4 feet out from hydrant.
6"
R
! RE-
Fairmount avenue
Hydrant: 280 feet west from Curtis street.
Gate on hydrant branch: 280 feet west from Curtis street, 4 feet out from hydrant.
6"
R
Gordon street
Street main: From connection with 16" main pipe in Alewife Brook parkway to connection with 12" pipe in Gordon street.
1.2"
Blow- off: 5 feet east from east line of Alewife Brook parkway, 16 feet north from south line of Gordon street. (Completion of work com- menced in 1917.)
4"
30
Hathorn street
Hydrant: 145 feet south from Broadway.
Gate on hydrant branch: 145 feet south from Broadway, 4 feet out from hydrant.
6"
R
High street
Replaced street main: From connection with 12" main in High street at point 61 feet west from west line of North street, to point 264 feet west from west line of North street.
12"! 6"
202 ; 2" 7
6"
Co.
Holland street Jay street
Hydrant: 5 feet from south line of Jay street.
Hydrant: 14 feet west from Holland street, low service.
Gate on hydrant branch: 14 feet west from west line of Holland street, 4 feet out from hydrant.
Josephine avenue
Gate on hydrant branch: 213 feet south from Broadway, 4 feet out from hydrant.
6"
Co. 6" H ('
Kenneson road
fate on hydrant branch. 121 feet south from Broadway, 3 feet out . from hydrant.
6"
S
Marion street
Hydrant: 40 feet east from Dimick street.
late on hydrant branch: 40 feet east from Dimick street, 2 feet out from hydrant.
6"
Medford street
Hydrant: 70 feet. north from Maple street.
Co. 6"
M
Mystic avenue
Street main: From point 1 foot east from west line of New Hampshire. avenue, to point 2 feet west from east line of New Hampshire avenue.
12" 36
Hydrant: 12 feet west from west line of Fellsway West.
Hydrant: On west line of Fellsway West, 91/2 feet north from south line of Mystic avenue.
6"
M
Ch
R
New Hampshire av North street
Street main: From connection with main pipe in Mystic avenue, to connection with main in New Hampshire avenue. 6" Hydrant: 572 feet from north line of Bailey street.
7
6"
M
202
Hydrant: 69 feet west from North street.
Gate on hydrant branch: 69 feet west from North street, 4 feet out from hydrant.
6"
6"
M
M
Hydrant: 213 feet south from Broadway.
.
CO. 6" P ('
Gate on hydrant branch: 70 feet north from Maple street, 4 feet out from hydrant.
Gate on hydrant branch: 91/2 feet north from south line of Mystic avenue, 4 feet west from hydrant.
6"HG
6"| Co. |6" H C|
Street Mains, Gates, Hydrants, Etc., Laid, Set and Removed in 1918. - Continued.
PIPE.
GATES.
HIY- DRANTS.
BLOW-OFFS.
LAID.
REMOVED.
SET.
RE- MOV'D
RE- MOV'D
SET.
STREET.
DESCRIPTION.
Size.
Feet.
Size.
Feet.
Size.
Kind
Size.
Kind
Kind
Size.
Kind
Size.
No.
Size.
No.
Oxford street
Hydrant: 280 feet west from School street.
6"
Co.
BM
Gate on hydrant branch: 280 feet west from School street, 3 feet out from, hydrant.
6" R
Pearson avenue
Hydrant: 308 feet north from Kidder avenue.
Co.6TH G
Gate on hydrant branch: 308 feet north from Kidder avenue, 41/2 feet out from hydrant.
Raymond avenue
Section gate: 13 feet 4 inches north from south line of Raymond av- enue, and 15 feet east from west line of house No. 60 Raymond avenue.
Hydrant: 300 feet cast from North street.
6"
6
6"
Gate on hydrant branch: 300 feet east from North street, 4 feet out from hydrant.
6 IR
Hydrant: 250 feet west from Curtis street.
6
Gate on hydrant branch: 250 feet west from Curtis street, 4 feet out from hydrant.
Gate on hydrant branch: Opposite No. 60 Raymond avenue, 4 feet out ffom hydrant.
6" R
Somerville avenue Sycamore street
Hydrant: 650 feet from west line of East Cambridge, north side low level. Street main: From connection with main in Sycamore street at point
6"
6
1
6
6"
Warren street
Replaced street main: From connection with 2" main in Warren strect at west line of Medford street, to point 85 feet west from west line of Medford street.
2"
85
85
Washington street
Gate on hydrant branch: 6 feet west from west line of Florence street, 6 feet out from hydrant.
6"R
B.M .- Boston Machine; Co .- Corey; Ch .- Chapman; H.C .- Holyoke Compression; H.G .- Holyoke Gate; M .- Matthews; P.C .- Pratt & Cady; S .- Smith; R .- Rensselaer.
513
287
26
22
18
-
R
64 feet north from north line of Willoughby street, to point 70 feet from north line of Willoughby street.
Walter terrace
Hydrant: 111 feet south from Walter street.
Gate on hydrant branch: 111 feet south from Walter street, 4 feet out from hydrant.
Hydrant: 6 feet west from west line of Florence street.
M
:6":11 6
RE- MOV'D
SET.
Size.
6"R
6 R
323
WATER DEPARTMENT.
SUMMARY OF STATISTICS. FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1918. In form recommended by the New England Water Works Association, SOMERVILLE WATER WORKS. SOMERVILLE, MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASS.
General Statistics.
Population, census 1915, 86,854; present, estimated 91,000.
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, 91,000.
Estimated population on lines of pipe, 91,000.
Estimated population supplied, 91,000.
Total consumption for the year, 2,713,133,000 gallons.
Average daily consumption, 7,433,200 gallons.
Gallons per day to each inhabitant, 80.
Statistics Relating to Distribution System, 1918. MAINS.
Kind of pipe, cast iron.
Sizes, from 4-inch and under to 20-inch.
Laid 543 feet; discontinued 85 feet; net extension, 458 feet.
Total now in use, 102.48 miles.
Number of leaks per mile, 0.24.
Number of hydrants added during year (public, 4; private, 0), 4.
Number of hydrants (public and private) now in use, 1,239.
Number of stop gates added during year, 26.
Number of stop gates now in use, 1,827.
Number of blow-offs, 178.
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 eight inches.
Extended 816 feet; discontinued 1,021 feet.
Total now in use, 88.33 miles.
Number of service taps added, 23; discontinued, 18; net increase, 5. Number now in use, 13,514.
Number of meters added, 242; meters and motor registers discon- tinued, 154; net increase, 88.
Number now in use, 10,116.
Percentage of services metered, 74.86.
Percentage of receipts from metered water, 83.
Number of motors and elevator registers added, 0; removed, 1.
! Number now in use, 3 (included in number of meters).
FINANCIAL STATISTICS.
REVENUE.
EXPENDITURES.
From Water Rates :-
Fixture rates
$44,597 23
Meter rates 219,667 10
Water Works Maintenance :- Operation (management, repairs and renewals) .... $52,039 18 Special :- Miscellaneous accounts .. 3,972 37
Total from consumers
$264,264 33
From other sources :-
Water service assessments
1,040 27
Total maintenance
$56,011 55
Interest on bonds
440 00
Payment on bonds
5,000 00
Water Works Buildings
1,154 63
Water Works Construction : -
Mains
$3,976 69
Services
958 50
Meters
886 60
Total construction
$5,821 79
Unclassified expenses : .- Metropolitan water assessment
125,358 55
Balance :-- Ordinary
$75,490 45
Total balance 75,490 45
.
Total
$269,276 97
Total
$269,276 97
Disposition of balance: applied to municipal purposes. Cost of works to date Bonded debt at date Average rate of interest, 4 per cent.
$1,067,010 38
6,000 00
324
ANNUAL REPORTS.
Labor and materials
3,972 37
CHIEF ENGINEER FIRE DEPARTMENT.
325
REPORT OF CHIEF ENGINEER OF FIRE DEPARTMENT
OFFICE OF CHIEF OF FIRE DEPARTMENT, Somerville, Mass., January 22, 1919.
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, 1918 :-
Alarms of Fire.
Number of bell alarms
277
Number of still alarms
431
Total alarms
708
Number in excess of 1918
83
Value of buildings at risk .
$644,825 00
Insurance on buildings
483,100 00
Damage to buildings
137,245 53
Value of contents .
593,910 00
Insurance on contents
502,360 00
Damage to contents
336,474 56
Total value at risk
1,238,735 00
Total insurance
985,460 00
Total damage
473,720 09
List of Probable Causes.
Accidental
5
Automobiles and trucks
10
Bonfires
23
Carelessness with matches
9
Celluloid comb and match
1
Children playing with matches
14
Cigars, cigarettes and pipes
14
Cigarettes on awning .
2
Clothing near stove
4
Curtain in contact with gas
4
Defective chimney
12
Defective gas fixture
2
Drying wood in oven
3
Dump fires
6
Electric car .
3
Electric wires
3
False alarms
44
.
4
Combustion
326
ANNUAL REPORTS.
Filling gasoline tank .
2
Fire in Boston
2
Gasoline leaking from automobile
1
Gloves left on stove
1
Grass fires
Hot ashes in wooden receptacle
9
Incendiary
24
Jack-o-lantern
1
Kettle of fat
2
Kerosene lamps and stoves .
11
Lighted paper thrown from window
1
Lightning
3
Smoking in bed .
2
Smoke mistaken for fire
1
Smoke from tar-kettle
1
Spark from chimney
3
Spark from furnace
8
Spark from locomotive
2
Steam mistaken for fire
1
Wire in street
1
Unknown
8
Unnecessary
10
277
.
11
Oil heater
2
Engine 1.
Engine 2.
Engine 4.
Engine 6.
Hose 3.
Hose 5.
Hose 7.
Hose 8.
Ladder 1.
Ladder 2.
Ladder 3.
Totals.
Bell alarms responded to
208
145
103
39
116
76
116
90
113
104
63
277
Still alarms responded to
64
44
22
67
39
36
56
51
16
5
31
431
Miles traveled
512
2821/2
267
108
156
254
225
238 1/2
1011/2
242
94
2,4801/2
Feet of 21/2 inch hose used .
14,450
15,400
6,300
6,100
5,900
6,100
8,750
8,850
6,750
........
........
3,600
49,700
Feet of ladders used
45
..
..
...
.....
.. .....
96
80
48
1,254
1,160
1,367
4,050
Chemical extinguishers used .
18
18
19
3
744
1,470
2,340
975
750
........
........
663
9,152
Times on duty at other sta-
tions
.
·
..
...
..
......
........
........
........
5
Times responded out of town
13
7
31
5
2
1
12
4
........
........
75
Rubber covers used
.
.....
...
......
..
..
..
..
..
........
3
2
11
17
..
71,850
Feet of chemical hose used .
8,450
.....
2,000
10,500
13,400
5,000
27
9
15
3
7
119
Gallons of chemical used
2,250
..
........
1
1
1
1
1
..
CHIEF ENGINEER FIRE DEPARTMENT.
327
·
.
.
..
........
..
1
·
·
328
ANNUAL REPORTS.
IN MEMORIAM.
JAMES R. HOPKINS Ex-Chief Appointed January 13, 1872. Retired January 1, 1910. Died November 30, 1918.
FRANCIS W. RING Captain Hose Co No. 8.
Appointed October 1, 1876. Died at fire February 3, 1918.
329
CHIEF ENGINEER FIRE DEPARTMENT.
Manual Force.
During the year one (1) man has died, two (2) have been retired on a pension, three (3) have resigned and one (1) discharged : Eight (S) permanent men have been appointed from the eligible list of the classified service and one (1) call- man has been promoted to the permanent force under Chapter 487, Acts 1913. The force of the department now consists of eighty (80) permanent men and eleven (11) callmen, as fol- lows :
1 Chief Engineer.
1 First Assistant Engineer.
1 Second Assistant Engineer.
7 Captains.
1 Master Mechanic.
10 Lieutenants.
3 Enginemen.
3 Assistant Enginemen.
53 Permanent men.
11 Callmen.
Apparatus.
1 Second size, horse drawn steam fire engine.
1 Third size, horse drawn steam fire engine.
2 Horse drawn combination chemical engine and hose wagons ..
1 Horse drawn hose wagon.
1 Horse drawn combination ladder truck and chemical engine.
1 Horse drawn ladder truck.
1 Motor driven ladder truck.
4 Motor driven combination chemical engine and hose wagons.
1 Second size tractor drawn steam fire engine.
1 Motor driven 900 gallon pumping engine and hose wagon.
1 Motor driven supply and wrecking car.
1 Automobile for Master Mechanic.
1 Automobile Chief's car.
1 Automobile Assistant Chief's car.
2 Four wheel buggies for Assistant Chiefs.
1 Horse drawn relief hose wagon.
1 Horse drawn relief ladder truck.
4 Exercising wagons.
1 Supply wagon.
Horses.
There are twenty-one (21) horses in the department at the present time, at the latter part of the year two horses were purchased and two disposed of. As stated in my previous re- ports the horses are getting older, some of them being twenty- five or more years of age, many will have to be replaced in the. near future.
:330
ANNUAL REPORTS.
Hose.
The amount of serviceable hose is 9,700 of two and one-half inch rubber lined cotton hose, and 1,650 feet of three-quarter inch chemical hose. There has been 1,300 feet of two and one-half inch hos epurchased and 1,500 feet condemned. There should be, at least, 1,000 feet of new two and one-half inch and six hundred feet of three-quarter inch hose purchased the coming year.
Brief Resume.
The burning of the old wooden section of the Clarendon Hill car barns of the Boston Elevated Railway Company on April 7th caused a property loss of $389,600.00, the greatest property damage, in this city, for the past twenty-five years ; valuable assistance, in the extinguishment of this conflagration breeder, was rendered by the departments of Cambridge, Med- ford and Arlington.
The following table gives the losses by months :-
January
$10,535 00
February
15,857 00
March
D
5,103 00
April
392,354 97
May
4,500 00
June
6,787 60
July
392 00
August
29,407 00
September
65 00
October
335 00
November
3,645 00
December
4,737 60
$473,720 09
There have been twenty-one fires with an insurance loss exceeding $1,000, as follows :-
January 1, 11.55 A. M. Box 19, 34 Joy street, dwelling owned and occupied by Thomas and William G. Anderson. Damage to building $1,820, to contents $200. Probable cause, spark from locomotive.
January 4, 12.55 A. M. Box 34, 292-294-294a-296 Broad- way, stores and dwelling owned by George Hadjian; occu- pants, David Cohen, Abraham Slotwick and Emerson M. Junkins. Damage to building, $3,864; damage to contents, $1,550. Cause, careless plumber.
January 27, 2.55 P. M. Box 33, 53-55 Sycamore street, dwelling owned by William W. Fish; occupants, A. J. Cowan and James Nary. Damage to building, $1,176; to contents, $325. Cause, emptying gasoline from tank, vapor ignited by furnace fire.
331
CHIEF ENGINEER FIRE DEPARTMENT.
February 2, 5.33 A. M. Box 213, 26 Summit avenue, un- occupied dwelling owned by the Sylvester Estate. Damage to building, $5,200. Cause, incendiary.
February 3, 12.07 P. M. Box 342, 16 Bradley street, dwell- ing owned and occupied by D. W. Gallagher. Damage to building, $1,300; to contents, $300. Cause, overheated oil heater.
February 8, 9.03 A. M. Box 421, 28 Central road, dwelling owned by August Westlund ; occupants, Laurence Ropes, Mary Quigley and Gustave A. Eck. Damage to building, $2,300; to contents, $385. Cause, hot ashes in wooden barrel.
February 15, 6.06 P. M. Box 24, 474 Columbia street, s ;oap factory owned and occupied by Whitman & Pratt Rend- ering Company. Damage to building, $2,400; to contents, $2,300. Cause, defective wiring.
March 11, 8.58 P. M. Box 234, 34-36 Bennett street, un- occupied paint shop and store house owned by Peter F. Don- nelly. Damage to building, $1,000. Cause, incendiary.
March 23, 2-31 A. M. Box 117, 4a Franklin street, Colum- bia Bldg., owned by Columbia Associates. Damage to build- ing, $1,301. Cause, careless smoker throwing away cigar or match.
April 7, 6.30 P. M. Box 448, a general alarm was sounded for this fire at the Clarendon Hill car barns of the Boston Elevated Railway Co. Damage to building, $88,600; to con- tents, $301,000. Cause, unknown.
April 9, 4.02 P. M. Box 13, Asylum Grounds, wooden conduits owned by the Western Union Telegraph Company. Damage, $1,300. Caused by dump fire.
May 5, 12.37 A. M. Box 324, 69 Jaques street, dwelling owned by Philip Brennan and occupied by Thomas Axon. Damage to building, $1,025; to contents, $200. Cause, lamp exploded.
May 16, 6.50 A. M. Box 444, 19 Cameron avenue, 3 apartment dwelling owned by J. P. Pattee; occupants, Charles S. Sinclair, W. E. Schwamb and J. C. Patterson. Damage to building, $1,800; to contents, $150. Cause, overheated stove too near woodwork.
June 10, 6.01 A. M. Box 35, dwelling owned by C. W. Cahalan Estate, occupied by George K. Adhended. Damage to building, $1,151 ; to contents, $139.39. Cause, overheated stove.
June 10, 11.59 P. M. Box 48, 1119-1135 Broadway, block of stores and flats owned by Jacob S. Levin, occupants Charles R. Hayward bowling alleys, Weston Bakery, Ginter Grocery Co., C. K. Ames Co., butter and eggs, and Neilson Market. Damage to building, $1,150 ; to contents, $2,210. Cause, care- less smoker.
June 12, 5.50 P. M. Box 23, 10 Water street, unoccupied
332
ANNUAL REPORTS.
stable and sheds owned by the J. P. Squire Estate. Damage to building, $1,000. Cause, incendiary.
August 13, 11.45 A. M. Box 413, 45-47 Day street, garage and auto paint shop owned by Annie M. Kingston ; occupants J. E. Balcom et al. Damage to building, $5,000; to contents, $20,585. Cause, carelessness in using paint remover and gaso- line in paint shop.
August 15, 1.46 A. M. Box 336, 52 Adams street, dwelling owned and occupied by Frank Towle. Damage to building, $1,375 ; to contents, $250. Cause, careless use of matches.
November 23, 10.39 P. M. Box 425, 39-41 Windsor road, dwelling owned by Grovenor W. Dingwell, occupants the owner and I. B. Perkins. Damage to building, $1,102; to contents, $25. Cause, spark from furnace ignited old shingles in cellar.
November 30, 8-10 P. M. Box 427, 53-55 Russell street, wagon repairing, paint and blacksmith shop owned by John B. Rufer Estate ; occupied by Speiler & Goldberg. Damage to building, $1,242; to contents, $1,040.20. Probable cause, spark from forge.
December 21, 5.34 P. M. Box 429, 68-70 Hall avenue, dwelling owned by Elmer A. Stevens, occupants William P. Liston and Robert J. Widdis. Damage to building, $975; to contents, $80. Cause, careless use of matches.
The sounding of false alarms and alarms for bonfires caused some portion of the department to respond 137 times or one-sixth of the total alarms for the year. This seems almost incredible and ought to be impossible. This is becoming a serious problem and something must be done to stop it; the penalty, if conviction is secured and proper punishment im- posed, is sufficient to stop these criminal deeds. The tax- payers are spending a large sum of money to maintain an up-to-date fire equipment for the extinguishment of fires and the responding to unnecessary alarms, not only wears out the fine mechanical parts and entails expensive repairs. but lessens the efficiency of the department equipment.
Careless, improper and illegal use of gasoline has con- tributed largely to the swelling of the fire loss the past year, notably the fire at 45-47 Day street on August 13th, when an automobile painter, using gasoline and a steel brush to re- move paint and varnish, started a fire which destroyed prop- erty valued more than $30,000. Gasoline has become such an every day necessity and so universally and commonly used that the public is either ignorant of or ignores the ever present danger. The user of gasoline thinks he knows all about it, he has never had any trouble with it, never had a fire and therefore believes in fact he knows he never will : as has been well said "familiarity breeds contempt."
333
CHIEF ENGINEER FIRE DEPARTMENT.
Hot ashes in wooden receptacles has ever been a fire menace, the basement or cellar is the place where this class of fire originates, the storeroom for rubbish, the catch-all for discards, the ceiling low and unprotected and pierced with openings for furnace or steam pipes and plumbing, a splendid means of distributing the fire, once started, throughout the building, added to these the ever present gas-meter with lead connections and you have ready to hand a serious fire to con- template and to extinguish. An ordinance should now be cre- ated forever removing the chance for this class of fires, making it imperative that ashes shall be put in metal receptacles only ; the enforcement of this ordinance can be simplified by the co-operation of the Sanitary Department in refusing to remove ashes unless put into proper and suitable metal barrels.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.