 CHAPTER XVI. Comparisons are often instituted between the fire-risks of London and New York. It is glibly pointed out by statisticians with facile pens, that whereas for every one hundred thousand inhabitants London averages eighty-one and New York three hundred fires, and whereas the population of London is considerably greater than that of New York, ergo fire control in the former city has attained to a higher degree of scientific evolution than in the latter, and further deductions are drawn according to the nationality and enthusiasm of the individual. But such reasoning is founded upon the superficial aspect of the subject, without taking into consideration the numerous contributive factors governing the problem. In the first place, in making these invidious comparisons, writers forget that units of apparatus, ability of personnel and general efficiency may be on a par in two separate firefighting organizations, but owing to local causes and climatic conditions, the annual record of the two may be widely divergent. New York has certain disadvantages with which to contend. Its modern buildings are the highest in the world, in themselves a staggering question for the firefighter. In portions of the city there are streets comprising nothing but wooden buildings which burn like torches, extremes of climate render fires more prevalent and more hazardous, the alien population is vast and criminally careless, and finally, unfortunately, arson has grown to be regarded amongst undesirables as a legitimate and easy way of obtaining insurance as a form of income. Any unprejudiced observer will allow that in these respects London is more fortunately situated, which admission detracts in no wit from the standard of excellence of both departments which are well worthy of the great capitals they represent. In considering rather more particularly the outstanding features of its brigade, London, in common with all other English cities, has no need for the heavy appliances usually seen in America. Owing to the narrow tortuous streets in all ancient towns, the manipulation of weighty apparatus with lengthy wheel bases becomes practically impossible, while the average building constructed of stone and of only four or five stories in height does not constitute a grave fire risk. The residential area of London is chiefly composed of such erections, and even in the wealthier suburbs where the houses stand in their own grounds, this fact of itself is sufficient to prevent a serious conflagration. In the eastern section of the metropolitan district and along the docks and wharves lining the river Thames the risks are materially greater, and hence there is a considerable concentration of strength in this locality, though it is worthy of note that of the sixty-five outbreaks classified as serious during the year nineteen-eleven, about thirty-four occurred in quarters inhabited by aliens, a sufficiently good indication of the truth of the preceding statement that these foreign colonies are a fruitful source of anxiety to the authorities of any city. It is also of interest that of the grand total of four thousand and odd fires during that year, no less than one thousand seven hundred sixty-two were directly attributed to carelessness, while only twenty-eight resulted from arson. Prior to the year eighteen sixty-six the protection of London from fire depended upon an organization known as the London Fire Engine Establishment, which consisted of only one hundred and thirty officers and men operating seventeen stations. The cost of its maintenance was chiefly borne by fire insurance companies, and its duties were practically confined to fire quenching. For the saving of life from fire during many years the Royal Society for the Protection of Life from Fire, which was supported by voluntary contributions, supplied and manned some eighty-five fire escapes which were stationed in various parts of the city, few being in the suburbs. There were in addition several so-called volunteer fire brigades, which were not under the direct control of any recognized authority, and proved a veritable thorn in the flesh to the municipality. Having no definite financial support they employed collectors, with the result that the unfortunate ratepayers were solicited for contributions towards associations which, with rare exceptions, seldom performed any useful service, and for the disposal of whose funds there was no adequate guarantee. Moreover, it was customary for these gentlemen to wear a uniform similar to that of the professional firefighters, causing a good deal of acrimonious confusion amongst those who were under the impression that they had contributed towards the funds of the professional fire brigade. The act of parliament of 1865, however, put an end to this ambiguous state of affairs, and on January 1st of the following year the Metropolitan Board of Works assumed the responsibilities of the two first-named organizations under the title of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade. As for the volunteers, they lingered for some time, being disbanded one by one, till in 1900 the sole surviving company, located in Islington, closed its doors. The funds provided by the aforesaid act for the maintenance of the brigade were, a, contributions by the fire insurance companies, at the rate of thirty-five pounds, one hundred seventy-five dollars, per million of the gross amounts insured by them in respect of property in London. This was calculated to bring in about ten thousand pounds, fifty thousand dollars annually, while in addition the buildings and staff of the London Fire Engines Establishment were handed over free of charge. B. a government grant of ten thousand pounds, fifty thousand dollars a year, in consideration of the protection afforded public buildings and offices. C. the produce of a half-penny rate, one cent, on all the rateable property in London, which it was estimated would realize a sum of thirty thousand pounds, one hundred fifty thousand dollars a year. It will thus be seen that less than half a century ago it was decided after careful debate that the fire control of London could be accomplished for the expenditure of fifty thousand pounds, two hundred fifty thousand dollars, per annum, whereas today it costs in the neighbourhood of two hundred seventy thousand pounds, one million three hundred fifty thousand dollars, or more than five times as much, and there is no probability of any finality having been reached. To defray this constant increase, varied legislation was introduced, till the local government act of eighteen eighty-eight virtually repealed any limitation of the amount which might be raised from the ratepayers for fire-brigade purposes. Incidentally it is an interesting historical fact that the year eighteen sixty-five which saw the birth of the modern London fire-brigade, likewise witnessed the genesis of the existing New York fire department. The first chief of the newly formed organisation was the late Captain Sir Air Massey Shaw, KCB, who, an Irishman by birth, had previously been in charge of the Belfast fire department, and whose subsequent twenty-five years of service with the London command witnessed the stations of the brigade quadrupled, and the strength of the personnel increased from one hundred and thirty to seven hundred men. Amongst the more important changes which he introduced were the street fire alarm system, and the substitution of telephonic for telegraphic communication between stations. From its formation, until nineteen oh four, the force was known as the Metropolitan Fire Brigade, when with the sanction of parliament it was designated the London Fire Brigade. The old title was somewhat misleading, since large districts in the London area are outside London County proper, and though on occasion the services of the brigade may be summoned to assist suburban fire departments, it is then entitled to make a pecuniary charge for the same. Thus, for the attendance of a steam fire engine the scale of payment is a preliminary fee of two pounds, ten dollars, with an additional one pound, five dollars, for every hour or part of an hour during which it may be working. A fire boat costs as much as six pounds, thirty dollars, for the initial expense of its attendance, each succeeding hour being rated at one pound, five dollars. The manner in which this expense must be borne is clearly indicated in the following excerpt from the official regulations. In such cases the owner and occupant of the property on which the fire occurs are jointly and severally liable to pay a reasonable charge in respect of the attendance of the brigade. This in itself is sufficiently clear, at least in theory, but in practice there must at times be some difficulty in collecting such charges, in which case presumably the rate payers of the borough concerned must be held responsible. Without wishing to be hyper-critical, it does appear to the writer that such a system is open to grave disadvantages, since it is seldom the destruction of one individual building which is at stake, but rather the possibility of the fire spreading and endangering a large area. On the other hand it may be argued that those who do not assist in supporting the organization have no right to expect the free use of its apparatus in personnel, hence it becomes a question beyond the criticism of one not conversant with local conditions. To accommodate the London Brigade there are eighty-three stations or engine houses, though in addition there still remain some of the old street stations, wooden shelters in which as a rule are kept extension ladders, and which owing to the inconvenience they cause vehicular traffic are fast being superseded. For the extinction of riverside or wharf outbreaks, fireboats are stationed at certain points on the river, their crews being lodged either in adjacent fire stations or in buildings especially erected for the purpose. The general principle determining the distribution of fire stations in London is the necessity of ensuring A. the speedy arrival after a call of life-saving and fire-extinguishing appliances at any spot in the protected area, and B. the concentration of one hundred men within fifteen minutes in any dangerous location for large fires. On receipt of an alarm the fire appliances turn out with all possible speed, sliding poles for the men on duty and automatic hitches for harnessing the horses, being now of almost universal adoption, and rendering a start feasible within the space of a few seconds. It is the custom for the life-saving appliances to leave first, which on the face of it is humanitarian, though perhaps not eminently practical, unaided by other apparatus, except under rare circumstances it can accomplish little. All appliances at the station nearest to the scene of the outbreak are withdrawn for service, leaving one man behind in the watch-room to preserve telephonic communication between the officer in charge at the fire and the district superintendent, while the former has power also to obtain the assistance of the engines located at the station next to his. Arrived at the outbreak the fire chief classifies it according to its severity, and transmits one of the three following calls. One, the home call, which signifies that he is confident that he can deal with it by means of the apparatus at his command. Two, the district call, which means that more assistance is required but that it can be obtained from adjacent stations. And three, the brigade call, which is an appeal to headquarters for both men and apparatus. Such a system, certainly, as applied to any city with a considerable fire risk, is open to grave defects. In the first place the telephone operator left at the station of the first alarm is in a difficult position if another alarm comes in from the surrounding neighbourhood and might well become flurried and misunderstand orders. It is imperative that there should be direct communication between the fire chief and his lieutenants, otherwise there can be little hope of effective co-operation. In addition no provision is made for one engine house to cover another so that in the event of several fires in the same area all can be quickly and efficiently attacked. The policy employed appears rather to be one of centralization of men and apparatus, robbed of half its efficiency by roundabout and clumsy means of giving and receiving orders. At any rate it is certain that in a city like New York the practice of taking all the appliances from a fire station and leaving it unprotected would be fraught with the most terrible danger to public property, and would in fact never be tolerated by those responsible. Local conditions may vary and materially influence fire organization, but the cardinal points of fighting strategy are the same the world over, and as in regular warfare one of the most important is ever to be prepared for a flank or rear attack. The present strength of the London Brigade consists of one chief officer, four divisional officers, two hundred eleven subordinate officers, and one thousand one hundred sixty-three rank and file, including men under instruction, pilots and coachmen. Considering the prevailing wages in England the scale of payments is adequate, starting with one thousand pounds five thousand dollars a year for the chief, a maximum of two hundred forty-five pounds one thousand two hundred twenty-five dollars for superintendents, while the ordinary fireman receives thirty-five shelling's eight dollars and seventy-five cents a week after qualifying as efficient in passing certain tests. Quarters are provided for single and married men alike, a minimum charge being made for the same ranging from four shelling's one dollar per week for married firemen to one shelling twenty-five cents for single men. Incidentally it is compulsory to live in these quarters, which are in every case situated over the engine houses. After five years of approved service and less than fifteen there is a gratuity of one month's pay for each year of such service. Upon the completion of fifteen years, three-tenths of the pay then being received is allocated as pension. Those who serve for a longer period receive corresponding increases, until with twenty-eight years of service the pension amounts to two-thirds of the nominal pay. In the event of those incapacitated from further service through injuries received in the execution of their duty a special allowance is made according to the particular merits of the case. Pensions are also allowed to the widow and children of officers and men killed while on duty. The regulations are unusually considerate and that in the case of a widow remarrying, although her pension is to be suspended from the date of her remarriage, should she for a second time become a widow it may be restored on proof that her circumstances are such that it is necessary for her support and that she is deserving of the public bounty. For many years it was customary to enroll as firemen, none but seafaring men, but lately this has been modified and now entry to the brigade's ranks is open to all possessed of the necessary qualifications. As regards promotion this is limited in as much as the senior officers of the force are usually drawn from the executive branch of the Royal Navy or are engineers of repute in some specialized section of their chosen profession. This forms a radical difference between the practice not alone of the United States but of most foreign countries. True, in Germany and France senior officers are men of naval or military training, but they join the fire service as youths and work their way up through the various degrees of command in a precisely similar manner as they would were they attached to the army or navy. But the point is that they are thoroughly trained at every step, and though the system is by no means ideal it is preferable to the appointment of officers to a highly scientific core, who though no doubt able and intelligent men, cannot possibly possess either theoretical or practical knowledge of the subject with which they are called upon to deal. In America it is no exaggeration to say that every newly enlisted fireman is a potential chief. It depends solely upon the ability and determination of the individual whether or no he shall rise to a position of executive importance or whether he shall spend all his days in the ranks. This must prove a powerful incentive to any normal character to go forward and win, and it may be asserted without fear of contradiction that the fireman devoid of ambition is of little use to any fire department. It has been argued time and again that the rank and file are apt to prove insubordinate when one of their number is delegated to be in command over them. Certainly in American fire practice this has never proved the case. Rather it has been the opposite, and the men have been proud in the success of one of their comrades. Further, in the opinion of the writer, the profession of firefighting is one which demands that those adopting it as a calling should be equally versed in all branches of its requirements in practice and theory. This entails actual experience in physically as well as mentally fighting fires. It means familiarity with the handling of hose, the management of extension ladders, and that intimacy with fire as an enemy which can only be gained first hand. It goes without saying that the officer in charge of a battleship's barbette guns is thoroughly conversant with every detail of their mechanism, with their muzzle velocities, with their arc of fire, with the individual merits of their projectiles, be they armor piercing or high explosive. In fact he is a master of craft learned in the school of experience. Why then should less be expected of or demanded from officers in charge of equipment with which to fight every wit is dangerous an enemy has ever sailed to see, when lives unnumbered and property beyond calculation may depend upon their actions, and when it must be remembered that every fight is à l'outrance without chance of armistice? Turning now to the matter of appliances, the eighty-six fire stations are equipped with seventy-two Horst steam fire engines, three steam and fifteen petrol motor fire engines, sixteen mechanically driven fire escapes, one hundred and ninety-one ordinary fire escapes, ninety-four hook and ladder trucks, eleven hose and coal vans, one motor lorry, ninety hose carts, and fifty-six miles of hose, not including a large amount of smaller apparatus. Of the steam fire engines it is noticeable that some of them, though of antiquated pattern, are still adequate for useful service. Thus one has been in use since 1878, or over a quarter of a century. All the modern types are double-cylindered, their average pumping capacity being one and three-quarters English gallons per revolution. In every case axles and wheels are made to gauge and are interchangeable. Some of the engines are fitted with burners for using petroleum as fuel. For a number of years it has been the practice to keep a sufficient pressure of steam in the boilers of all engines to enable a full working head to be obtained in from two to three minutes after leaving the station. Since 1901 motor traction has been gradually introduced, and although steam-propelled fire engines have not given entire satisfaction and are even now for sale, there is no doubt as elsewhere that motor traction has come to stay, and in course of time the horse will be eliminated from the department. As regards ladders, the largest in use by the brigade are those of 82 feet, that being their vertical height from the ground when fully extended. Being heavy and requiring a strong crew, they are used primarily for facilitating fire extinguishing operations. The work of their extension is controlled by a small motor, worked by a compressed carbonic acid arrangement, or in emergency by hand, and being mounted on a turntable fixed to a horse-drawn carriage they are known generally as turntable long ladders. For regular fire escape work the ladders used are 55 and 70 feet of the telescopic pattern. Motor escapes are being introduced but their use has by no means become general. As regards horse-drawn appliances, which are still largely in the majority, the animals are hired from jobmasters, and the price paid, including ordinary harness, fodder, straw, and stable utensils, amounts to about seventy pounds, three hundred fifty dollars, per horse, per annum. The jobmasters take all risks. At stations where automatic harness is in use belonging to the department, a reduction of fifty-five shillings, thirteen dollars, is made. Practically all the horse escapes are fitted with appliances known as first aid fire extinguishing machines. These consist of a tank containing water connected with a cylinder of compressed air, which, being operated, can maintain a jet for from four to four and a half minutes. There are about eighty-one of these appliances in use, but the chemical engine, per se, is unknown. Such additional apparatus as cellar pipes, smoke helmets, and a small number of hook ladders are in regular use, but it is noticeable that the water tower and other forms of heavy equipment are lacking, which is to be accounted for by the low buildings and narrow streets. It is almost a pity that a picturesque survival of ancient days has latterly passed from the London Fire Department. Not many years ago it was customary for firemen proceeding to the scene of an outbreak to herald their progress by shouting, Hi, Hi, Hi! Some five years ago this was discontinued and a brass bell substituted. Some reference may here be made to the floating fire equipment of the London Brigade. This has been developed under peculiarly restricted conditions, since the Thames is a tidal river, with only five feet of water in some places at low tide. Moreover, most of the traffic is carried on in heavily laden barges with low free boards, handicapping fire boats, as regards their speed, owing to the liability of their wash swamping the former. Finally these fire floats are limited as to their length and breadth, since it is necessary so to arrange their dimensions that they may easily enter the connecting locks of docks and canals, while their height above the waterline must also permit them to pass under low bridges. Considering the enormous dock area of the Port of London, the greatest credit is due to the officers and men for the ability and technical skill which they display in defending the vast responsibility committed to their charge, which, owing to the conditions already stated, rendered the problem one of the most difficult of solution in the world. The first vessel to be built was the Alpha, a twin screw boat eighty feet in length with a beam of sixteen feet and a draft of three on a displacement of sixty-three tons and having a speed of ten knots. It was fitted with pumps capable of discharging one thousand two hundred fifty English gallons a minute. This was succeeded by another handy little vessel, the Beta, equipped with four pumps each with a discharging capacity of one thousand English gallons a minute at one hundred forty pounds pump pressure. These have been followed by the introduction of motor fire floats, propelled by internal combustion gasoline engines. The latest addition embodies several new principles. With a length of one hundred feet and a beam of nineteen, the draft of water is only two feet. She is propelled by triple screws driven by sixty horsepower engines and the collective delivery of her pumps is about one thousand five hundred English gallons a minute. The screws work in tunnels and her design is such that when proceeding at full speed, about eleven knots, the bow wave is absorbed under the bottom of the vessel and little or no wash is apparent. With the object of ensuring that the fire brigade shall be readily and easily summoned when a fire occurs, great attention is being paid to increasing the facilities by which it may be called and in making them known to the public. Connected with every engine house are fire alarms situated in the chief thoroughfares, the number varying with the fire risks of the area. These alarms are equipped and supervised by the post office, an annual rent being paid for their use, as also in the case of the station telephones. In nineteen eleven the number of these alarm boxes totaled one thousand five hundred forty five and the council of the fire department have a scheme for their augmentation on a large scale at present under consideration. It is worthy of note that a number of posts in the east end of the city have recently been fitted with tablets bearing instructions for their use in Yiddish. All street alarms are adapted for the transmission of telephone messages by firemen, suitable instruments being carried on all brigade appliances for this purpose. The principal police stations are in telephonic communication with the fire stations, and this also exists between the latter and the majority of public and other large buildings, such as theatres and so forth. During nineteen eleven the total number of calls amounted to six thousand eight hundred sixty eight, working out at a daily average of nineteen, though on the fourteenth of August during a great heat wave there were fifty three. In England it is a criminal offense to send in a malicious false alarm, and a person so doing is liable to a penalty not exceeding twenty five pounds, one hundred twenty five dollars, or imprisonment for three months with hard labour. From the latest report it appears that the total of malicious false alarms has increased considerably, amounting now to three hundred fifty seven, which constitutes a record. This increase can only be explained by the unwelcome attention of the suffragettes militant tendencies. It is outside the scope of this work to enter upon a dissertation concerning the rights and wrongs of their movement, but as far as fire duty is concerned there can be only one opinion. Every false alarm draws men and apparatus away from a certain area, which is thus left so much the less prepared to meet an attack by fire, while it stands to reason that constantly responding to these calls unnecessarily fatigues men and horses and renders them less fit for duty. Hence the action of these women constitutes a menace to the community, and is one of selfish egotism deserving not alone the condemnation of every right-minded citizen, but the infliction of such punishment as shall render similar behaviour in the future, even on the part of half crazed fanatics, unlikely to occur. There is considerable fluctuation in the number of fires reported annually in London. Thus in nineteen oh seven the total of three thousand three hundred twenty was a decrease of five hundred twenty three on the preceding year, and represented a financial loss of four hundred ninety three thousand three hundred eighty nine pounds. Nineteen oh eight and nineteen oh nine saw the decrease continue, the latter year having one hundred twenty three fires less than nineteen oh seven, though the financial loss shot up to six hundred ninety nine thousand three hundred twenty nine pounds. It remained however for nineteen eleven to beat all previous records, the number of fires increasing to four thousand four hundred three, an increase of one thousand one hundred ninety five, monetary loss being seven hundred eighty nine thousand and three pounds, or nearly four million dollars. The extended use of motor vehicles has an important bearing both on the outbreaks registered and on the amount of the fire loss, since fires in garages are common and the values involved considerable. Chimney fires are not included in these statistics, though their number averages about eight hundred per annum. In this connection it may be remarked that by a special act of nineteen hundred the occupant of any house the chimney of which catches fire must pay towards the cost of the London fire brigade a fine fixed upon the rateable value of the premises ranging from two shelling six pence sixty cents up to a maximum of one pound five dollars the training of the men belonging to the brigade is sufficient for the demands made upon them particular attention being given to motor engineering instruction in first aid and gymnastics the following excerpt however taken from the last official report issued throws a curious light upon the somewhat haphazard methods employed in the physical training of the men early in nineteen eleven the fitting up at the Manchester Square fire station of a gymnasium with apparatus for carrying out Swedish drill was completed and an additional fireman was added to the strength of the brigade to act as physical drill instructor so much interest was evinced in the matter by the staff that gymnastic apparatus has been provided at other stations and a number of well attended classes has been held there is no doubt that the staff have felt the lack of opportunities for physical training especially in view of the number of hook ladders carried on fire appliances and the extended use of such ladders it seems needless to emphasize the importance of constant physical training of firemen as quite irrespective of a man's muscular development he quickly becomes stiff and slow of movement unless either constantly drilled or at least given the opportunity of obtaining gymnastic exercise as regards loss of life during the last year for which particulars are available one hundred fifty one deaths are recorded of which no fewer than sixty two were those of children under the age of twelve the causes of the fires at which this loss occurred include twelve cases of children playing with fire eleven from their playing with matches while thirty two were attributable to clothing coming into contact with fire or gas stoves this infantile mortality of approximately forty percent of the total death role though in itself insignificant when compared with an estimated population of over four and one half million certainly points to the fact that some sort of instruction about the dangers of fire could usefully be included in the curriculum of board schools as it is done in germany by the metropolis water act of eighteen seventy one it was provided that the water companies should supply where necessary water for firefighting free of charge while they should also install such plugs or hydrants as might be required at the expense of the department at present the total number of hydrants in the metropolitan area is about twenty nine thousand before eighteen ninety seven all hydrants in the county of london outside the city proper were made with one outlet in that year it was suggested that new hydrants should be provided with two outlets when erected in localities where the fire risks were considerable the disadvantage of the double outlet hydrants used in the city itself numbering over eight hundred and provided by the city corporation at its own cost was that in the event of it being necessary to connect a second length of hose to the hydrant when the first was already in use the control valve had to be temporarily closed apart from the delay which might be fatal the fireman operating the branch inaction was often disconcerted by the sudden stoppage of his water supply and might conceivably find himself in danger owing to this cause to obviate this the fire committee of the london county council decided that the experiment should be tried of placing two hydrants in one pit each being fitted with a control valve this scheme proved satisfactory though on account of the expense involved its introduction has not been general in january nineteen oh one however it was determined that the branch pipes connecting hydrants to mains should in every case be of five inches diameter that is sufficient to supply double hydrants should they be universally installed hydrants fixed in public thoroughfares are tested by firemen every two months and are also examined and tested by inspectors under the supervision of the chief officer and as a result of deficiency in water supply on some occasions many fresh connections have been made and the water companies involved have themselves contributed towards the expense of laying new mains or pipes for fire purposes the quantity of water used during nineteen eleven amounted to thirty three million odd gallons or not three times as much as was used in one fire in new york the equitable two thirds of this quantity was drawn direct from street mains the other third being supplied by the river tems and canals the double pattern hydrants deliver on an average eight hundred english gallons a minute which does not seem excessive when compared with the four thousand gallons obtainable from the high pressure hydrants in america the inspection of public buildings is undertaken by the brigade free of charge though in certain cases grants in aid are forthcoming to provide for the special staff necessary for the operation in theaters in which public performances are regularly given there is an official inspection every ten days to ensure that the rules of the municipality for securing the safety of the public are enforced this applies in a modified form to the cinematograph halls temporary exhibitions and bazaars and the plans of all new buildings requiring licenses and of proposed alterations to existing buildings are referred to the chief officer for examination and report lodging houses designed to accommodate more than eighty persons are likewise under the control of the fire department as regards means of escape etc and though in the first instance this is the business of the architect who must conform to the building rules of the london county council the responsibility for their efficient maintenance rests with the fire chief in all about twenty two thousand inspections are made annually laterally the underground electric railways which honeycomb london have also passed under the supervision of the chief officer whose advice has been followed regarding the fire safety of these means of transportation it is estimated that the cost of this inspection branch amounts to approximately four thousand pounds twenty thousand dollars per annum no less than two hundred and sixty five officers and men were injured in the execution of their duty during the year nineteen eleven or one fifth of the whole firefighting strength this is a high percentage and bespeaks devotion to service which is in every way commendable and it must be remembered that it is not always the greatest fire which offers the most risk to life and limb thus it will be seen that london is efficiently guarded in its fire hazard and though perhaps some of the methods employed may appear antiquated and not in accordance with the latest improvements in fire control yet after all the proof of the pudding is in the eating and for a city of its population the fire loss is small whether or no the department could successfully cope with a great sweeping conflagration in the warehouse district is a moot question which most assuredly the writer trusts will never arise for solution but there seems no doubt that the chances of a serious disaster from fire in the residential district are practically nonexistent while the building regulations in force are of so stringent a character that except in the case of panic against which no one can guard fire risks in theaters are reduced to a minimum in this connection a word of praise must be added for the british fire prevention committee a voluntary organization which has devoted time energy and money towards the solution of all problems affecting fire control and which in the most public spirited manner has given the results arrived at gratis to the world at large in considering the fire departments of the important boroughs in the united kingdom one outstanding feature is little short of amazing this is the small number of personnel as compared with the population and the pecuniary values they are called upon to protect of course the fire risks are appreciably smaller in residential districts than they would be in america since the houses are commonly constructed of stone are of limited height and generally do not offer themselves an easy prey to the flames but far otherwise must it be in the congested warehouse section and it is really marvelous that disastrous fires are not of more frequent occurrence it will be of interest to describe seriatim the brigades of four great provincial cities belfast birmingham glasgow and manchester belfast the commercial capital of ireland is a city of 385 000 inhabitants during the year 1911 the number of fires amounted to 228 with an estimated fire risk of nearly one million pounds sterling the actual loss amounting to 52 000 odd pounds 260 000 odd dollars yet the strength of the brigade consists only of 75 firemen including the superintendent assistant superintendent and third officer the plant includes 16 fire engines three petrol driven escapes one 80-foot extension ladder and various other smaller apparatus all of which seem to be absolutely up to date though it may be remarked that salvage work is accomplished by a petrol salvage motor trap yet in addition there are two horse and one motor ambulances which responded to over 3000 calls in that year covering a distance of 10194 miles and occupying 32 minutes per journey that is from the receipt of the call until their return to the station these ambulances are used for ordinary accidents the steam fire engines were only used once and the motor fire pump only twice during the entire year machines traveling to and from fires averaged eight miles for each turnout and were engaged for 133 and a half hours or an average of 35 minutes for each fire this calculation including the journey to and from the outbreak these are remarkable figures and since within the last 10 years there has been practically no increase in the number of fires belfast can congratulate itself upon having one of the most economical and effective systems of fire control salvage work and ambulance equipment probably in the entire world birmingham according to the last census is a city with a population of 840,200 covering an area of 43,500 acres the fire department consists of a chief officer two senior subordinates and 194 rank and file which represents roughly one fireman to every 221 acres or 4200 persons 1048 alarms were received during 1912 of which 108 related to chimneys on fire 126 were false and six were malicious the estimated value of the property at risk was over three and a half million pounds the actual loss approximating 81,000 pounds 405,000 on an average these alarms occupied only 37 minutes each while on 28 days no calls were received on 67 days only one on 75 days two on 24 days six on two days eight and on one day 11 these with some 40 stations and 9,000 hydrants the police department housed some of the apparatus in their quarters amongst the most important appliances may be noted six motor turbine pumps and escapes 12 steam fire engines one water tower a unique feature in English fire practice three chemical engines and 21 extension ladders like Belfast there is also an ambulance core manning no less than 11 ambulances while amongst minor apparatus may be noted nine smoke helmets of the latest oxygen battery type it is worthy of note that every man in the brigade possesses a first aid certificate for ambulance work the chief officer of the department receives 400 pounds two thousand dollars per annum while ordinary firemen are paid from 24 shillings six dollars to 31 shillings seven dollars 75 cents per week all ranks receive free quarters light and uniform eight pence per week boot allowance and six pence 12 cents for washing annual leave is granted to the extent of eight days for a fireman with an addition of 60 hours a month taken in two periods of 24 hours and two of six all places of amusement are inspected by the department while public and other buildings under the direct supervision of the brigade as regards fire risk pay a small annual charge the proceeds of which are devoted to the recreation and superannuation funds this again constitutes a remarkable record for a small though excellently equipped department glasgow which since the commencement of 1912 includes govan and partick has a brigade the authorized strength of which is 195 and is at present 15 short of that number during 1912 engines and firemen operated at 526 fires while in 110 cases the outbreaks were so trifling that they were suppressed with hand pumps the estimated loss amounted to 150 000 pounds 750 000 it is noteworthy that fires reported as due to defective building construction amounted to 202 or over 31 percent there are 11 stations housing one motor extension ladder 16 motor pumps eight steam fire engines and two motor first aid traps in the entire department there are only two horses which is a sufficient indication that with true scottish acumen motor propelled vehicles have been found cheaper and more effective sick transit gloria equi four first aid motor machines are in course of construction each being designed to carry one officer 12 men 2000 yards of hose one 30 foot extension ladder an ambulance box tools and other necessary gear when fully laden these motors will weigh about 5500 pounds with a length of 19 feet on an 11 foot wheelbase the number of malicious alarms was peculiarly high amounting to no less than 59 with only six convictions for the same attendance at fires under certain conditions must be paid for and the income from this source amounted to nearly 4 000 pounds 20 000 while listed amongst special services rendered are the two following interesting items entering houses for locked out tenants 120 occasions and searching the roof of a building for thieves once without wishing in the least to be ribald the writer cannot help wondering why the duty of assisting burgesses of glasgow who had either forgotten their latch keys or perhaps such things do happen had been locked out on purpose should have been delegated to members of the fire brigade the worst outbreak of the year was that caused through the ignition of a cinematograph film while in the process of manufacture the fire was under control within half an hour but not before damage to the extent of 5 000 pounds 25 000 had been done this led to an inquiry into the whole subject and it was found that in one establishment the basement of which was heavily stocked with this inflammable material the upper stories immediately above were utilized as a hotel it is hardly necessary to dilate upon what would have occurred to the guests had a fire broken out this incident is mentioned since no matter how well a building may be constructed danger of this sort cannot be invited with impunity especially when the personal safety and property of 785 000 people rest upon 180 firemen the report of the manchester fire brigade is again remarkable for its brevity and for the fact that the authorized strength of the force is only 130 including officers for a city of 715 000 inhabitants all the world knows that within this area are to be found some of the greatest cotton spinning factories extent and to the outsider it certainly would appear as though the firefighting force could not be adequate for possible demands for instance supposing there were three outbreaks of even a moderate size in different parts of the city at the same time a perfectly normal contingency to contemplate how could they be successfully attacked the 524 fires of the year 1912 represented a property value of over 3 million pounds 15 million dollars though the loss was only 102 000 pounds 510 000 the firemen were actively engaged during the entire year for 320 hours 35 minutes this including false alarms or under an hour a day while the fire boat responded to seven calls and was actively engaged on only three occasions now it may be argued that the four men forming the crew of the fire boat or the 112 men rated as firemen in the brigade earn their pay with an absence of worry or anxiety which might be envied by the layman in fact doubtless the rate payer reads the report in question and contemplates the payroll dubiously revolving the while in his mind whether the total expenditure is justified or whether after all it is not a piece of gross municipal extravagance the answer is not a difficult one to give when a man ensures his life he pays a premium for certain benefits of which perhaps he may never taste but on that account he does not cease his payments similarly with all outlay for all contingencies there is no direct and immediate return that can be touched handled and assessed at so much material value but nonetheless the value is existent though not perhaps to the extent demanded by a cap just rate payer it is in short a payment for municipal fire insurance and though day after day and month after month the protected area may jog along with no serious outbreak to trouble the even tenor of its way the time may come when every man and every piece of apparatus will be engaged in a life and death struggle for mastery and it is precisely against that event that the municipality which is far sighted guards hence it is that with the greatest of deference to those concerned it does strike the writer with something akin to amazement that such colossal values should be so lightly guarded as they apparently are in English provincial towns for given the best of appliances and the most skilled firemen what could 130 men accomplish against anything in the nature of a sweeping conflagration and supposing other fires occurred at the same time it would be a physical impossibility adequately to protect against the one or attack and quell the other as an example it is not necessary to travel beyond the British Isles in August 1911 there occurred a serious fire in the Carlton Hotel London a building of moderate size and certainly of no greater magnitude than some of the hotels to be found in the towns mention of which has been made this outbreak necessitated the employment of 23 steam and motor fire engines and the attendance of 202 officers and men before it could be brought under control had this occurred in Manchester well it is needless further to comment this is penned in no carping spirit and with the knowledge that man for man English fire departments are the equal of any in the world but they cannot accomplish miracles and rather are the municipalities to blame who secure in the traditions of the past and unmindful of the chances of the future are so penny wise and pound foolish that they are ready to risk millions of pounds worth of property in order to escape an infinitesimal addition to their rates place the whole question on a business basis work out the value of the fire insurance premiums paid on the property within the municipal area and compare the total arrived at with the total expenditure per annum on the fire departments under discussion and the result will perhaps surprise owners and insurance companies alike of course it may be argued that it belongs to the business of the latter to assess their own risks and avoid the acceptance of policies in badly protected areas but that is outside the main discussion which is concerned with the ethics of firefighting and most assuredly he would be a bold man who would prophesy that fire would never conquer under such conditions end of section 17 recording by Maria Casper section 18 of fires and firefighters by John Kenlon this labor box recording is in the public domain chapter 17 the new york fire department an experience of a quarter of a century as an active firefighter has left one indelible impression upon the brain of the writer it has been his good fortune to meet professional colleagues hailing from every known part of the globe while equally he has had abundant opportunity to inspect the fire departments of the great american cities as well as those maintained by european municipalities and one point in common he has found them all to possess namely that they are firmly convinced that they belong to and represent the latest the greatest and the most up-to-date fire department in the world which is to be expected if a mother be not proud of her offspring who should be and that very enthusiasm itself speaks well of the calling as a whole and is a sufficient proof that its votaries bring to bear upon their occupation all that interest which is necessary to make of a chosen life work a success hence there really is no need to haggle over the respective merits or otherwise of different fire departments the main point is that they are one and all imbued with the same fighting spirit and one and all are allied against the same common enemy but in the following pages will be found some description of the new york fire department and the writer is quite content to leave to the verdict of others a decision as to whether or no the city is well protected against the fire fiend since however his is the honor of being its present chief he must be forgiven for stating at once that it is as regards personnel and apparatus unquestionably the largest in the world and well it may be for it is called upon to guard property values beyond conception from which certain local peculiarities are in a measure heaped together in a limited area and which offer to the firefighter problems the solution of which are literally staggering in their immensity it is well nigh impossible to describe with pen and paper for the benefit of those who have not seen it exactly what new york means most cities of renown convey certain vague impressions to those who have never visited them and only know of them by repute or from what they have read thus roam conjures visions of a bygone era of imperial greatness manifested in wondrous churches palaces and remains of historic interest paris speaks of a gay life restaurants pretty women a continual effervescence of amusement with the serious side of life carefully hidden away in the background st. petersburg visualizes mentally snow-capped domes surmounting fantastically constructed cathedrals nihilists an eternal carnival of disorder and in the foreground thousands upon thousands of gray coated soldiery as for london without any intention of hurting the feelings of the british fog royal display and pump old and venerated buildings art collections military music and suffragettes now each and all of these figments of the imagination possess that grain of truth which goes to show that years of descriptive writing have at least brought home to the public mind some regularly formed impression and then the place is mentioned now far otherwise is it with new york as the foreigner who has never been to america what are his impressions of this great city he would probably promptly reply giant buildings and then pause perhaps after a moment's consideration he might add with a half apologetic air and a very expensive place further than that he could not go although viewed in certain aspects new york has the most strongly marked individuality of any city on the face of the globe in the first place it is as though some giant contractor had constructed a plaything for the gods and had thrown vast piles of stone mountains of brick forests of wood and lakes of mortar onto the surface of one small island and had then fashioned there from buildings there is no coordination no attempt at architectural regularity the wand of the magician waves and instant a giant structure rises from nowhere and in an inappreciable space of time a new skyscraper is silhouetted against the horizon the skyline alone is worth a trip across the ocean so replete is it with fantastic wizardry and comparable only to the organ mountains as they loom out of the morning mist in the harbor of Rio de Janeiro but these aspects are rather for the brush of the artist there is the other and practical aspect which in its way is as enthralling the population of new york is roughly five millions and every day in the year one half of that number are on the move they pour into a circumscribed area like water into a bottle and as the number increases so like the aforesaid water they mount higher and higher as though they would overflow into the regions of the upper air the office buildings lead the way in the race for height and story by story climb five six seven and almost eight hundred feet in a search after floor space there are about 140 000 separate manufacturing concerns in the city area and many of these are housed in buildings 16 and 18 at a time a perfect miscellany of diverse trades dealing in every conceivable article inflammable combustible or burnable hotels there are by the thousands theaters literally by the hundreds 900 moving picture shows some 500 miles of docking and wharfage and innumerable ships and cargoes the value of which it is impossible to assess and in any case after a certain point the mind refuses to comprehend the meaning of the recurring ciphers but billions of dollars millions of pounds sterling may approximate to the fire risks which have to be covered by the new york fire department multiply this enormous aggregate of values by the extreme climatic conditions which in themselves invite the attention of the flames and the magnitude of the task is enhanced then again multiply the result arrived at by the fact that business with a capital B is the magnet which draws people to this center the hunt after that elusive dollar which absorbs all the nerve power the intellect and the interest of the average individual leaving him no time for the consideration of the casual outside occurrences of daily life and tending to make of him a machine rather than a man that is where the carelessness of the unit may be expected to evidence itself and that in itself is one of the most comprehensive of fire risks imaginable thus it will be seen that the fire guardians of new york have enough to do in their daily battle against the fire fiend and that personnel and equipment must both be of the best obtainable if the enemy is to be held effectively in check firstly as regards personnel the force is recruited from the state of new york and since apparatus without skilled men to operate it is useless the place of honor will be given to the means employed to attract the best material and how the service may be entered the following form the basic qualifications no person shall be appointed to membership in the fire department or continue to hold membership therein who is not a citizen of the united states or who has ever been convicted of a felony nor shall any person be appointed who cannot read and write understandingly the English language or who shall not have resided in the state one year immediately prior to his appointment or who is not over the age of twenty one and at the date of the filing of his application for civil service examination was under the age of twenty nine years every member of the uniformed force shall reside within the limits of the city of new york preliminary to a permanent appointment as firemen there shall be a period of probation for such time as is fixed by the civil service rules and no person shall receive a permanent appointment who has not served the required probationary period but the service during probation shall be deemed to be service in the uniformed force if succeeded by a permanent appointment and as such shall be included and counted in determining eligibility for advancement promotion retirement and pension as here and after provided this is sufficiently exhaustive as showing the first main essentials to be covered by the applicant for fire service in addition to the foregoing however candidates must take a civil service examination the physical and mental tests of which are as follows as might be expected in such a calling as the firemen's the physical test is in itself severe and searching it may be said to be divided into two parts the medical and the muscular development examinations these are widely divergent as the following shows for the former the candidate faces the doctors nude prior to his entry into the examination room having taken his oath that he is who he states he is and that he has answered all questions which have been put to him truthfully the applicant is then carefully examined for such defects as varicoselli hydrocelli or any other kindred blemishes while needless to say any signs of venereal disease are met with peremptory rejection should he have any obstruction to free breathing chronic catar or even offensive breath he may fail to pass the teeth must be clean well cared for and at least 20 natural teeth must be present in addition any affections of the joints springs or stiffness of the arms or legs hands or feet ingrowing nails or hammer toes are especially looked for and promptly borrow the applicant since they would effectively prevent him from performing his duties in the manner demanded it seems scarcely necessary to add that a rupture also receives particular attention and any signs of incompletely healed laparotomy are noted against the applicant finally the body must be well developed and nourished and show careful attention to personal cleanliness following this the candidate next visits the first physical examiner who tries his eyesight and takes his chest and other measurements the minimum weight required is 140 pounds on a height of five feet eight inches then comes a stringent examination of the heart and incidentally it is surprising considering the age and physique of the applicants how many have murmurs or some heart symptom which in themselves probably not serious for most careers are quite sufficient to prevent entry into the ranks of the fire department this concludes what may be called the purely medical aspect of the case with the addition of certain questions regarding past medical history framed on a plan not unlike that drawn up by insurance companies the hour for the active physical test has now arrived that it is severe may be gathered from the following particulars firstly the strength of the upper arms is tested by the pull-up or chinning as it is called the candidate is required to hang in a suspended position from the rung of a horizontal ladder by his hands and pull himself up until his chin is above the rung a limit of 14 times has been placed upon this operation which would give a sufficient grueling to most professed athletes next comes the dip or supporting the body by arms on horizontal bars and then lowering till the chin is level with the hands this must not be accomplished more than six times a dynamometer is used to test the strength of the forearm pectoral muscles joints of the knees back and legs considerable importance is attached to these readings a 60 pound dumbbell must also be lifted to the shoulder and thence above the shoulder with each hand in turn finally the agility of the candidate is tested in a variety of ways jumping being that most usually employed now it might be imagined that the only result of this extreme physical trial would be the elimination of all except giants and abnormalities which most assuredly are not wanted what is required is all round physical excellence and to this end marks are given according to the stamina shown by the individual in the different tests and his familiarity with the same but the outstanding point to be made is that obviously apart from being in sound health it is not by any means the strongest man who always makes the best rating the youth who has been gymnastically inclined will be familiar of course with such exercises as chinning and dipping and in that way will score but it also shows that he has been in the habit of taking the best form of exercise and this in itself promises a deal men's sauna in corpore sano might not in aptly be applied to the department since the science of firefighting is a profession demanding brains as well as brawn as has already been stated the mental examination is reasonable considering the training which is to follow it consists of a thorough knowledge of the three ours reading writing and simple arithmetic the examinations are however competitive and are rated on a basis of 50 to 50 that is half for physical and half for mental it has been the practice during the last few years to appoint from these candidates in numerical order although the fire commissioner has some discretionary powers under the law and may reject a certain percentage of the names certified for appointment unless a candidate has developed some serious defect between the promulgation of the list and the date of appointment the plan of accepting men in numerical order is followed in order to detect whether such defect exists the applicant is thoroughly examined by the medical officer of the fire department at the time he is about to be appointed should he pass all tests he is appointed on probation for a period of three months and is immediately assigned to a company it is thought best to assign probationers to active duty at once and in the heaviest and hardest districts of the city a two year service is required in these districts before a fireman is permitted to transfer to a lighter one he is required to attend daily between certain hours at the college training school for probationers there to undergo a thorough course of instruction in the use of scaling and other ladders on a building more than 100 feet in height he is taught the use of every tool in the eight branches of the service hook and ladder and engine companies water towers hose and chemical wagons fire boats and so forth besides this he is instructed in the use and making of approved knots such as the bowling knot rolling hitch the half hitch and others also he is instructed in the use of lifesaving apparatus and jumping nets in addition he must learn and become proficient in sending and receiving all fire alarm signals in some countries it is thought best to instruct the men before sending them to companies for regular duty and even officers as already stated in this volume attend fires as spectators to the writer this system does not appear to possess any advantage in fact practical experience has proved that it is better to throw the men at once into the thick of the fight if they have any tendency to show the white feather this method speedily brings it out but to the credit of the New York fireman be it said that in more than 20 years during which time over five thousand men have been subjected to this ordeal not more than 10 have jibbed the reason why so few are found deficient in these tests is simple they are aware of the conditions beforehand and this fact eliminates the cowardly and the timid once appointed to membership in the uniformed force a young man can reach the highest position in the department always however subject to competitive examinations in these examinations record and seniority count 50 percent and mental qualifications the same as regards the former rank takes precedence of service a mark of 80 percent is given for the first six months in a grade and one half of one percent for each six months thereafter up to eight years when a full mark is given this brings the rating to 96 percent the additional four points being reserved for merit marks class a or one and a medal receiving three points class b or two equaling two points and class c or three equaling one point these points are subject to change by the municipal civil service board with the consent of the mayor and the state civil service board the total strength of the uniformed force of the department amounts to four thousand nine hundred ninety five men of all ranks including besides the chief fifteen deputy and forty seven battalion chiefs eleven medical officers two hundred ninety eight captains four hundred thirteen lieutenants twenty pilots four hundred ninety six engineers six marine engineers and three thousand six hundred eighty seven firemen of all grades there are in addition one chief of construction and repairs two roman catholic and two episcopalian chaplains upon being appointed to fourth grade firemen from probationers men receive one thousand dollars per annum being a year later advanced by law to the third grade with the same salary and thereafter by law to the second grade with twelve hundred dollars a year and thence to the first grade then receiving a salary of fourteen hundred dollars a year thence fourth the progress of the individual is strictly dependent upon his success in competitive examinations thus by taking practical tests he may qualify as an engineer with a salary of sixteen hundred dollars a year a fire engine is taken to the waterfront and placed at the dock drafting water candidates are required to operate the engine in the presence of engineers representing the civil service and are rated up to fifty percent according to the ability shown a mark of seventy is required to pass this test the mental test which follows is a written examination counting fifty percent a passing mark of seventy percent being required when both tests are combined the candidate must have at least eighty percent to entitle him to be on the eligible list or again he may follow the mainstream of promotion becoming first a lieutenant with twenty one hundred dollars a year and after six months may rise to be a captain with a salary of two thousand five hundred dollars a year with six months service to his credit in this grade he is eligible as chief of battalion in which position he takes charge of six or seven companies and receives a salary of three thousand three hundred dollars per annum ranking with the latter are doctors chaplains and the chief of construction and repairs incidentally it may be of interest to note that the chaplains are provided with the departmental horse and buggy for the purpose of attending fires at which their services on occasion are greatly appreciated the next step of promotion is to that of deputy chief of department with whom rank the two veterinary officers and the chief medical officer the deputy chief of department in charge of the boroughs of brooklyn and queens owing to his greater responsibilities receives a salary of seven thousand five hundred dollars the chief receiving ten thousand dollars since the vacancies in each rank are limited a list of candidates eligible for promotion is drawn up and remains in force from one to four years when the list is closed this is to enable the younger man to have their chance and to prevent their promotion from being blocked indefinitely without going too deeply into the subject of examinations it may be not without interest to give two or three specimen questions taken from the examination papers for promotion to lieutenant which will be sufficient evidence of the thoroughness and searching nature of this examination one assume that a fire has broken out on the twelfth floor in the rear of a modern twenty-story fireproof building one hundred feet deep elevators thirty feet from the front the room where the fire started is thirty by fifty feet and is filled with a number of old desks rugs partitions and other furniture of a highly inflammable nature intense heat has developed before the fireman reached the scene and the fire has worked its way into adjoining offices on the same floor a what are the special dangers to be apprehended from such a fire b what special precautions would you take to avoid loss of life two in answering the following candidates will show the methods used in arriving at the answer given there is a large fire in a building one hundred feet high from the curb to the cornice the sidewalk is ten feet wide and the street from curb to curb is thirty feet wide a pipe holder is placed against curb on the opposite side from the fire you are required to deliver an effective stream of water to the top floor you are using three hundred feet of three inch hose with a one and a half inch nozzle what is the approximate distance from the nozzle at the curb to the top story windows allowing ten feet to a story what pressure would you require on the nozzle how many gallons of water would the nozzle discharge per minute and what would be the required pressure on the engine or hydrant to maintain this discharge three what is the duty of the commanding officers upon arriving at fires where the buildings have automatic sprinkler equipments after the first line of hose has been stretched in at a fire by an engine company and a second line of hose is required what do the rules demand commanding officers to do it goes without saying that such technical knowledge cannot altogether be acquired by practice alone there must be a sound theoretical training to amplify the latter and to this end the fire college was instituted in the year 1911 it may not in aptly be compared with the staff college of an army since all those joining it must be officers who wish to qualify along certain highly specialized lines but the simplest method whereby an idea may be gained of its scope is to quote from the words of its charter to disseminate knowledge of firefighting to establish and maintain the highest professional standards and to afford to men starting in the profession of firefighting the experience of men who have devoted their lives to the profession included in the courses are general firefighting use of apparatus and tools engines and boilers high pressure system marine fires care of horses and hose high tension electric currents combustibles and explosives gasoline and motors fire alarm telegraph auxiliary fire appliances first aid to the injured discipline and administration instruction is given by a detail of officers but special lectures are delivered by distinguished professors from new york colleges while the president is always the chief of the department as a company is the unit of action at a fire and as collective work is of more value on these occasions even than in war the company school has been made a feature of the college work from this it must not be gathered that the intelligence of the individual is not taken into account many times a man is thrown upon his own resources where he can neither see nor hear the signals of his superiors and care is taken in his training that his individuality and initiative shall not be repressed the school is attended by companies and complicated evolutions are performed each year a competitive drill is given which is required to be accomplished within a specified time and the men of the company most successful in time and form receive a college medal while the captain is given a special medal for the best drilled and most effective company some idea of the evolutions in one of the recent tests can be gleaned from the following there were twenty tests which took place on and in a building one hundred feet in height and of nine stories a stretch a three inch line from high pressure hydrant connect to the standpipe floor valve inside of the building the outside connection is out of order winning time forty one seconds be raise and operate an aerial ladder winning time fifty seconds see hoist a line to the roof from the outside of the building make the line fast under the cornice and on the roof with approved knots winning time one minute thirteen seconds from these figures it can be gauged that the new york fireman is second to none in speed of operating apparatus there is in addition a large civil department which is responsible for such auxiliary bureaus as the fire alarm telegraph bureau which totals one hundred thirty three men including thirty telegraph operators fourteen battery men and thirty two lines men the fire prevention bureau which is charged with the making of inspections the cleaning away of rubbish etc and includes within its scope the division of the fire marshal who is responsible for inquiring into the causes of fires and for procuring evidence in cases of arson in addition there is a large bureau of repairs and supplies which totals no less than two hundred fifty one employees ranging from clerks and stenographers to painters and even a sale maker the administrative head of this vast organization is the fire commissioner who is a nominee of an appointed by the mayor in fact he may not in aptly be compared with the departmental secretaries of any national administration that is to say with a change of municipal government ipso facto he vacates his position quarters are provided for all members of the uniformed force at the stations to which they are attached four hours daily being allowed for meals in addition every fireman is entitled to fourteen consecutive days vacation leave in the year together with twenty four hours each fifth day while company commanders have it in their power to grant extra leave of twelve hours four times each month should the exigencies of the service permit the regulations regarding pensions are both comprehensive and generous any officer or member of the uniformed force who may upon an examination by medical officers be found to be disqualified physically or mentally from the performance of his duties shall be retired from the service and shall receive an annual allowance as pension in case of total disqualification or as compensation for limited service in the case of partial disability in case of total and permanent disability caused or induced by the actual performance of the duties of his position or which may occur after ten years active and continuous service the amount of annual pension allowed shall be one half of the yearly compensation given as salary at the date of his retirement from the service or such less some in proportion to the number so retired as the condition of the fund will warrant this fund is formed of certain revenues allocated for this purpose and any deficit is supplied by an appropriation from the city in any case widows and children of men killed in the execution of their duties are cared for and members wishing to retire after a period of twenty years service receive a pension equal to one half of their salary the city of new york is divided into five boroughs manhattan the bronx richmond brooklyn and queens the two former being separated from the third by the bay and from the fourth and fifth by the east river for fire protection the department consists of two hundred ninety eight companies equipped with eight hundred seventy seven pieces of apparatus including engines hose wagons hook and ladder trucks fire boats searchlight engines water towers etc motorization of all apparatus is proceeding rapidly and by the end of 1914 the horse will be practically superseded of the operations of the department as a whole some idea may be gleaned from the fact that between january ninth and march first nineteen twelve new york literally burned day and night one period of twenty four hours in february of that year witnessed a hundred calls this tremendous activity on the part of the fire fiend was due to some extent to the extreme cold the thermometer registering zero practically the entire time but judging from the revelations recently made the fire bug played no inconspicuous part in this state of affairs it is the custom of the new york fire department never to leave a fire station uncovered and in case of outbreaks of any magnitude apparatus from distant stations takes up its position in the station vacated this system will be understood by an examination of the accompanying card all companies in the first horizontal line respond on the first alarm that is when the street alarm is pulled by a citizen or a policeman all companies and officers on the second line respond on the second alarm which is transmitted in the following manner should the chief in charge at a fire find the outbreak to be beyond the control of the apparatus of the first assignment he then orders the transmission of a second or third alarm this is always done by an officer or by an aide to the chief officer for though the alarm box may be opened and pulled by a citizen in order to send additional calls an inner door must be opened to which none but officers or aides have access the mechanism within this door resembles the apparatus in use in a telegraph office and the officer will send in his call by tapping 22279 meaning a second alarm at station 279 a third fourth or fifth alarm is sent in the same manner merely changing 22 to 33 and so on it will be seen by the card that on the third alarm in this instance engine company 16 takes the places of engine company 17 in the ladders station and engine company 26 fills up the gap left by engine company 14 similar changes occur on the fifth alarm and hook and ladder company 21 covers in for hook and ladder company three if the fire happened to be of such magnitude as to demand an even greater force than would respond on the fifth alarm distant companies in the same burrow can be summoned by sending what is known as a simultaneous call or what fireman term the two nines the call is to give an example nine nine two seven nine three three five eight two this means that all companies do on the third alarm at signal box five eight two would immediately respond with all apparatus to signal box two seven nine in lieu of this can be sent the burrow call which has exactly the same effect but the signal is varied to denote the burrow from which the apparatus is required which in the case of the equitable fire was Brooklyn in this instance it will be readily understood that there is no object in sending five miles north on Manhattan Island for companies when the same force was just one mile away across the Brooklyn bridge should the burrow call be used it would be seven seven two seven nine three three nine four indicating that the companies assigned on the third alarm at station three nine four burrow of Brooklyn would immediately respond to station two seven nine burrow of Manhattan six six denotes Manhattan seven seven denotes Brooklyn and eight eight Richmond there are three thousand one hundred seventy six street fire alarm boxes and roughly over five thousand five hundred special and automatic signal boxes located in factories public buildings theaters etc and approximately one thousand nine hundred sixty nine miles of underground conductors while by the end of nineteen fourteen the two thousand five hundred thirty miles of overhead cables will also be laid in the former way the fire alarm stations are situated as far distant from the scene of any possible outbreak as is practicable those at present in the course of construction being located in the public parks of the various burrows the department is housed in three hundred twenty six buildings and every year sees in addition to their number in nineteen twelve there were fifteen thousand six hundred thirty three fires as against thirteen thousand eight hundred sixty eight in the previous year the total fire loss for the former year being nine million sixty nine thousand five hundred eighty dollars as against twelve million four hundred seventy thousand eight hundred six dollars for the latter occasionally in the preceding pages the reader may have thought that the writer was complaining of the position held by the firemen in the public esteem certainly it is true that the profession is of modern growth and as such has not behind it those centuries of glorious record which makes citizens of every nation proud of their army and navy but in as much as new york possesses the largest fire department in the world and in as much as its uniformed force is called upon to combat a greater fire risk than anywhere to be found then most assuredly is this fact recognized by its inhabitants it is no exaggeration to say that no force in the united states federal state or municipal stands in more sympathetic relationship to the public an english friend of the writers who knew the department well was asked what he thought of it as a whole he replied well the greatest compliment i can pay is to put them on the same plane with the london police whom i consider the most efficient best mannered and with all the kindliest force it is possible to imagine it goes without saying that the writer is proud of his command proud of their actions which are engraved in the hearts of the people and proud to think that providence has permitted him to be their chief end of section 18 recording by maria casper