THE LONDON FIRE BRIGADE,

Inangahua Times, Volume V, Issue 39, 10 May 1878, Page 2

THE LONDON FIRE BRIGADE,

13y tho courto<iy of Superintendent Harris, wo linvo boon onablod to portiso tho lii<rMy interesting annual report of tho chief offlcor of tho Tondon Motropo* litnn Firo T3riendo. From tins report it appears timf durincr Iho year 1877 tho number of onils for fires, or supposed firos wnq 1708.; of f.hooo 1533 were actual fires. 150 resulting, in serious dnmngo. Thoso flKttros rlo not include anch flros as woro not sufficiently important to rcquiro tho atfcen/b'noo of firoman, nor tho ordinary pnlls for chimnios o,t> firo, Tho firos of tho yonr, compared with Hioso of 1870, show n dooronso of OQ. nnd compared with tho nvornao of tho lust ton yours, n donroaso of 87. In 88 of tho firos, lifo ImA boon Horiouslv onrlinpforocl, and in 24, lifo Imd been lost ; 13fi persons were savod. and 29 lost Ihoir livos. Tho number of jonrnoys mado by tho fire onsinos of llio 50 lnnd stations wore 8780, and tho total distance ru.n wns 30 805 miles. Tho rmnntity, of wator uso^l was 14,057i165 ptnllons, or in round nvmibors, n little moro. than 14,^ millions gallons. About ono»half wns talron from tho rivor, canals, and donks, nnd tho remainder from tho stroot pipes. Tho present ftti'onpjth of tho I3ri^ado is ns follows ;•— SO firo oncino stations, 108 firo oaoapo stations, 4 floating stations, 67 tolec;rft])h linos, 3 floatinc; stonm firo onKincH, 5 larc'o nml 22 small steam firo on«inos, 108 manu.il firo engines n f various sizes, 141fii*o escapes niul sonhlinotladdora, and ix force of 400 men all told. Tlio onuses of Iho 2533 firos arc, as usual, of a most varied description, nnd in 815 oases tlto origin i;; unknown. Flues woro in various wny« tho <huho of 1(5(>, oaihUos caused 12:!, HpiirkH HO, ami litfhtn, thrown down 112 • 40 children pluvod with lucifors, .and 33 with five, with tlio usual rosulfcs. Amongst tho oilier causes ra.iy bo moni.ionocl fumiirntion, li^htiiina;, oodoo roastimj. smoking tobaooo, intoxication, and di'iriiitJj iißiiiniit n, lamp post. An to tho plaeos at which firos oocurrod. lodain^s (1.05) licad tho list., nd tho f.illowiiv:; trades renrhed doublo fij[uroa : — Bi«lfiJM, l!); booksellers, &c boo'/ and ahoomalioa, 17 ; builders, 23 ; cabinolraukers, 30 ; chu.udloj.'s, 10,; coffoosikousoa, 21; com

doal'vs, 10 ; .Ir,ij»;MN. )):i ; I'tivmiM't :ttock, 23; nvi'i'ii.Mvcc-n, L:> , i<r.»-or.s, 2 1 .); f>» l '«'l» nnil clulw, 13; lnui.-lnp.-!. II ; oiln-o-j, JO; oil ami (iolouniicji, "J.> ; i<rinM\s, 16 ; re« froslunent rooms, M. ; swbios, 2-L j Uilurs, 29;,tobncuoiiist8, 15.; victuallors, 56- Tho number of pnVnto houses nt wh.ioli tiros occurrod was 321.