HONGKONG,
No.
REPORT OF THE ACTING SUPERINTENDENT OF FIRE BRIGA DE FOR 1888.
Presented to the Legislative Council, by Command of His Excellency the Governor.
123
89.
No. 2.
FIRE BRIGADE DEPARTMENT,
HONGKONG, 9th January, 1889.
SIR, -I have the honour to submit the following report on the Government Fire Brigade for the year 1888.
Fires, &c.
1. During the year there were 137 fires and alarms of fires, as compared with 161 during the year 1887, and 112 during 1886.
2. The following table shews the number of, what may be terined, serious fires, at which the Brigade has been engaged each year, during the last ten years.
1888.
1887,
1886,
1885,
1884,
.45 fires.
35
""
1883, 1882,
.11
1881,
3)
.11 .18
1880, 1879,
..11 fires.
8
8
17
9 ""
7 ""
3. After making every allowance for the growth of the Colony and the more extensive use of kerosine oil, I am forced to the conclusion that, this enormous increase in the number of fires, during the last two years, is to be attributed in no small measure to the effects of " cheap Fire Insurance."
During the early part of 1887 a keen competition between some of the Insurance Companies was commenced resulting in a general reduction in the rates of premia and the acceptance of risks on the contents of Chinese houses becoming the rule, where it had previously been the exception.
4. In one case of suspected incendiarism, a charge was made at the instance of the Agent for the Straits Insurance Company which resulted in four Chinese (the master of the shop in which the fire occurred and three employes) being convicted at the September Criminal Sessions of the Supreme Court and each sentenced to two years' imprisonment with hard labour.
5. Several Magisterial enquiries into the cause of fires have been held under the provisions of the New Fire Enquiry Ordinance (Ord. No. 23 of 1888) since it came into force in October last, and although, so far, no prosecution has been instituted, I am of opinion that they have not been valueless.
It is quite possible the future will shew that although, except in rare cases, the evidence obtained in these enquiries will not take the case any further than the Police report, the very fact being known that in every case of fire the Police will take charge of the premises and that a public enquiry may be held, will have a good effect.
6. Several prosecutions have taken place under the New Verandah Ordinance (Ord. No. 4 of 1888) with, so far as the Fire Brigade is concerned, undoubted beneficial results. At numerous fires in the city it was found that not only was the action of the Brigade very much impeded by the verandahs being enclosed and fitted up with all kinds of partitions, but that the fires frequently spread in consequence of the combustible nature of their contents.
7. In five cases, during the year, the fire has been, unfortunately, attended with loss of life.
In one case, a young Japanese woman met her death by the sudden collapse of one of the houses adjoining the premises where the fire occurred.
In the second case, two coolies were burned to death in a cock-loft in a carpenter's shop in which the fire originated.
In a third, the fire originated on the ground floor of a three-storeyed building, the staircase caught fire, and three persons lost their lives in attempting to escape through the flames.
In another, an old woman aged 79 years, who was very deaf, and who doubtless did not hear the alarm, was burned to death in a small room, partitioned off, in the top verandah of a three-storeyed house.
And in the last, a woman with a child strapped at her back, had just escaped from the burning a box that was thrown from an building into the street, when the child was struck on the head by upper story and killed on the spot.
8. A serious accident occurred at the fire in Queen's Road West on the 18th May last, when a member of the Volunteer Fire Brigade (Mr. R. DIPPLE) was buried beneath the débris of a fallen verandah for a long time, before being discovered and released.
He escaped, however, without any serious injury.