HONGKONG.
REPORT OF THE ACTING SUPERINTENDENT OF FIRE BRIGADE FOR 1886.
257
No.
87.
Presented to the Legislative Council, by Command of His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government,
on the 28th January, 1887.
No. 2.
FIRE BRIGADE Department, 7th January, 1887.
SIR,
I have the honour to submit the following report of the Government Fire Brigade for the year ending 31st December, 1886.
During the year the Fire Brigade has performed important work which, as regards efficiency, is creditable, though not by any means perfect.
The rapid growth of the Colony demanding additional facilities for extinguishing fires, I recommended the Government early last year to purchase two additional Steam Engines which I proposed to station in the eastern and western districts to be on the spot in case of fire occurring in either locality. The Government sanctioned the purchase of one engine which is on its way from England, and a Steam Fire Pump has been fitted to the Steam-launch Stanley, which, if placed at the disposal of the Brigade, will bring up the strength of the available Fire Engines to the following:-
No. 1 Merryweather,
Floating Steamer.
No. 2
Do.
.......Land
do.
No. 3 Shand Mason & Co.
do.
do.
No. 4
No. 5
Do.
Do.
do.
do.
do.
do. expected from England.
No. 6 Deane's (floating)
.......fitted in steam-launch Stanley.
Manuals-9 in number stationed in different parts of the Colony.
No. 2 Engine has been 16 years in service, and is now fitted with new steam cylinders and valve casing which will render the engine serviceable for some years.
The Government offices and other important centres have been supplied with hose and stand pipes.
With regard to fire alarms, a new bell has been supplied to the clock tower, and the bell of No. 5 Station has been raised so that its sound can be heard at a greater distance. These, however, are anything but perfect as fire alarms, as considerable time must of necessity elapse between the out- break of a fire and communication to the station. This has been proved several times by the advanced state which the conflagration had reached on the arrival of the first engine.
The whole of the hose for the steam engines has been fitted with couplings on the Metropolitan Fire Brigade pattern which greatly facilitates connecting the lengths of hose.
The engines have been periodically overhauled, and carefully examined and tested, and are all in first rate order, though I should recommend a new Fire-box for No. 3 Engine during the current year.
Weekly drills have been held for instruction of Drivers and Firemen in their respective duties, when steam has been raised on each engine in turn, The system of fines sanctioned by His Excellency has proved successful in the increased attendance at weekly parades, and, a greater attention to cleanliness and dress. The whole of the Chinese firemen have been supplied with belts and hose- wrenches, and have been instructed in elementary fire drill.
Considerable difficulty frequently arises at low water spring tides in obtaining water at various parts of the Praya, when the floating engine proves invaluable. The dredging operations, when completed on the fore-shore, will remove what has at times been a great difficulty,
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