CAB11-57-15 — Page 120

CHAPTER VI (5) and (6),

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130

China, 50 Europeans and 100 Indian Police could be spared to give assistance in the defence, and 100 Chinese to patrol and obtain information.

If China were hostile, the Chinese could not be counted on, and the European and Indian Police could not be spared from their civil duties.

15. The Fire Brigade is under the superintendence of the officers of the Civil Police, and consists of

British

Assistant

Engineers. Engineers.

Drivers.

Foremen. Stokers. Firemen. Coxswain.

Total.

Chinese

Total

1

* An engineer in private practice.

8+

钟

6

22+ 28

6

50

† Also police constables.

39

38

777

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Eight of these are station coolies.

For the purposes of fire prevention and control the City of Victoria is divided into three districts--Western, Central, and Eastern--the limits of which are fixed at the Harbour Office and Murray Barracks. On the occasion of a fire the locality is notified by three tolls of the bell for the Western, two for the Central, and one for the Eastern district.

The headquarters of the Brigade are at No. 5 Station, in Queen's Road, Central, and most of the stores and engines are kept there. A certain number of European and Chinese firemen also sleep there, and the Assistant Engineer, who is responsible for the upkeep of the engines and appliances, is permanently located at this station. The other and subsidiary stations are at the Police Stations at West Point, Wanchai, Yaumati, Sai-ki-wan, and Aberdeen.

There are also numerous places in different parts of the town where fire despatch boxes are kept. These are barrows supplied with 300 feet of hose and all necessary appliances for at once making use of street hydrants. They were specially designed for dealing with fires on high levels.

In addition to the despatch boxes the Brigade possesses four land steam engines and one floating engine. It also possesses some manual engines, which are kept in the various out-villages.

The Brigade is so organized and distributed as to form an excellent nucleus for expansion in war time, by means of civil volunteers, to any extent that may be required, under the supervision of the Superintendent.

The naval and military establishments and barracks are, in addition, well supplied with their separate fire engines, &c., which could be utilized in their immediate neigh-

bourhood.

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(6.)-Action by Principal Civil Medical Officer.

Care of Sick and Wounded.

1. Provision is required to be made for 750 naval and 674 military sick and wounded in time of war. The increased sickness or number of casualties among the civil population at such time will probably not be considerable.

2. The Colonial Government will provide accommodation for 400 out of the 1,000 anticipated naval sick and wounded—–

(1.) In a Mat-shed Annex, to be constructed for 200 beds by the Public Works Department in the compound of the Government Civil Hospital;

(2.) At the Peak Hotel, of which possession will be taken by the Colonial Secretary under section 7 of the Order of the late Queen in Council of the 26th October, 1896, and which would be altered as might be required by the Public Works Department, and fitted with 200 beds for convalescents and cases that were not serious.

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