FIRE PROTECTION AT SARATOGA.
Saratoga, or, more properly,Saratoga Springs, N. Y., as one of the leading fashionable inland watering places in this country,is filled with large hotels expensively fitted up and many equally fine boarding houses. It abounds, also, in splendid stores, costly churches, handsome residences, and other buildings more or less elaborately fitted up for the use and entertainment of the thousands of visitors who annually frequent it. Under such conditions it is obvious that the village stands in need of no second-rate fire department, but one that is conspicuous for thoroughness in equipment and efficiency, headed by an experienced chief as fit to lead, as he is to organize his force. In E. J. Shadwick, the fire department of Saratoga possesses just such n man, as his unnual report shows. He has under him twenty-four men, of whom part are paid full time, and some, only part time. These are summoned by twenty-nine Gamewell fire alarm street boxes, as well as by telephone alarm, and man one steamer, six chemical extinguishers, one hook and ladder truck, and one aerial truck. There are,besides, two hose wagons, one hose carriage, and one supply and hose wagon, with 8,000 feet of good cotton hose, and a little more than that of hose not so good. During the past fiscal year (from March 1, 1000 to March 1, 1001) there were seventy alarms of fire, at which the average attendance of the firemen was twenty-two. The loss on buildings was II8,721,on contents 137,257.50 —total, 145,000 03: insurance on buildings, 170,542.50, on contents,100,025—total Insurance carried, $140,567,50; insurance -carried over loss, 104,570.04. During sixteen years the greatest number of fires has been seventy-in the years 1800 and 1000 respectively; the lowest twenty-six—in 1800. The highest loss sustained during the same period was 145,006.02 in 1000 —that of 1800 being only 1286.17 below it. The lowest loss was 12.766.58 in 1888. The average number of fires per year during the last sixteen years has been a small fraction over forty; the average annual loss during the same time was 114,805. During the fiscal year the department rendered seventy time hours’ and fifty-seven minutes’ service,laid 22,750 feet of hose and had sixty-two streams of water employed. Twentynine extinguishers were also used.
