Fires and Firemen | Page 2

area of 36 square miles,
covered with 21,600 square acres of bricks and mortar, and numbers
more than 380,000 houses; that all the riches it contains are nightly
threatened in every direction by an ever-present enemy; that the secret
match, the spontaneous fire, and the hand of the drunkard, are busily at
work, it is evident that nothing but a force the most disciplined, and
implements the most effective, can be competent to cope with so
sudden and persevering a foe.
As late as twenty-two years ago there was no proper fire police to
protect the Metropolis against what is commonly called the
"all-devouring element." There was, it is true, a force of 300 parochial
engines set on foot by Acts which were passed between the years
1768-74--Acts which are still in existence--but these engines are under
the superintendence of the beadles and parish engineers, who are not

the most active of men or nimble of risers. It may easily be imagined,
therefore, that the machines arrived a little too late; and, when brought
into service, were often found to be out of working order. Hence their
employment did not supersede the private engines kept by some of the
insurance offices long prior to their existence. On the contrary, owing
to the increase of business which took place about this time, the
different companies thought it worth their while to strengthen their
former establishments, and this process continued while the parochial
engines, with a few honorable exceptions, were dropping into disuse.
About the year 1833 it became evident that much was lost, both to the
public and to the insurance companies, by every engine acting on its
own responsibility--a folly which is the cause of such jealousy among
the firemen at Boston (United States), that rival engines have been
known to stop on their way to a fire to exchange shots from revolvers.
It was therefore determined to incorporate the divided force, and place
it under the management of one superintendent, each office
contributing towards its support, according to the amount of its
business. All the old established companies, with one exception,[*]
shortly came into the arrangement, and Mr. Braidwood, the master of
the fire-engines of Edinburgh, being invited to take the command,
organized the now celebrated London Fire Brigade.
[*] The West of England Fire-Office, which retains the command of its
own engines.
At the present moment, then, the protection against fire in London
consists, firstly, in the 300 and odd parish engines (two to each parish),
which are paid for out of the rates. The majority of these are very
inefficient, not having any persons appointed to work them who
possess a competent knowledge of the service. Even women used now
and then to fill the arduous post of director; and it is not long since a
certain Mrs. Smith, a widow, might be seen at conflagrations, hurrying
about in her pattens, directing the firemen of her engine, which
belonged to the united parishes of St. Michael Royal and St. Martin
Vintry, in the city. We question, indeed, if at the present moment any
of the parish-engines are much better officered than in the days of
widow Smith, with the exception of those of Hackney, Whitechapel,
Islington, and perhaps two or three others. Secondly, there are an
unknown number of private engines kept in public buildings, and large

manufactories, which sometimes do good service when they arrive
early at small fires in their neighborhood, although, singularly enough,
when called upon to extinguish a conflagration in their own
establishments, they generally "lose their heads," as the Brigade men
express it, and very many instances have occurred where even the
parish-engines have arrived and set to work before the one on the
premises could be brought to bear upon the fire. The cause is clear. The
requisite coolness and method which every one can exercise so
philosophically in other people's misfortunes, utterly fail them when in
trouble themselves. The doctor is wiser in his generation, and is never
so foolish as to prescribe for himself or to attend his own family.
Thirdly, we have, in contrast to the immense rabble of Bumble engines
and the Bashi-Bazouks of private establishments, the small
complement of men and material of the Fire Brigade. It consists of
twenty-seven large horse-engines, capable of throwing 88 gallons a
minute to a height of from 50 to 70 feet, and nine smaller ones drawn
by hand. To work them there are twelve engineers, seven sub-engineers,
thirty-two senior firemen, thirty-nine junior firemen, and fourteen
drivers, or 104 men and 31 horses. In addition to these persons, who
form the main establishment, and live at the different stations, there is
an extra staff of four firemen, four drivers, and eight horses. The
members of this supplementary force are also lodged at