Owing to the natural and rapid growth of St Louis, Mo., there is need of better fire protection in certain districts. Chief C. E. Swingley, therefore, calls for the erection of seven engineliouses at different points, and for the erection of a new building for No. 11 enginehouse and a new building for the horse hospital. During the past year new apparatus was purchased and placed in service as follows: One American 1,a France, city-service hook and ladder truck, with rubber tires; four combination hose wagons and chemical engines (steel bodies), with rubber tires; .29,500 ft. J/J in. double-jacket, cotton, rubberlined fire hose; 2,000 ft. 3-in. cotton, rubber-lined fire hose; 3,000 ft. ¾-in. rubber chemical hose; 325 ft. of suction hose; two life-nets and one set of Glazier nozzles. During the year 2,969 alarms were received and responded to—a decrease of thirty-eight over the preceding year. The statis tics.of loss, insurance and the like are as follows: Totals loss, $1.) 10,686; loss paid by insurance companies, $934,670; loss uninsured, $176,007; insurance involved, $7,118,636; value of property involved, $10,869,441. The strength of the department is as under: Chief; first assistant chief; master mechanic; assistant chiefs in command of districts, nine; secretary; assistant secretary; captains. sixty two; lieutenants, sixty; engineers, forty three; stokers, 105; pipemen, 149; laddermen, 103; itospital detail, twelve; fuel wagon men, twenty; watchmen, forty-one total, 652. I Itese are divided into sixty two companies, under the command of nine officers, as follows: Engine companies, forty-three; hose company; hook and ladder companies, sixteen; water tower companies, two. The apparatus in service comprises: Steamers, forty-three; combination hose wagons an J chemical engines, with deck-pipes, three; combination hose wagons and chemical engines, thirty-three; hook and ladder trucks (aerial), nine; hook and ladder trucks (city service), seven; water towers, two; fuel wagons, ten; light hauling wagon; hauling wagons, seven; officers’ wagons, twelve; automobile, In reserve are steamers, eleven; combination hose wagon and chemical engine; combination hose n -Is and chemical engines, six; ordinary hose reels, two; double-tank chemical engine; double hose wagon; hook and ladder trucks (aerial), two; hook and ladder trucks (city-service), three. During the year five hose reds were converted into hose wagons, and one aerial truck was converted into an American-La France patent truck. 1 he llose in service consists of three-quarter-inch chemical hose, 7o°° ft.; 1 in. rubber, chemical, 1.670 ft.; 2j/> in. cotton, rubber-lined. 84,400 ft.; 3 in. cotton, rubber-lined, 6,000 ft. The hose in reserve is: 2¼ in. cotton, rubber-lined, 13.000 ft.; 3 in. cotton, rubber-lined, 1,700 ft.; Tj-in. rubber, chemical hose. 3.500 ft. There are 277 horses in service and forty-two fire stations (one new this year), to house men and apparatus. The Gamewoll fire-alarm telegraph system is installed with well on to 950 boxes.

A $300,000 fire has destroyed the lumber mills of Edwards company at New Edinburgh, a sub urb of Ottawa, Out.

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