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62
under one management, thus laying the foundation of a
Metropolitan Brigade. This plan proved so satisfactory that
by degrees all the other offices joined in the movement, and in
1833 the London Fire Brigade was formed and placed under
the management of a committee, consisting of one representative
from each of the associated offices. London was divided
into districts, and the firemen were clothed in uniform, some
of the men always being on duty. The dress adopted by
some of the companies for their firemen in the days of their
independence appear to have been more quaint than convenient.
It is true that both before 1833 and subsequently, the churchwardens,
overseers, or other officers, maintained a parish
engine, but the management and apparatus were both
frequently so deficient as to render that engine of little
service in anything but a very small conflagration. It
was not until 1865 that the present Metropolitan Fire Brigade
was formed as a municipal institution, and placed under the
control of the Metropolitan Board of Works'.
The staff of the brigade (exclusive of pilots and coachmen)
at present comprises 589 firemen of all ranks; the number
of engines is 44 steam fire engines, 124 manual engines, and
3 floatinge ngines; the Brigade has also 44 fire escapes, in
addition to tugs and barges for use in connection with the
floating engines, and wagons, and other equipments for street
stations.
The working expenses of the Brigade for the year 1885 are
estimated at £121,000. The income of the Brigade is
derived from a contribution of £10,000 from the Treasury,
a percentage from the Insurance Companies on the value of
the property insured, which is estimated to produce the sum
of £25,377, watching premises, attending fires outside the
Metropolitan area, and penalties £2,985, and a rate of £d. in
the pound over the whole Metropolis, which is estimated to