Specially written for FIRE AND WATER ENGINEERING.

Hungary has suffered greatly from fires in the past, many of these being due to defective .building methods and many to equally defective means of fire protection. Where there are vast forests the buildings are chiefly of wood; in the lowlands clay forms the material used for the walls and reed or straw the roof covering. Up to within quite a recent period very few towns had fire engines, and buckets, hatchets and axes formed the fire apparatus. In not one was there an organised fire brigade. Within the last ten years, however, there has been a great and rapid improvement, and, in that respect, at least, Hungary is now on a par with other European States. With the establishment of fire brigades, however, have followed rules and regulations for the erection of buildings; fireproof structures have become common; and the fire brigades themselves have been subjected to uniform drilling and uniform equipment. For all the decrees governing these brigades the government is responsible—has been responsible since the days of the Austrian Emperor, Joseph II. Traces of his decrees in this matter, going back as far as 1780, are to be found today in all questions affecting the fire service. In accordance with these, all mavors must personally direct operations at fires, and all the towns-people must obey his orders in case of fire. In 1838 the Palatin Joseph drew up a series of regulations on wooden structures and lodginghouses and their liability to catch fire in Buda-Pesth, and in 1869 a decree of the Minister of the Interior contained many useful instructions and ordinances. In that decade Count Edmund Szechenyi. now pasha (chief) of the fire brigade of Constantinople was instrumental in consolidating the various fire brigade organisations of Austria, and in 1870 the same methods were adopted in Hungary, Buda-Pesth taking the initiative. The associated brigades of that kingdom met for the first time on September 17, 1871, and elected as their president Count Szechenyi, who was then chief of the Buda-Pesth fire brigade. The objects of the association (as fixed by government) comprise building regulations with a view to fire protection, water supply, equipment and inspection, fire alarm signals, fire-extinguishment and fire inquests. The decree, also, orders every community to organise a fire brigade, and to look upon and treat every fireman as a lawful authority, and to be obeyed as such. Other decrees have since been issued referring to the prevention of fires, the storing of explosives, the handling of acetylene and the like. These fire brigades have entirely superseded various private organizations that had previously existed. Among these were the following: One, that of the students of the Debreczen College (1789) ; a second, that of the Citizen Society in Arad (1830) ; a third, that of the workmen of the iron foundry and machine shop, Messrs. Ganz & Co., in Buda-Pesth; a fourth, that of the large flour mills of the same city. These brigades, however, went in for no systematic action, and were more or less restricted in their operations, especially the last, which seldom went to fires outside of the mills. Out of the 12,614 parishes in Hungary, only 2,278 have organised fire brigades. As some towns, however, such as Buda-Pesth. Szabadka, Szeged and Debrecsen, have more than one, the total number of organised brigades is 2,327 (eighteen per cent, of the whole number of parishes). Obligatory fire brigades are established in 6,244 communities (fortynine per cent.), while 4,092 (forty-two per 'cent.) have none at all. The number of paid brigades is eighty-six; volunteer brigades, 2,020; factory brigades, 5,238; brigades belonging to private estates, 958; railway and other brigades, twenty-seven; professional brigades, 6,244—total, 8,544. The number of firemen is as follows: Paid, 957; volunteer, 79,948; factory, 5,238; private estate, 958; railway and other. 1,293; obligatory, 452,613—total, 541.007. In Hungary there are 1,021 villages of less than fifty houses, and these are not bound to maintain a fire department; this, therefore, means that there are only 3,051 (twenty-four per cent.) and not 4,092 communities without fire brigades. Nine professional fire brigades have fifteen officers, of whom five belong to the BudaPesth brigade, and 454 firemen, of whom 227 are claimed by the same city. The total cost of maintenance is 761,000 crowns, 516,000 of which are spent on the Buda-Pesth firemen. In many towns are found permanent paid firemen, who form part of the volunteer force; some have, also, besides these firemen, a permanent paid fire guard of two, three or six men. In the smaller villages the service of the fire guards is performed by night watchmen. After the professional brigades, the best organised and equipped brigades are the factory, which have steamers, iron ladders, hydrants, special watermains. fire alarms and permanent guards. Of such brigades there are forty-two in Buda-Pesth alone, with their firemen paid by the respective factories. The volunteer fire brigades have their own rules and regulations and are established by the inhabitants of the various towns, their pay coming from the yearly subsidies from the government, or, in some cases, from voluntary offerings from the people. Such Organisations are found in Buda-Pesth and almost all the larger communities and towns. The obligatory fire brigades are those which are based on the government's decree of 1888, and have been formed by the authorities or at the request of the mayors in such towns as have no paid and no voluntary brigade, or where it is necessary to create a body of reservists for those brigades. These are recruited from the ranks of villagers, between twenty and forty-two years of age. They receive special instructions in the methods of fire service, and serve as watchmen at all times, and particularly when there is a fire. While on duty they are protected by law, and those who distinguish themselves receive special rewards, and those who are disabled or injured when on duty are supported and taken care of by the community. The number of men in these obligatory brigades is 452,613. The thirty special fire brigades on the great country estates, the railway machine shops and larger railway stations, twenty-seven in number, are well manned and suitably equipped. Their pay comes from their employers. Every community of at least fifty houses is bound to provide at its own cost for its fire protection and keep in good order the following apparatus: One suction-pipe with a diameter of too mm. and at least sixty-m. hose; a water cart, with a barrel of three-hectolitre capacity and a vat of one-hectolitre capacity; two fire ladders; two cramps; four iron forks; two lamps. The fire pumps must be of standard design, and must be provided with the standard screw-connections as generally used in Hungary. The fire brigades are equipped as follows: Hydrophores, 2,832; fire engines, large, 10,890, small, 14,445; buckets, 9,759; water barrels, 83,786; ladders, etc., 49,695. Nine cities, including Buda-Pesth, have steam fire engines; two have a benzine-motor engine; one, a carbonic-acid engine. All professional fire brigades, and many of the volunteer and factory brigades are provided with sliding ladders, respiration apparatus, life-saving implements, electric clamps, etc. They have, also permanent guards stationed in separate barracks, located close to the fire stations. There is likewise a sufficient number of climbing towers (movable fire escapes) distributed all over the country. It was in BudaPesth, about the middle of the eighteenth century, that the manufacture of fire engines was started by Francis VValser; in 1816 Trederic Selfenhofer opened a rival establishment in Sopron. These two firms and that of Geittner & Rausch and the Rolling Mills m Buda-Pesth were flourishing industries in the middle of the nineteenth century, others being added to the list—especially those of Matrai Feik & Co., of Buda-Pesth, for the manufacture of ladders, and of Henry Klinger, of Pozsony, for hose. As a protective measure for the benefit of the home manufacturers, only such foreign apparatus as cannot be made in Hungary may be imported for fire service. As to the water supply at fires: A model waterworks system is to be found at Buda-Pesth, and systems are also installed at several other cities. On the plains the greater cities and towns arc provided with artesian wells. As a rule, however, rivers, brooks, wells, lakes, etc., are depended upon by the various fire brigades. The government orders that there shall always be on hand, especially in the summer months, barrels filled with water, ready for use in case of fire. To alarm the community in case of fire is considered the duty of every citizen. The telephone is used extensively, and in Buda-Pesth and other large cities there are special fire circuits. Elsewhere cannon and guns are fired, bells are rung and bugles sounded, or the guards on the towers are communicated with by telephone. In Buda-Pesth the theatres have also a direct telephonic fire alarm line connected to the next fire guard. The fire brigade of Buda-Pesth is one of the best on the continent of Europe. It is intelligently officered, and nearly all the best modern improvements have been adopted. It is composed of a professional fire brigade, numbering 227 men, a volunteer brigade of eighty, and forty-four factory brigades, numbering 1,600—a total of 1,907 men. The professional brigade was founded in 1870; the volunteer, in 1862—worked for the first time in January, 1870; the factory brigade, about the same time as the volunteer. The fire area of the Hungarian capital is 20,090 acres, on which are 23,312 houses, theatres, churches, factories, etc., and 816,000 inhabitants. The city and its population are growing rapidly. The professional brigade comprises the following officers: Chief; fire inspector; assistant officer of the first class,two of the second; secretary; twenty-five guardcommanders; thirty-three drivers. The equipment is as follows: Steamers, six; hand engines, twentyseven; ordinary engines, twenty-three; buckets, eleven; implement-carriages, thirteen; hanging extension ladders, eleven; long ladders, thirty-four; pompier ladders, fifteen; life-saving bags, three; portable incandescent lamps, three; hose, 22,640 m. Of large hydrants, there are 4,947 set, of smaller, 1,140; in houses 2,460. The Danube river and wells are also utilised. Besides the telephone fire alarm wire, there are 145 radial lines of automatic alarms. All the theatres have their own hydrants and are provided with iron curtains, a sprinkling apparatus, their own fire alarm circuits, electric lights (only), and sufficient emergency exits. There are eight permanent theatre guards, composed of thirty firemen, eight district guards, three permanent guards and one town guard. I here is also a central fire barracks. The officers are elected by the city, and are entitled to old-age pensions, lodging money besides their pay, uniform money and personal money. I he chief engages and discharges the firemen, who are entitled to summer and winter uniforms free, helmets, hose and boots. Every third day the officers have a free day; the firemen, one in every five. The inspection of factories, etc., is in the hands of the chief. A contractor does all the carriage, and thirty-four horses are always at the disposal of the brigade. The volunteer brigade has a capital of about 100,000 crowns, but is equipped and kept up by the municipality and receives an annual government subsidy of 4,000 crowns. It has a permanent guard, which is always at the disposition of the central authorities; at fires they are under the chief of the professional brigade. The equipment of the forty-four factory brigades is as follows: Steamer; fifty-seven engines; 136 hand engines; twenty-six buckets; fourteen implement-carriages; fifty-seven hose carriages; twelve extension ladders; 360 smaller ladders; four life-saving blankets; fifteen smoke masks; 37,262 m. hose. In the factories are 860 fixed iron ladders. These factory fire guards are called out for public service under the chief only when the emergency is pressing.

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