ms required. The latter comprise on the ground floor an orderly room
and strong room, sergeant-major's office, armoury, clothing store,
non-commissioned officers' room, privates' meeting room,
sergeant-major's and staff-sergeant's quarters, and stables. On the
first floor there are an officers' meeting room, a sergeants' meeting
room, long galleries, &c.; the whole building being characteristically
laid out for military purposes.

_Fire Engine Stations_.--The Central Fire Brigade Station, which is in
telephonic communication with all the police stations, the theatres,
various public buildings, and chief manufactories, is situated in the
Upper Priory, between the Old Square and Steelhouse Lane, and is easily
distinguishable by the large red lamp outside its gate. There are here
kept ready for instant use three manual and one steam engine, the latter
being capable of throwing 450 gallons of water per minute to a height of
120 feet, the other also being good specimens of their class. Each
manual engine has on board its complement of hose, branches (the brass
pipes through which the water leaves the hose), stand-pipes for
connecting the hose with the water mains, &c., while at its side hang
scaling-ladders, in sections which can readily be fitted together to
reach a considerable height. The engine-house also contains a tender to
the steam machine, a horse hose-cart, a hand hose-cart, and a number of
portable hand-pumps. It is with these hand-pumps that the majority of
the fires in Birmingham are extinguished, and one of them forms a
portion of the load of every engine. Several canvas buckets, which
flatten into an inconceivably small space, are also taken by means of
which, either by carrying or by passing from hand to hand, the
reservoirs of the pump can be kept filled, and a jet of water be made
available where, perhaps, it would be difficult or impossible to bring
hose. The hose kept at the station amounts to a total length of
2,487-1/2 yards, of which about 1,700 yards is always kept on the
engines, hose-carts, tender, and fire-escapes ready for instant use. The
remainder forms a reserve to allow for repairs, drying, &c. Between the
engine-house and the street is a commodious house for the
assistant-superintendent, with a very pleasant yard on the roof of the
engine-house. Adjoining the engine-house on the other side, is the
stable, where five splendid horses are kept. In the yard stand three
fire-escapes, each fitted w