The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-10-06

| rkiDAf.-John Dail, on search ana SEIZURE pro-
| cess, paid $22.26 .,.....,.
The case of John Bradley, search and seizure, was
continued to Saturday. MIR. Drummond, City Solic-
itor appeared for the State, and AIsssrs Shepey &
Strout for the respondent. itao' ~ ehnilm
The Case of the Chief Engineer OF the
\ = Fire Departments. r4a3
1 FRIDAY EVENING. Both branches of tha
City Government met in Convention, accord
ing to adjournment, and proceeded to the ex-
animation of witnesses in the matter of the To-
moval of Spencer Rogers from the office Of
Chief Engineer of the Fire Department The
first witness called was Harris c. Barnes, ESQ,
for the petitioners. A' W
| Upon being asked by the Mayor if he could
state any facts to show why Mr.. Rogers should
| be removed Mr.. Barnes said he would answer
| questions, but had no statements to make. No
| one appearing for the petitioners to question
him, Mr.. Webb asked him some questions.
| In answer to Mr.. Webb Mr.. Barnes stated he
had been in the fire department. thirty years;
had been Chief Engineer three and one-halt
years. and Assistant 20years; had served under
| Chiefs Dow, Davidson, Smith and Leavitt MIR.
Rogers was Assistant while was Chief. nmy
Judgment he was good foreman, prompt, ell
| find fault with him while Rogers was foreman
Of company. the engine was always In good
| order. Never knew Of any trouble in his com
pany. Think have been but at one fire ex-
has been Chief Engineer. On the night of
July 4th saw him half an hour after the alarm
He was on Maple Street. Went to Rogers and
asked him if he would let us have an engine
for for fiye minutes y. to play on certain building.
lie replied that he had not an engine to spare
He was calm and collected; knew nothing of
| the disposition of his engines. thought there
should have been a stlea s & Of water ON Manis
| the hogsheads. Think an engine should have
been placed on Danforth Street and another
| on Commercial Street, both playing on Maple
Street buildings. Think the fire that destroyed
Central and Long Wharves commenced under
as unfavOrable circumstances as that on the
4th of July. Think the engines were late at
the fire on the 4th of July, for there was, evil
dently, lack of water at the commencement
OF It, There was lack of promptness on the
part Of somebody in putting water on the fire.
Did not go down to Commercial Street until
the fire had passed Richardson's Wharf 1t is
not in the power Of an engineer to hurry fire.
After the fire had got down to Richardson's
wharf, the Mayor wanted some axes yolun-
teered to go and get them; the Mayor wished
me to assist in cutting down some buildings;
found Mr.. Rogers and took him to Cotton St.,
and told HIM l.I, 4 ne would give us stream Of
there; he replied that the engines were engage
ed in trying to save Richardson's Foundry the
fire did not cross over, as was afraid it would
to Doten's Machine shop. -. 7 f'ii -
Mr.. Barnes said that at every fire there were
plenty of outsiders always ready to volunteer
advice. If the Engineers paid attention to
these persons the most disastrous results would
generally follow. The Chief Engineer must
make up his mind and act from his own OBJ
ervations. Mr.. Barnes then explained the diff
ficulty that occurred at the Greenough fire, be-
tween himself and Mr.. Leavitt. He said he
ordered stream TO be thrown on the place
where the body of the fire was, but Mr.. 1sav-
lit insisted upon a different course, and the
consequence was that the building was des-
troyed; have nothing to say about the capaci-
ties of Mr.. Leavitt as Chief Engineer There
have been complaints made of every Chief En-
gineer; my opinion is that the fire should have
been stopped before it crossed Maple street; it
was not to be controlled soon after it had pass
ed that point; the Chief Engineer cannot CON
troll or hurry the water; think the regulation
requiring an engine to go to salt water If prac-
tlcable, is wrong one, and that it worked
badly at this lire. Do not hold Mr.. Rogers re-
sponsible for that regulation. b. gsI'lA d.
Mr.. Il. s. Rand was called but was nat pres
ent. ~, 4.sl y st NJ rrd ~ -
Mr., Samuel Thompson was called. He was
pipeman of the Machigonne. Went to Berlin
Mills wharf and were playing on the buildings
when Mr.. Littletield ordered us to play on the
sugar hOuse. Told him we could not do It.
We Were playing on the boat house when Mr..
Rogers ordered us up Maple street.. Run the
hose up that street and played a few minutes
when the hose was burnt. Saw nothing more
of Mr. Rogers until the next day at II o'clock.
10 Mr. Web6-The petition against Mr..
Rogers was in circulation four or five days, and
before the trial of Mr.. Leavitt. circulated
the petition and signed it, Never have had
any personal difficulty with Mr.. Rogers
Think the Department is better off for little
pulling between companies. 1t makes them
more efficient. a4f aiB 4fsas.if p.
Frank Merrill was called, but was not pres
ent. a qu.4f e- H,s -et 49, -rt
John B. Mitchell, member of Machigonne
company, was sworn. He thought it a weak
point in the Chief Engineer in ordering their
engine to DanfOrth and Maple streets u.
To Mr.. Webb.-Could not tell where the
other engines went, except the Portland which
was on Commercial street. Think she had no
fresh water, and was not playing stream
Helped remove the hogsheads from the cross
ing so that we could get our engine across, but
overlooked the fire and saw no stream playing.
Know nothing of the plans of the Enginders
for the dispositions of the engines at that fire.
l had the petition against Mr.. Rogers drawn
up and assisted in circulating it. There were
three copies Of it drawn up, but only two were
used. Those copies were in circulation about
o fortnight Am inventor of patent coupling
but have not asked the Chief Engineer to
adoptit ua.G af-- .fa
A. w. II. Clapp and Nathaniel Shaw were
called, but did not appear. ~
Henry Fox was sworn. No one appearing
for the petitioners to question him, in answer
\
partment 16 years, and was Assistant Enci-
neer three and half years. Mr.. Rogers was
not an engineer when was. Saw him at the
Corey fire and thought he managed it wei. -
At the fire on the 4th of July saw Mr.. Rogers
at the first Of the fire. then Thought it would
be a destructive fire in consequence Of the high
wind and the combustible material. Thought
there was delay in the Machigonnes getting
water upon the fire. Think our Department is
not what it should be-there should De more
men and more engines. Was with MT. rogers
when they were trying to stop tne nre at the
cooper's shop, Some one came and told the
Chief that q building was on fre on Union
street. Mr.. Barns asked him for steamer and
he replied that he had none. Found our own
building was in danger and got stream on 10
Il and saved it. Saw nothing that looked liked
incompetency on the part of Mr.. Rogers
Saw him at the State Street church fire, and
think he managed that we'll There was a
great deal OF outside interference, and had
been Chief Engineer would have placed the
outsiders in charge Of the City Marshal. AT a
hire the sidewalk members think they can
manage and direct a fire great deal better
Henry Dyer, John Rand, F. G. Meodyr Ed
ward Mason and John Mussey were called for
the petitioners, but none of them answered.
This finished the list of witnesses furnished
by the petitiOnerS,