New-York tribune., 1867-02-23
THE FIRE INVESTIGATION.

MEETING OF THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE YRsTER-
DAY-THE TESTIMONY.
The Assembly Committee on Insurance held
another meeting yesterday AZ the Metropolitan Hotel, 10
pursue their invest, CATION into the causes of the recent
1rrs I'm this city.
Mr Philip W Eass. ono of the Board of Fire Commis-
soncrs stated that TIE chief q increase ~ fires
were carr aud iuccudarsm. The Insurance Com
panic. created ~ destruction 20 property by their
system 81 over Insurance ana he believed c aIopuon Hi
@frin He did NOT think better chief Engineer than
the present Incumbent could bc appointed, and sad he
IaI Observed him closely being 20 the head of the Com
Inittre having tho apparatus n charge The Chief Eugi-
uocr ha control over his ublrduatcs and the District
Engineer report 10 him daily Mr. Eng, said he had
hi5s.H ON some occasior, pointed ont mistakes
to The Curf Engineer lud his A.'iants' which
e.-d H. uc number ~ Fire Commis loncrs, he
Thought the addition Of a hfih member would De
benefit DO other duties added. Bureau on stoT-
az Should be- established under tho auspices Of the
Hoard au 10 onr should have cpgtrol over the Ere
M7r'hl. Ir llrg Comm. .'ioncf he .t2tcd, sohrtnts
believed five commissioners would work harmonlousiy.
H. sd rvwars of mon were beneficial under the yoh-
tccr system bat the dutc, OF our frcnen now are pre-
fd lud pad for and hc believed additional rewards
would provo de- cumouta 90 the efficiency of the system.
Tie Illustrated tr practical working NJ rewards OF merit
by referring ~ he fire patrol appointed by the insurance
c6mpauc,. Th,sr. he snid, had rule under which
the pattu!mln who first gives alarm ~ fire
received g. A. reward, In consequence ~
which. the discovery ~ hrr' they hrSt record
the fct and Tim give the alarm; n they succeed In
cNtingu slug frc before alarm g. given they receive
s2s and roi.r0u,utly often Try their remedies To
han result he th,ueht would follow n Inc Fire Depart.
mcnt II thr rule WAS adopted h} i-r Hoill ne hhu
heard ol Fire interfering with the Cnicf
Engineer no fires but thought thi. would seriously in
commOdc him In the discharge ~ his duties In the
selection of fremG, hc -ald he never voted for or
against any man oi political grounds aud. though poll
ts might enter the management ~ the Department.
II did IL could i 90 prove injurious. lie had heard
of fremeu attending primary meetings. He gave IL as
his opinion that tlt number OF men for each engine
might bc increased AZ no greater cost than the present
expense but thought they should not be confined To the
engine HOUSE, This was necessary ~ hrst' hnt now
four men IN the house would be- huliceht II th' "nole
number waS increased To - instead OF IL Inc
outside men nlsi BE- permitted To putsuo oh,1 hN%oot %
but this could be carried into effect I'M
mediucly and "a sudden change would he preiudciaL In
regard 10 lc storage OF g"ou' "l an % vi I'm,
bustlbc nature lie said the Commissioners had appointed
whose duty 1t 10 inquire into the matter hut
the nppontec negeots his duty ANA steps afecg taken
for his removal The amcndatoty Fire Ia" last winter
AFFECT the trade Of the city; but htue would be accom-
plshcd by It's enforcement He said the Commissioners
agreed not to enforce H. Violations Of the have been
prosecuted by The attorney appointed by The Board;
testified that the fires that have occurred recently gen
orally originated In the inside Of buildings, and that
tugush them frequently they had attained such hend
way before being discovered that the destruction Of the
property was unayodale. lie said tat dhroe or -FOUR
more required 10 each engine The behavior
OF frcnen at fes he good, but at other times
TO those of the Police Department required. The
adoption Of rules OF decorum for remen outside OF their
public who are inclined TO regard frcmen as anything
else than exemplary ON the discovery Of fire notice is
always given at the engnehonses before II ls reported
at the stations, and the firemen arc prompt In
arriving fires They have sufficient apparatus but he
thought hosecaages with about four lengths OF hose
and detached hose for the OF the police might be use
fhl The Chief Engineer he regarded as ptop fire
mrn, and the present an improvement over the old ys
toin Under the old ~ stem the damage from water was
often greater than the qeirelio9 tgG ie sd s the
of kerosene: that owing to the smoke by which number
OF persons have already lost their lives, the storage o
five barrels was mrtlu twenty no kerosene should
be stored in tenemcnt-Ouse, and not more thi Dau
barrel at any other place. - -
AT this point Mr.. Engs suggested that N hose were
used Ia the recommended by Capt Mount owing
tO OF head the water would be taken nom the eli
gines that IL wa, admitted the fremsn reached fires as
soon il was for TO get 90 them; and that
everything that cuts off water from the engines Is IL
furious. ? -
James NJ McGrcgor superintendent OF Buildnga,
stated that It his duty TO supcrntend the construc
tOn OF buildings and examine buildings that were con
sdered unsafe but he had no authority To enter buildings
with reiercnc6 10 cOmbustibe material stored In tem
to order It's removal The Building law, he said not
stringent enough but buildings were now better con
stuCted than formerly The wooden construction OF the
interior of buildings otherwise fire proof Is what renders
II impossible cytnguish fires Some of the handsomest
buildings In the city he said are not Lfe proof t was use
less To make the outer walls fireproo while the inner
combustIbe. The building Department. he th0uShtshou1
he untrammeed in It's action, should nave Inc power Oh
arrest and the authority 70 stop the erection O buildings
without other process OF law. At present by tho delays
known TO New York lawyers. lapse OF two or thleo
years stoned before Is disposed or Ihc cause
action should be against the superintendent lie sdlu
that he undertook 10 prevent persons from putting up
defective buildings his efforts were rendered ruiess y
tardy litigation. He did not believe nre escapes
were practicable that but very few houses were irhseu
with them and the law itself Is defective. He cOlroDo
rated the testimony of the other witnesses on over hSui
auce and the loose action OF insurance companies
Tue Committee adJ0urued q4.I ~ 0sIVeA t4ts YIutnS'