The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-02-23
FIRE INSURANCE.


Tho Legislative Committee ON Insurance
Ycsferday's Session.
This committee held another session Yesterday at the
Metropolitan Hotel for the purpose OF continuing their
inquiries into the causes Of the destructive fires
in this city. Mr. Alex Frear occupied the chair.
The hrst party examined was Mr.. Philip W. Engs one
o. the Board Fire Commissioners who had served in
the old department twenythree years. and was in one
way or another connected with for over ATTY years
IL said that careessness Is for many hres
and added folows:-Inatte rton to laws Is another
cause do not think that the laws and ordinances which
we now have would prevent fires entirely If they were
enforced; have testimony to Offer that they are not
enforced; commissioners had meeting 10 regard to
storage; the law very Incomplete, and did
not give all the authority il ought to-
employed person to SEQ that 1t was car
ried out; we have attempted to enforce il
rs regards the storage OF alcohol and cotton the concu
sion vas not to cramp commrrce possible;
had meeting at which concluded not to enforce the
law; the Fire Commissioners ID not agree upon this
bill before IT went to Albany since nv knowledge Of
the fire department l have fever seen movements
quiker than those oil the pres0t department; we
allowed fortyseven seconds fori start from the engine
house; va vary sometimes; the average time used IN
getting to fires within the disricwhere The engine es
i about three minutes; they &C the water on fire
the old department did N that respect the latter
does not bear comparison 10 te present department.
the mode slowing sioress one o. the troubles cx
n
dow Al the place where the 'es and first meets with
ha'o OF cation which forbid Ais entrance that naads
attention. great portion the losses of Insurance
iessDess in conducting their business; an.
o.ber point is that hey insure too heavily:
thiu. they are correclir that now howeycr. I have
bad plants made TO 40 as to thu competency or in
competency OF the Chiefngncer but the complainans
we're not parties to jndsor were preiufced do not
know were 10 find be.r man for the Office; he Is a
man Of cool deberatio conc ded that there was no
better man to be fod Mr. Engs then went on TO
added; AS to the Coinissoacrs 'hlnk that a Gfh
member to the Board light be added, for whom duties
conld be assigned IN on to storage, &C. instance
do not know but th:the Commissioners ought to have
authority Fire Marshal The Boari some. |
times 10 o'clock when tie vote stands 1.-TWO 10 |
two We have exrienced within three weeks tho |
effect OF something Mch think is nilrious The ,n'
snrancs comprehensive patrols, who, II they should
discover fire, get So il they extingush
eddy bad regula.in; llvc heard Of instances where
the CommssionersAave ltcrsc Ell with the engineers
e newer saw a in the sn Of the
engineers aud mary OF the eneers proper were mem
beers o. The od ap1msSnsscs IN DEMOCRAT and have
Marty; Suppose polite. VIII Syk in; they did In the
old department bmt v r.vs companies attending
p my own osn myss; my party
and can hav1h extension Of he n,mb ~ ~ ;,,
grsa.sr e cssary 10 keep IL MANY ~ satisfied that
.,,,3e sufficient; then increse.e num- noussi TOUR
was neas examiner q precinct
1e great Ores to the fact that thS ause ~
the centre OF buildings, where they could w. ~
reached by tho nromen; that 10 the cauA y r.aisy
why they easily extinguished; DO tnlnk,
there arc enough to each engine 70 sncs .nlnk
perry; there were three four more men 10 pro
engine think il would be better; the discipline AIRY
fires ID good but the houses bad the mon are Ialks
T Rrs Is rules
thing Of tner conduct In the house; the nremen AT
prompt At tho nres and have known them 70 20 ous
and under Roadway minute after the alarm; navc|
called the attention or tho Chief Engnccs In regard TO
the members Of tho forco talking with women In the
street. but no said that he never saw tnem; IN
nv opinion they are doing remarkably we'll for the
number OF think that some hose carriages would
be eu; the trouble with the old department was Una.
the men threw too much the hrcs think mat
this deparment is far superior to the old ono; nave
seen numbers OF fires where the flames originated ~ tue
centre Of the buildings thereby On two or
three occasions complaints have been made 70 me that
kerosene had been stored in cellars, ana
notified the Commissioners the law allows I'VE barrels
on premises where think not over bali barrel should
be kept for in case Of re the smoke would suiDcate
IN the place praps pe,Or T prcnoa
Mr. Engs here made some add uonai remarks IN reia-
ton 10 the OF water betw6en tue reservoir ana
where tho fire Ia in progress The result was tnat 10
supply was greatly weakened and he thought therefore,
that hose companies would DO OF no use.
Mr. James McGreggor supennsenaens o. nuha anp,
member Of the old Fire Department for nitcen OF sis
teen years: his duty now was TO inspect unsafe ou
ings; he thought that buildings nowadays were Goa
structcd better than they previous as
general thing fires occur in old structures; the presa.
building law was stringent enough IL should be that
power was invested remedy ali evils beforehand ano
then let actions OF law afterwards arrests snoo
be made II necessary, whom dangerous buildings were
in course Of constructions II should enforce the system
OF erecting buildings hrcproof inside rs well ~ OUTSIDE
there was tho HERALD building that would stand pu
take the structures Church street, thoy would DO de
stroyed nree or four hours after the DIRE broke OUT n
places o amusement we're mere finder boxes, ye, con
struced according to law; Now York had never had
perfect building lava thing which all large cities re
aurcd he thought that tho insurance companies we're
great deal TO blame themselves for the losses they incur
| rod by SO loosely conducting their business
The committee then adjourned until this morning,
/ ten o'cock