The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1868-09-12
LOCAL DEPART.M EN'r

mittee met at CITY Hall, and the first business |
GenSe relative to the ovcrturnins Of Tie |
Franklin engine.
Committee OF Investigation OF the over,urn-
:Presenf, Mr.. Gorbutt, chsirmsn, and Messrs,
johnson and Thompson, members, Il. l.. Cor !
bin At msgistratej accidents occurred on the
way to false alarm from box %. org s.'' II
Relative to upsetting OF Engine No.2,
Mr.. John q. Cleary sworn! was upon the
engine when II overturned at the corner OF
Seventh street md Pennsylvania avenue. !
was on the rear end OF. the engine coming
down Pennsylvania avenue towards Seventh
street, when near Eighth street the Hook,
Mr.. r. I. Johnson, the driysr, held up
% .. q, ,s ,5rs sIS {; ts he sgt f1 9S
the truck was passing between Seventh nnd
The accident did not occur untii we arrived
at the corner OF seventh street and Pennsyl.
vania avenue. lie then attempted to turn up
track; he was not going very fast. The horses
were not running. His speed was not as great
rs when coming down the Aycnue. II occurred
side was found unhliched aftert the accident.
The engine slid, think, as we TUNED. was
excited by tho sliding, believe that upsetting
track. Ibeiieye that II the engine wss or the
track II would not have occurred, I think
that by suddenly turning Il would slide ON the
track. think the alarm was box t25., IdOnt
think any stranger was In the house before
the alarm was struck. The engine turned
think The engine had been intst9sred With III ao
believe 1t was purely accidental. Il do not
know that any thing had been done to the
engine. was under the impression the engine
was off the track; lido not think 1t would over.
turn IL of tho track. When the driver turned
from the track he was between Seventh and
Eighth streets. 1t was near tho intersect ION
of the tracks. The drivers life was imper-
illed. Hkd he been Off the track II would not
have occurred. The horses had been changed
before, hut not on that night, to my kpo~l.
edge. 1 think the harness was correct; no
one said that the horses had been changed. I
10 not think the horses were changedj have
nothing to do with the horses.
Mr. X. T. johnson sworn: | AIN the driver
OF engine No. 2; we hitchcd to run to box Is.
fast until we struck twoj broke down near
Eighth street, and turned from the track; the
hook-and.ladder then passed, and my horses,
think, turned on the track again; thought
was OF the track; the horses had stopped
when the engine went over; was IN my seat
when we overturned; felt the sliding and
not notice anything about the wheels being
out of order; did not notice any one not be.
longing to the company present when we re-
ctived the alarm; the old men were present In
the afternoon, the reins were correct; the
horses were not changed; have been since;
took the horses from the engine, and when the
engine was rightcd the horses were called for;
an cXtraman led hack one OF them and the
other; he placed his horse on the wrong side;
uld not nOtlce ~ until after 1 got into my
seat, when | ordered them changed, whiuR
was done; one of the traces was unlocked.
Mr.. Elwoodi One of the rear wheels was u
little used; three of the wheels were a 1T.
tie loose in the hubs; are tight now; l think
Mr.. j. u competent driver; the snap was
broke, which, In my opinion, caused the accl-
dent.
The killing Of the horse John on Ei.'th
street, 2lst August:
George N. Nicholson. sworn-A tiliCFman; I
was on duty; the foreman was away; my bro
Their took his place; received the alarm; i've
bells struck looked at the number on the
list what was; an eAtra man sang out 6jj l
said mo; there Is no such bnN;n heard II
strike twice; could not count the gong down
stairs; was aware OF the fact there were no
duplicate numbers; we ran TO the light; I
think Mr.. WAliron. hearing IS called ouf, took
the wrong road; we went down to Eigh h
turned down Eighthj we had passed. tho pot
teryi can't say whether he Attempted TO turni
middle OF the streeii thought the horsc hsi
fallen In the gutter; could not see the driver
alter we passed the pottery: did not know the
lumber pile was there until put my hand on
the piles we came into the pile coming di.
rectly down the street; could have passed had
1t been daylight; think Mr.. WaIdron q good
driver; don't believe he can be beatj lie wns
slightly inJurcdi did mol sec the pile before we
came to II; don't believe 1t could nave been
think we received the right alarm; think 3
the right alarm Tom Sorrell was present
when we leit the houses one of the extra men
rhos. a. SorrelI, acting driver Hook and
Ladder, sworn went TO the house after Tho
alarm had struck three times; the driver was
getting on the truck; told him box 6; he sal I
1t was 30 or y; | told him to dFiYe where he
pleased told him TO 80 east, when he wcnt
west, but don't think he heard me, owing to
the noise; don't think he went wrong pur
posely; there 10 a great dc al of noise made by
dressing and hitching up, hence the driver
from some one elsej think would have been
more apt to get . correct alarm at my house
than az the truck never ran from the house
at the gong; two men are always at the house
have had charge OF the horses-one horse IL
The T., one In W stall, and 4 horses In centre
the driver has to go anyhow to the fire,
whether the alarm be correct or not; do moi
know the capabilities OF MIR. Wsldrou; the
morning was very dark.
John Waldron, hostler, sworn: took oh rRt
on Wednesday evening; the accident oacurreC
on Friday night; know nothing of the alarms
had been deceived about the alarm before
heard Sorrel say It was box o. but was sfrail
l might be deceived; saw the light on, as
supposed, Twelfth street; but 1t proved to hi
the pottery; | am positive received the wrong
alarm both timcsi am not thoroughly posted
have been In the habit OF driving horses have
drove eight horses.
any man could not have escaped the lumber pil'
II he had driven down the street; the drive
should have known the lumber waB there's
did not instruct the driver that II WAS tn ere;
think the driver culpable; he had been Rp
pointed on Wednesday night; the accident oc
CURED on Friday, and tnink It hardly prob
able that he had requisite information; tn,
morning was very dark have heard that MIR
Waldron was an excellent driver; heard Mr.
Wilson OF the navy-yard say so.
The following order was adopted
COMMISSIONERS Room,
, CRY HALL. Sept. II. ISIS. I
SIR: You will hereafter use tho signals n
aid down In tho printed book In your OH q
for any communication that may be made b.
the COMM ssioners, until further orders
Very respectfully,
JoHs W. TnoMrsoN,
WIN. II. GoRHUTT,
John IL. JoHNsoS,
Commits sloncTs.
The committee then adjourned until the lStl