The New York herald., 1868-02-20
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.

sho Cloth Tor the Uniforms s-Testimony Of
Engineers and Forcmen-The Modus Op.
ernudi at Headquarters.
The Assembly Committee yesterday continued thor
investigation into the affairs OF the Fire Department,
the Chairman, Mr. Alexander Frear. presiding lhe ex
animation thus tar has teen chiefly conducted by
Assenblywa Johnston. large number Of spectators
has been In attendance during the session OF The
mite, aud YESTERDAY representatives present from
the Cizens' alton. The following the addition.
al testimony taken:-
commissioner Wilson re-called,-The boilers OF the
engines examined under the super OF the
police; do not know that the superintendent of the
repair yar Mr.. Gibson, Is capable Of maxim, the in
spectOn: ne IS prac,,cal mschinist in OF
dent engine the engineer has discretionary power
In emergency air the DAMAGE when tn s
time is sent he repar yard or the material
pair furnished by requistiou think s done
now forty per cent cheaper than cond bs contrac
there are five steamers, including those upder
gong repairs; was captain of police before appoint
meni as Fire Commissioner; have no other bus ne's
cant tell through what influence was appointed;
great many eentl men clam 10 have done so
Charles l. lhapIu, be ng sworn, testified AS folows:
partment have erected lines OF wire 10 Mr. Sbslers
esdence and TO Mr.. Wilson'S; also erected wire to
OF the FIRST division wher, Mr. shaler has his o9ice
line to Mr.. Shaer's residence S7j the other
established now station at hotel by order of mr
My ers; 1t was Tie Westmins er Ho ell; II became
a. REGULAR signal station; Mr.. Ison ordered
the line 10 his house; il tost about $50; the
bills 'or their cons ructi were presented To the
department; my salary IS $4,000, from which pay
expenses of visiting the s,ations have tn rty bell
ringers, three ratora line and one bat
b0, used To nave horse ana wagon 10 20 about tho
Stations; u Is used by district engin .er there
u n Hrm in Centre street. over which sent
orders abont macnnery and ma'erais the fire alarm Is
not petfcct below -Four ee nth street, tho sy cra doxn
town Is ~O king under contract made bv the old
Board; up town the relay, bell magnet aud a key
sys,on was in reduced by the present Board, il
Cbar,es Mcmillan. NJ. D., beng sworn tesned--I was
appointed surgeon OF The department December ast
/ loua Nya = fnn.
hal made large number OF examinati ms; there were
nearly handrcd aud Gfty examinations; al nv own
private oli;r shou have arged 81 for each case
had rate Tor the department examn ,tions; !
nave attended SICK members tne army sys'em
introduced to prevent inposi,ion; l was medical
director OF tic cavalry division OF General
slcC,ean, aud Afterwards OF General Fz John Porter;
never attended ease Of Mr. Dones at No. Engine
house, nave been ca ed into General Shaler family,
out not since my app,n ment vhied no others OF the
Commis ion"rs or heir families
Henry A. Gibarts m bong sworn, tesuned-I
superintendent OF tue yari nv salary is 81, 200
yea; l am n mechanic: served seven years appr.n-
icesnip; have worked wentvs,ven years continuous
lv; ! am u blacksmith and macbiust: -erved three
years tho machine snop; tan engine but arm
prac engin .er / consider mvseif capable OF
examining our own bJiiers never passed an examin.
ado; nave three in the yard fully capable
OF making test; AN responsible for the examnaii Ds
WAS appointed by the Fire Commissioners have never
run engine; never ta.ted boilers myser: have no
to We leaves nf aosence know OF no lenv-
ing the attend primary election without losing
their tune; never paid " cent for NV appointment.
man Of E,y Company 49, get $l,500 salary; have
ten mon; have hai eleven the osner was ,rans-
torred scot me3 to e,ectoueer eec ion day; was
at The pots myself; sometimes I d, not lave men
onoagh at nre; ton mnn n1ko me short tandod:
nave osen ur.mau since 1852. the department would
be efficient with mon; the ght TO have
ralary u much police men; we have folded
erection u kets IN tho engine house; dd 1t on my
sponsibi,y; have ioncd tickets in the volunteer
Fne Depatn ~; ,hev were ropub can tickets; IL the
steam engine house; received money years ago from
foroi religious discussions la the engine house.
bi. not lii cal ones folded tickets but not for Mr.
sbaer, wnen ne sas candidate for supervisor
Wuliam btniam Jr, being sworn testih,d Il was q
fireman 1852; nad been foreman and as.s aut
iorenan sinae nave been an engineer have attended
political MEETINGS citizen; attended no convention
tsids the city; not a. Syracuse; have never
taken men to at snd a primary election; have staved
mee,ins hut not in Uniform; tho hsf Engineer
leave Of absence never xne~ OF tickets foded
IN the engine nousss in my district can get supplies
a quickly Nv The new i,rms Of requsuon as by the
old; the ord -rs are In the military style.
Joseph L. rio. tesnfe IL am Assistant Engineer Of
the depar men,: was a member OF the voiuut-er de-
parment siace 1857 am practical macbin's,; es-
tablishsd tna repair vari; think is supenntenicnt
ought be capaoic II t.sg boilers; 'he MT
assessed FIR pohtica pirposes during my admin stra
uon: do not know Of the use Of the men for election
eer'ng purposes.
w,iam burns tcstiied-T am superintendent OF
horses; purc3a cd .oms twenly-h horses In the
year 1857; Tho avsale vas from S9T5 t. $780, ,he
horses recently purchased by Comm vii
and Galway | never received any bonus present
dur,ng the II nc purchased horses; bought on my
own resp,nsibliy, wnere ! could get them and
for the least ~ rises nave never usei
Tor pleasure purposes for work outside tbs depart
ment; officer them for private use; ir-
pished noIs.s General haier his ar ou gaia or
holdsss 8; my saary = $500: pay my travelling
expenses; d,d pot for my appointment;
wa appointed by old board; never paid ~ hign
81 f3r hDr.e avc the general snper
o. the caro and manag mont OF the oor'es; the Com
missiones have inspect horses before they bus:
oraer feed only tor ihe hospital staolc-; the horse
! drive belongs :, myself tue WAGON be-
longs tns commissioners; thcrc seven
~arpns la the department; thee wagon for
Com mi -son-r.; ihs rss beonas TO General shaer
he Ia fed by tue department; my horse is fed aud
| 9 ahlcd by the dep,r, ncnt; | am not veterinary
surgeon nave atten led horses since hoybood;
feel myss uy capsb of trea ing all disease of
ous hundred aud three horses last year completely
| cured one hundred.
Charies H. GiIersieeve, being sworn deposed Il nave
been sccret,rv Of tue Board since May 1885,
cnar 20 the books of the depar meat; the cerks,
ven in numbar, w~re appointed by me Commission
The law likes the tbs clerks; generally
have per ornei n r duties sas acorls; III, grea at
uber OF vacaLcies on the 3oth Of December 1867
wnen II reached fts: the r,ls three diss
beiDr. the end OF the month; see that name IL
gwen wuici $ not author ed ] then Sc that
geaerai ani specid orders; ais, descr,ptiyo
\ llsts of the mer: Mr. Liebenan made M
application t. furnish The cloth for the but
| do know ~ha, b, anne Of ~ do not OF my own
knox dgc or bv nearss, know that the Commissioners
are Interested m the furnishing Of the clth do not
knpw whv nr ply ron OF December i $1,000 excrss
OF that o. No embcI; there might by possibility
| b pay ron II ~nich never knew not know or
any iumm e. u y necessary that the membrr- bny
the material Of their unorn through tue siorekeep
tIe comm-s oner- blv III CLOTH in large quaEuc. do
| KNOW tis cost Oh " per yari Know tunt ihe meu
bers asked to ,ubUte 20 Ia fund of the RepuD
hcan Central Com nitiee; think The was $40
| per fna1 d. mot Know oi any instances Of dismissal
for refusal u)4csioe; part Of the money na.s a
through NV hani.. but not secretary the Bua II
II went 10 waio Hutchnes; did sav that
| II vas he ter for the men To pw, | said u out
side the hall. gave this advice, but not officially
| did c,nvey the impresaon that IL was
4 requested by tho Comm ssioners; gave II nv
prisae opiu on as cizen-not as party man, but
friend; snolid haze gwen tho same advice " the
Democratic tate zen raj Committee hal asked
sessmentbat Is, IL thsy had the right 10 expect IT.
d. not know people call q radical republiran
but my tendencies decidedly that way: vent 10
the neren. ongDs houses aud volunteered tho op
that thew had better paw the assessment do
that w,od ani oai furnished to the private rest
dcnc,s OF the Commissioners; OF any lent
ency extended TO parties trial political
influences; do not Know OF anv combination the Board
or IN the COMMITTEE supplies; there s no olca or
der prohibiting The men from partc nz ~ po tics
except a. ending political c0nyentions think
l h..x ~ Ranh