Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-09-03


York avenue, o-morrow evening
The fourth annual pic mic of the Columbia
PTessmeL's Society takes place At Juenemann's
The Active Base Bali Club give an excursion
to GIymOnt. for the benefit OF ST. Peers Pa
rochial School, on Monday next.
The first grand picnic of the drivers Of the
Was hington and Georgetown Ice Company
takes place at the Seyenth-street Park this eve
ming.
The steamer Arrow leaves her wharf foot of
sth street every afternoon at ~ o'clock for
Marshall Hall and the White House, returning
about ten O'Clock pm.
THE FIRE-ALARM INVESTIGATION.
Superinte ndent Larcombe Before the Com
mittte.
LAST evening the investigation as TO the fail
ure of giving alarms of fire promptly was re-
sumed before Commissioners Thompson and
Johnson, at the room of the Commissioners,
City Hall.
The Raub fire case was first taken MP. and
Sergeant ;. Il. Clements was sworn by Jus
tiCe Corbett.-Witness was on duty at head
quarters of police on July 10Th, 1.-THE date of the
tre II Raub's,) and received a dispatch from
the Central Guarfhouse at 3:3l-the signal 523
(stIike the alarm from this sration:) went up
stairs and told Mr.. LarcOmbe TO strike IS Gem
trail GuaTdhOuse), and he replied that he was
striking 70 Franklin Engine-house.) At 3:35
was asked II he had struck the alarm, and an
swered that y was struck. At Bias was asked
II general alarm had been struck and an
sWereu NO ana at 3-JO was asked TO strike a
general alarm and informed Mr.. Larcombe
James Lone. FOREMAN of No s. The alarms
since the char ge in the Department, until the
past two weeks, have been conn ng very irregu-
lar FOR the past two weeks they have been
tolerably correct up TO this time could not get
the alarms; received alarm for the fires 1T eth
street Park, Raub's factory, in Theatre alley.
Was not positive rs to the last, (box AL but
thinks he did not get It. Got box Ia alarm, for
the fire in Purdy's Court, (near LIST street west
and Pennsylvania ayenue0 hitched up and
stood In the house. II being his own box
Heard the Rucker carriage come up. Could
not make any number out OF the alarm for the
FIRE at 7th street wharf-13 and n seemed 10 be
the numbers. Wen. there with the apparatus
ste.ng the light. The bells struck twice be-
fore he left. The box should have been 81
CToss-eXamIned by Mr.. Iarcombe:-The bell
weeks; used TO send mp and shake the trips ont
rs hlgh as three times a day; had done since
Mr.. LarcOmbe had charge. could not tell the
cause OF the tripping; learned 10 use the term
from Mr.. TaIcott.
Mr.. LarcOmbe explained that he had only
heard the term trip at No. house, and il
referred TO the machinery catching.
Mr.. Thompson explained 10 Mr.. johnson
that the word trip was proper one, and II
was IN use by the members of the old depart.
ment.
The eross-examination was resumed. and
witness said for two weeks after Mr.. l. took
chaTge he shook two trips out; ceased because
some of the men SAID that he (Mr. L. hal made
some remarks about them. and witness told
them not 10 touch it; never heard Mr. L. make
any such remarks, or any other remarks in
yiolous TO witness OF his men. Witness had
nothing 10 complain of es 10 lis intercourse
BY Mr. Johnson:-It the trips were not
shaken out perfect alarm could not be given
the bell would not strike. This condition of
things lasted until about three weeks ago and
since AID until last Saturday morning there
mad oeen no tripping OF the bell, although the
alarm was not plain then. Since Mr.. l.. had
corrected tina; trouble ION Saturday Iasr) the
bell has struck correctly.
BY Nh ThOmp 5on:-WItness had shook the
trips out once a day unCer Mr.. Talcott and
under Mr.. LIS admInisl alton the trip5 had
been shaken out three lines per day. IMr. Lar.
COmbe objected 20 tn evidence and il was
ruled out.l The bell began 10 trip during the
last three or tour weeks OF Mr.. Talcotts ad-
mInlstranon. occas Ionally, but not over once
pr day. Witness had reported the tripping 10
Mr. Thompson. Il is supposed the trips Were
caused by corrosIOn or rust and when the ball
had been clean>ed there would not be trouble
Tor weeks OF months. Wines informed Mr.
Thompson that the men had told him that Mr.
L. had SAID the bell had teen tempered with,
and Mr.. Il. ordered him not 70 allow the men
10 touch the bell. tThis evidence was objected
TO by Mr.. l. as hearsay.l
BY MIR. Larcombe--At the fire on CanitoI
Hill. the alarm for box eight was struck cor
reetly, as also box five for the fire at Lincoln
Depot
Jasper A. Smith, Fireman No. 3.-Wi,ues
knows that the bell Of No. strikes irregularly:
received no alarms tor the Park OF Raub's SOAP
factory fires. Was out OF the house when the
alSrm was struck for the pottery fire, (RiIey's,l
but was out of the engine house at the tire
AT The Purdy court fire got box II, mo. en-
elne nouse,) when box OF adams Express Of |
hee) was the nearest; witness got the horse out |
and hooked up: did not leave the house Wit
ness, with the exception OF three Mont tbs, had |
been In the department since its organization.
There had been some trouble with the bell, but |
not often, under the late administration; I'M |
derslood that II was caused by corrosion. There
has been more trouble with the bell under the |
present administration than before: attributed |
IL 10 the same cause; could net assign any rea-
son for the increased number of failures: the
Steeple rs IN worse condition now, as regards
leakage, than il was when Mr.. Talcott had
charge. For the past two weeks, except on
saturday morning, the bell has struck cor
rectly- Witness could not make out the alarm
on Saturday morning; saw the light, and ran
for IL Witness has been present when Mr..
Larcombe was repairing the apparatus: did not
hear him say that the apparatus had been tam
pered with.
Cross-examined by Mr.. Larcombe :-Raub's
hre was not in No 3's district; would not have
gone unless they received a general alarm. The |
Park Is II No 3's district. The bell was out of !
order under Mr.. TalcOtts administration: don't |
think that IL was so during the latter part of |
his administration. The nearest box is not al |
ways rung in
The examination washere closed |
MI johnson inquired of Mr.. Lareombe the |
cause Of the bell Oh St Mary's Church 18th !
street. sinking he hours incorrectly, some
times makIag dou BILE strokes: and he explained
that be had understood that this bell had in
one case struck twenty-four for twelve He
had examined the machinery, and came 10 the
conclusion that one OF the cOgs was too long
u was not caused by an electrical defect, but
n mechanical one, and he hoped soon 10 have II
striking right.
TIE. MARYLAND SUFFERERs.-Mr. Angus
tus Z Perry, treasurer for the relief fund of
the sufferers in Maryland by the late flood,
submits the following report to-day:-H. n. |
Easoy, additional collection from the First |
Ward, $; collection by Mr.. Mark Woodward,
from The Government Printing Office, Slgl,
which added 10 q former collection, aggregates