Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-06-07
LOCAL NEWS.

company. held last night, Benjalaln oaf'on'
esq. President, in the chair. After electng
member and transacting some business rea-
tive to the expenses of the late procession, the
committee of investigation on the management
Of the late fire, submitted the following report
which was unanimously adopted and the COM
mittee discharged
To the Hydraulion Steam Fire Engine Co.:
Gentlemen: In accordance with the duty I'M
posed upon us of investigating the causes OF the
Acknowledgement through which the public build
ings were recently destroyed, with 4 view to as
certain whether any blame in the matter Is to
be imputed to any of our officers or members we
have examined such witnesses as appeared be-
fore US, after due public notice Of the times APP
pointed for our meetings, and their evidence we
respectfully submit.
Among the members of other companies, es-
pecially the Columbia, we found q disposition to
aid us to the fullest extent and though We could
not have deemed il in any way discourteous had
they declined giving their evidence before us,
they offered spontaneously all the testimony they
could furnish. The employees At Mount Cam
eron too, came forward most readily and gave
us every information we cou! require as 10 Tue
supply of water. 1t was only among our own
members that we found difficulties raised, or"hS
effort to depreciate the importance OF the 'h'es-
tigntlon. 49,, :.o,sos
From the testimony VI IlalN VI Wv "'N
il is apyarent that had our pipcncn been aD!e 10
keep up q steady stream forty or l!tT leet Ngn'
the marke: house would not have been burned,
and lis it is shown that the hose were IN proper
condition and that they were laid out IN such Il
manner us to allow the free passage or water: W.
must ocnuit the commanders Of all blame, since
il is evident that had water come through INC
hose with sufficient force, 1t would nave pceh
properly thrown.
All the testimony of the gentlemen connected
fn
.tcre WAS IN insufficient supply of water 70 tnat
engine until late hour III the night, alter whlCh
they had an abundance, and our own plpemeh
and other officers testify TO Il similar abun!ahce
from our engine about the same time; II Is no.
our province to examine the causes OF the want
of water felt by the Columbia and other engines;
we have to dc simply with our own engine ana
its management, and though the testimony OF
the employees Of the Water Company Is full
and explicit as to the supply OF water on INC
night Of the fire having been rs great rs usual,
We should have been constrained to believe that
somc obstruction in the pipes, or some cause we
had failed to discover, created deficiency IN the
supply at the plugs used, did not the positive
testimony of our own engineer forbid this con-
clusion He says he had plenty of water at all
times. and though the President OF the Columbia
expressly states that he told him the contrary
during the fire, ne explains the apparent dis
crcpancy by saying that he meant for two
streams.
AS therefore Tie evidence we have taken
conpels us to admit that there vas no deficiency
in the supply Of water - engine, and rs 1t Is
equally clear that It did not come to the pipes
with sufficient force, we think 1t obviously de-
iolres on the engineer to give satisfactory real
son for the failure, and we submit that the rea-
sons he has given are not satisfactory.
Before concluding this report, we cannot but
call your attention 10 the fact stated bya witness
that Unauthorized persons were constantly inter
terng with the work with which he was charged,
going so far rs to give him orders, which, how
ever, it does not seem that he obeyed. The
practice has been for years source OF great con-
fusion and difficulty, and we recommend that
measures &c taken 10 put stop to it:
Richard l.. CARVE
II. j. NEvETT.
VI. B. HARLOW
ALEXANDRIA, June L. 1871
On motion of Fl. j. Nevett, resolution was
adopted, appointing committee to meet COM
mittees of the other companies onthc 22dlnst..
to propose regulations for keeping outsiders of
the fire ground and thus preventing interior
encc with the 6remen in the discharge OF their
duty. The Chair appointed Messrs Henry j.
Nevett,- Richard L. Carne and John \.
Travers
On motion of H. J. Nevett resolutions Of
thanks to the ladies who furnished flowers Tor
the procession, TO Mrs. Young, Mrs Doran
and other ladies for trimming the apparatus; to
various lOi tliC loill Va uuSS' "i"' "
the Adams Express agent for loan OF harness,
were adopted ~
Previous 10 the meeting the following addl-
tional evidence was taken by the investigating
committee
Banner IT, Young testified as follows: Got
out Of the engine house very quickly; as we
passed the fire, the flames were bursting from
the window and door of Huntington store the
goose neck of the engine had dropped OFT near
the engine house, and my father told me to go
back and get 1t; found it, and when got back
everything was ready for attaching 1t to the
plug; after my father and Capt. Steuart had
started the engine, | took charge of 1t until the
fire was over; there was water enough Tor one
steamer but not enough for two; had as much
water as we commonly do being five pounds
pressure more than we had at the trial on the
following Monday; the engine was in perfect
order don't think the engine worked too last
10 get her water; WAS at Moran hire on hlng
street; there were two streams but both dlu
not play together; when We first began TO throw
we had only one stream in about ten minute:
Mr.. Simpson, | think. put on another stream
am not certain it was Mr. Simpson who put on
the second line of hose, think both played to-
gether perhaps five minutes, when some one
reported that NO water was going out at tn.
pipes; and the water Of one stream was cut OFT,
BY whose order can't say; one line Of hose was
them run down King street and up Miller $ al,
lev: Mr. Simpson then came up and ordered
the water to be turned on those hose, and the
ROYAL street stream to be cut off, which Was
done; then Mr.. Cogau,, Capt Steuart,,, and
other gentlemen came aud asked that the Roya
street stream be turned on; refused, except by
order of the commander then the Chief EngI'
neer and MIR. Simpson came up and l think
Mr. Simpson ordered that stream to be tqrpeu
on for few moments, it stayed on probably
eight minutes, during that time the water WAS
turned off the King street line OF hose; 1t WAS
then turned on the King street line and that
line only was used during the rest of the fire at
one time during the fire Mr.: Cogan came up
and turned on the water without my consent;
did not hear anybody say that money was to be
paid for anything.
PROF SHARFF's READING The reading by
I