Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-05-17
The Fire Department

The Fire Department..
REPORT rp', ON, ON THE DELAY IN THE ALARM FOR
OF THE HOOK AND LADDER COMPANY TO BE
INVESTIGATED.
The board of fire commissioners met last
night-W. X. Collins, vice president, in the
chair, in the absence of the president. Mr.
Booker, from the committee on hose, reported
the supply on hand in very bad condition.
a report was read from the committee
Messrs. w. X. Collins, (chairman,) John A.
Bayley, Chief Engineer Cronin, and Superin-
tendent Mies-who were instructed by r. so
luton OF the board to investigate the cause of
the delay IN communicating the alarm for the
recent fire at Michler Place to the engine com
panies.
The testimony Of p: saurs., operator in
fire, is to the effect that he asleep when the
alarm came III; that the first he knew of it the
alarm gong ringing off, which awoke him; that he
arose at or ce-t was then LII O'Clock by the clock
looked at the galyanometer and saw the western
wire vibrating; got click every five six nds
from crossed wires other causes; stood hing
full n. mute, but did not think il fire alarm,
to go to bed after adjusting the apparatus when
box 6o was struck off that was about l:20
he cent out the alarm and repeated it. Alarms
over the western and other wires in Wash
on account Of the bad condition # the Wires (WHICH
are almost worn out) and their connections in the
when the alarms are unintelligible until after a
very careful sdjustmont of the instrument the only
correct alarms come from Georgetown where they
have new wires and new boxes, the alarms come in
right from there on almost any is of
box iS or from two or more boxes at once, and that
turned in; does not think it possible that ho could
sleep 50 s.und that the gong would fail to awake
ifany signal came over the wires, perfect imper
Mr.. Squires was positive to the time whom he
get the alarm and equally positive that he could
have slept the gong had sounded before that time
on duty the night of the Michler Place fire, was
sworn, and testified that he heard 10 disturbance
lS0s m BY the clock in his office, which is gener
heard an alarm and counted up to six, when he
turned up the lights. and just then Mr.. Squires hal
loed down the speaking tube from the upper story
"Box 6S." The remainder of his testimony to his
| communication with the police stations is not i'm
| came to the FIRE alarm Office.
Other testimony is reported, together with
some of the paragraphs in the published report
| of Capt. Brock, of the police, containing state
| ments of Privates McGlue and Miles; also,
| statements contradicting the same, from Mr..
III. H. Bishop, fire alarm operator, and Messrs.
| Young and Robbins, of the signal Office of the
/ L. s. army; and the committee say:
Other statements fixing the time of turning in the
lilo o'clock; but your committee are reluc,antiy
forced TO the conclusion that the alarm turned
alarm within those ten minutes This still leaves 10
| to % minutes unaccounted for-rather too much to
slow at the west end of the city and all fast at the
center, After hearing the gong sonpd, your com
could sleep while il was sounding, but cannot agree
with him that it is impossible he could have slept
Even with the most improved IRE alarm, If the
trail office is kept up, there should be operator
on dnty there tand swakel all the time. This would
require three instead of two We have At present
SO that they could relieve each other 1t would be
safer TO rely on the old way of carrying the alarm to
| the engine houses, than to trust to -out
and defective fire alarm system, with the operator
ne eeda In 4o Ts s 5 Srs
have been in use nearly ten years and portions Of
ton. Our boxes, too, are unreliable if worked By
ignorant, Careless nervous persons, aud il
Are turned in no Ineligible
The only persons connected with the fire depsrt.
nate delay are those connected with the fire alarm
| telegraph, as the engine companies promptly re-
that at ns the alarm
engine houses and that at "a No: reel and engine
that the fre.alarm telegraph wa. not in good
atlon n as It usually L. that # blame attaches 70
eountsble: but his statements, under III, which
sent out the alarm as soon as he heard it, With
sIoSsblitY for desY on Moald De easy to NJ the re-
cannot now be DONE"
The report was adopted.
| On motion of Mr.. Bailey the com mittee on
rules and discipline was authorized to inquire
into the reasons for the repeated absence of
the foreman Of the hook and ladder company
from duty.
AN iNcRNDIARY FIRE.-About 10x O'Clock
last night fire was discovered in the variety
store of E. s. Hartogensls, No. 1924 It'll street
which was extinguished without causing an
alarm to be turned in, with the loss of about
sloo. 1t is supposed to have been the work OF
an incendiary.
| "A MEETING OF THE MEDICAL SOCIETY Of
the District Of Columbia, is requested &C G m
zaga haii, + street, northwest, this evening ut Z
O'Clock, to take a-fion in relation to the death
OF the - ts DIR. w. II. Combs
JAMES Z. MoRGAS, NJ. D., Presid mt