The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-29
THE RECENT CONGREGATIONS.

WERE THEY MIsMANAGED By THE FIRE DEPART
MENr?-cHIEF BATES INSTRUCTED TO MAKE
AN OFFICIAL INvEsTIGATIoN-A RAP AT THE
INSURANCE PATROL.
President King. Of the Fire Department. has in
struced Chief Bates TO make official investigation
into the in which the recent destructive fires
at Worth and Grand streets managed by the
Fire Department. This action has been prompted
by adverse criticisms the part of underwriters and
also by recrininstions between members of the de-
partment. The Fire Insurance Patrol felt aggrieved
at having suffered the destruction of all their covers
ct the Grand street fire and blamed the members of
the Fire Department for their loss The latter force
assert that the Fire Patrol made bunge Of
it by not removing the goods to the sidewalk in
time. and laugh at the stupid device of covering
goods in the second aud third stories OF building
which wrapped in flames. This clash of rival
interests soon led to ordinations both Sides and
has opened hostilities of bitter nature
AN OFFICIAL IT.
Said leading official Of the Fire Department yes
terday to q HERALD reporter-'We cannot answer all
critics by rushing into print. Our actions speak
louder than words OF the 1000 fires which have
successfully extinguished yearly before any material
damage is done nothing is at all said but because
few buildings DEFY our energies. and they become
consumed despite our Efforts then we are told that
the department is grossly mismanaged If had
received the alarms promptly in the Grand and
Worth street fires, would have stranglcd the
flames in their birth. have no doubt those build
ings fire for more than an hour before
notification was sent to Us. We were ut the Worth
street fire almost immediately after the alarm was
received, and then the flames had full sweep ut the
structure. The first alarm sounded at eight
minutes to eight p NJ, by the Automatic Signal Com
psny, and simultaneously another alarm was re-
ceived from box No. So. Chief Bonner. Of No. En-
CINE Company. and Hook and Ladder No. l were at
the fire three minutes after the alarm was sounded.
Seeing the MAGNITUDE of the fire he at sent out
a second and third alarm. Captain kehoe, OF Engine
Company No. Z, led his men through the building ut
Worth street, but the flames stole upon them and
they were obliged to make their escape through
Thomas street Chief Bonner said that he never saw
q more brave or determined set of men than those
asserted that the Grand and Worth street fires
the best stopped fires New York ever saw
"But Mr. Thornell, an underwater, complains.
among other things that the buildings were from
their peculiar construction easily handied that for
instance the hatchways and skyghts were all closed
down. thereby shutting off the draught and prevent
ing the rapid spread of the hames" said the re-
porter.
anything about fires must be aware that these very
conditions facilitate the spread Of flames. In such
the first thing to be done is to open the roof
and upper windows to relieve the building
OF hot air and smoke, otherwise 1t would
na idea Is n psr wh the One %ho
called to account for not placing ladders up to the
fourth story windows, when the longest ladder in
only reach to the third story Besides. 1t would be
| certain death for the to venture on ladders
| in front OF the burning buildings They were
similarly constructed and about the same height.
| The corniccs made OF galvanized iron
and these became red hot and fell to the sidewalk in
Jumps of blue flame. In contradiction Of Mr.. Thor
| nell's favorable opinion OF the buildings may be
mentioned the views the subject Of Colonel
| Frederick Conkling who is president OF the lEtna
| Fire Insurance Company He said that he regarded
those buildings without exception the most dan
cerous in the city regards the spread of fire.
WHERE THE BLUNDER WAS.
''There seems to be conflict of authority between
the members OF your department and the Fire lnsur-
| ance PatrOlY
well il there is there should be none. The inter-
ests and duties of both bodies should be the
The fnct is the insurance patrol Numbered seriously
and to relieve themselves of blame they have en-
deavorcd to throw the responsibility on our men.
For instance, when the Fire Insurance Patrol
tingents reached the Grand street fire they pro-
ceeded to protect the goods the upper
floors by placing them under cover instead OF making
effort to remove the wares to the street. or
course the flames consumed everything, the covers
included. which were almost rrcparable loss to
the patrol men. They got mad at this and
order to conceal their own laundering and
want of judgment On the other hand, at the
Worth street ire frightened by their previous expe
rience in Grand street. they hesitated to risk their
covers and SO they left the goods exposed and, of
course, what escaped the Are destroyed by the
water. In Worth street their would have been
effective in saving valuable property, but they
thought the entire buildings. with their contents
doomed and they preserved their covers ut the
expense of the goods When they reached the of
the conAagration they displayed their covers to ad
| by the water; but they became alarmed at the
spread of the flames and removed their covers and
| fed from the building"
II has not been definitely settled when the invest
cation will begin No time. however will be lost be-
| yond that necessary to summon witnesses in the
| case.