Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-15

writer's Association, yesterday declared the
proposed fire engine test set for Exposition
Park this morning, should not take place.
He would not agree to the contest without
the association being represented. Chief
Brown says Mr.. McCandless is next in au-
thority to the absent underwriters referee,
Mr.. Kennedy, and will not send an Amos
keag engine to the park to-day.
There has been another postponement of
the long-talked-of test between the Amos
keag fire engine, of Pittsburg, and the
Silsby, of Allegheny City. 1t was yester-
day announced that it would positively take
place at s o'clock this morning at Exposi-
tion Park, but unless the Allegheny repre-
sentatives agree.to another postponement it
will probably never take place.
The change in the arrangements is due to
the action of President McCandless, of the
Board OF Underwriters. Yesterday morn
ing, when he saw the announcement of the
test set for to-day by Mr. Armstrong, Of
Allegheny, Mr.. McCandless was indignant.
He marched up to Chief Browns Office and
demanded an explanation. He wanted to
know how the test could go on with
out the judge or referee represent
ing the underwriters being present.
1t was through allegations of the
ineffciency of the apparatus and manage
ment of the Pittsburg Fire Department,
made by the Underwriters Association,
that the test was gotten up. Under these
circumstances, Mr.. McCandless thought the
gentlemen meaning Mr.. Armstrong and
Mr.. Brown were not treating either the as
sOciation or its representative, Mr.. Julian
Kennedy, with courtesy.
RULES ON THE SUBJECT.
Mr.. McCandless called attention to the
rules made by the judges, and agreed to by
both cities and by the underwriters. Rule
13 provides that the third judge, appointed
by the judges representing the two cities,
has power to decide any points in the matter
that they may be in dispute about. Here,
then, was the first point in dispute. Allie
gheny's judge wanted one date and Pitts
burg's wanted another, and yet the test had
been fixed up in this arbitrary manner with
out any reference to the underwriters or
their representative.
When he got an opportunity to reply,
Chief Brown said he had simply obeyed the
orders OF one of the judges when he promised
to have his engine on tide ground this morn
ing, but supposed that when Mr.. Armstrong
had issued those orders he had made some
arrangement with his associate on the board |
OF judges, Mr.. Kennedy. Mr.. Brown said
ne had meant no discourtesy, either to the |
underwriters or Mr. Kennedy. He would, |
of course, expect Mr.. Kennedy to be present |
at the test, or some other person repre- |
senting the underwriters, from whom he |
could expect fair play for Pittsburg, which |
he certainly would not expect from one
judge, and thatjudge partisan of the ALLIE
gheny side. However, if Mr.. McCandless |
was agreed, Mr.. Brown said he would send |
his engine over this morning, and let her |
take her chances under even those circum- |
stances, rather than be accused of wanting |
to get out of the test, which he certainly did |
not.
EMPHATICALLY IN EARNEST.
Mr.. McCandless was emphatic in his de-
termination to have the test superintended |
by the Underwriters representative, and at
once telegraphed Mr.. Kennedy, at La
trObe, but after waiting a couple of
hours reply came back that |
Mr.. Kennedy was in Chicago, and |
would not return before Monday. There
upon, Mr., McCsndless called Mr.. Arm
strong for a conference in relation to the
test What passed during the conference is
not known to any but those two gentlemen,
but last evening Chief Brown received the
following letter:
BOARD OF FIRE UNDERWRITERS
OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY,
PITTsBURG, PA, February Il, 1890.
j. o. Brown, Esq, Chief Department Public
Safety, Pittsburg:
DEAR SIR-I have just received a telegram
informing me that Mr. Kennedy is in Chicago
have teiegraphed him there to know when he
will be home and requesting him to name a
day. On the day he names the chiefs of the
two departments will be expected to be ready
and have their steamers on the ground. Under
the circumstances the proposed test for Satur-
day, the 18th instant must be postponed.
Yours very truly,
Mr.. McCandlesS sent copy of the letter
to Mr.. Armstrong and to Chief Jones, of
Allegheny: Chief Brown said he would be
guided by Mr.. McCandless' instructions, as
in the absence of Mr.. Kennedy, whose
power as referee made him the only arbitrary
judge in the matter, Mr.. McCandless was
the next in authority. Thus the matter
stands, and no Pittsburg engine will be
found on the grounds this morning, whether
the Allegheny people insist in their an
course or not.
PITTsBURG PARTIsAN's VIEWS.
A gentleman who takes a deep interest in
the test, and who has been following the
negotiations closely, said, yesterday after
noon: AFTER what I have leaned to-day
1 feel fully convinced that the Allegheny
people are afraid of a test. In the first place,
I have been told that three or four mechan-
les from the Silsby mandatory, at Seneca
Falls, N. Y, have been working on their
crack engine in Allegheny, changing and
increasing her to the next higher class of
engine, so far as her pumps are con-
cerned. This morning Chief Evans, of
the Pittsburg department, went over to
Exposition Park to see if the
tanks and meters were all right, and
was surprised to find men at work removing
the meters from the tanks He was told
that Chief Jones had ordered it done, as
they wouldn't use meters in the test. Mr..
Evans told the men to stop work, as there
would be no test without meters to measure
the water used. Now, that shows that the
Allegheny people are afraid that if They'll
use meters the changes and Improvements
made in their engine will be detected in
case the test takes place.
Another thing, the rules that were
made and adopted by the judges
fixed it so that whichever city got
the test was to furnish police protection, fix
up the grounds and place marker boards on
the fields, SO that spectators and judges
could tell at glance just how lar the
streams we're thrown. Allegheny got her
way in having the test to take place there,
as she has had in everything connected with
the matter, but mas made no move toward
making the arrangements agreed upon.
THINKS Mr.. BROWNS RIGHT.
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