New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-30
THE FIRE BOARD UNDER FIRE
COMMISSIONERS MAKE EXHIBITIONS OF
THEMSELVES. .-'

WAAr THE TREASURER, ANTHONY E1cKHoFT,
DOESN'T KNow-THE SPECTACLE PRE-
SCENTED BY THE PRESIDENT, HENRY
D. pURRoY, BEFORE THE FAs-
sErT COMMITTEE.
The State Senate Committee on Cities had two Nom
bers Of the Fire Department before 1t yesterday u M
investigation of that dcpartment-Antnony Aoa"o. .
the treasurer and Henry d. Purroy the pfosioc"s
The first gxve an Illustration Of the marvellous suou"'
of ignorance Of their duties possessed Dy some Ne~
York City officials under present conoiao"s .na 'o
second provided for tho audience VINO cro"ueo ~
Of the superior Court exhibition OF the sr OF ~su
ing on INQUIRY by an adrot mixture OF uuculent ana
.,ount.h t.c.ics Mr. Wins did not get much infor'
nation about the department In the evidence OF mr..
rsckhon because Mr. Eickhof had no information 70
give and he so much INDUCED Mr. Purroy In MS t@s.e
for repartee that reparee was frequently mr. fuoys
form Of answer.
After Henry NJ. Tate the Committees accountant, had
sworn to long statement in regard TO expenditures py
the Fire DEPARTMENT from January l. 1894 to May l.
1889 exclusive of payments account OF contracts MI
Eickhof who has been Fire Commissioners since Nay
q 1850 was called. Mr. Eickhof used to be on the
STAFF Of the "Staats Zeitung.' and has also Dech
Fifth Auditor Of the Treasury. at Washington no
ssid that he had not been . member Of Tammany
Hall when he was appointed q Fire Commissioner.
II Was impossible to follow Mr. Eickhoh's attempts
IN explain the organization Of the Fire Departments
and the duties OF the Commissioners. Coming 10 Ills
own duties Is chairman Of the Committee on Bulidihe
and Apparatus, he said that he inspected department
buildings and when he found repairs necessary mo
requested the superintendent to attend to them MI
Eickhor's other answers on tho subject OF repairs
showed that he had no qualifications at all to Mt 1lm
for looking after them. He had no expert knowedgo
vdch would aid him In passing on estimates anu
ind cd there no competition except ON repsh'
OF engine houses that would cost $l,ooo or oVor
Mr. Eickhoff said that sometimes he consulted an eA
st h,,der IL he thought the bid too high, but
ne refused to disclose the names OF the men ne con-
shifted because he sad they gave him that service 1or
nothing.
Then came an examination into the manner OF con-
d, ting the relief fund under the witnesses chargo
VI oh showed that the taken for detecting ana
nj, shng lawbcakers who neglect to take out licenses
N sell kerosene OIL powder etc. and thereby bringing
the fund money which 1t is entitled are exceedingly
slpshOd
After a dspriting attempt to find out what Mr
Eckhod did know about the Department, MI. WINS
grasped the situation and had him declare part OF
what he didn't know. All that he did not know would
about I'LL an annual report OF the Fire Department
Tie examination went on In this style:
o-What are the duties of the bureaus in respect OF
complantsi What does chief of department do with
complants' Al have doubt he investigates them
Q-Dots he report each to the Board? Al suppose
O-EADlain the general organization unoer the Shci
@, d. uatncnt A-The uniformed force consists OF the
c,p,nulcs l believe eghty.three l haven't all the
figures
GLOW many fire districts are there in the city 7
Al cannot tell you. That was all done before came
on the Board
o-An. you haven't yet found out where they are
A-No
C-And couldn't tell me If asked you where the
SIKH District is. compared with the Eleventh. A.-No
Q-Ilow many battaons are there? a. (sfeer look
ing 1t up in some mcmol anda)-Tweve.
o. have here a nap setting twelve fire districts
Are thasc the battalion districts? Al believe So
O-Can you tell In what part OF the city the sNtn
BatSliJn is locaud7 Al can't tell unless look Ut
that map.
o-lou mustn't look at this nap or you would &c III
The marked this nap do not corrcspohu
TO the baalions. Who j. chief Of the Eleventh Bat
taonl Al can't tell without looking at the record.
QCan you tell who Is tie chief of any lattaion III
the city, giving me the battalion and his namef Al
could give you without looking ct the BOOK
OIL could that myself. How are the battahohs
oreanizcdI Al could not definitely state that.
Afer showing his ignorance OF other particulars Mr.
EcLhoM exclaimed " II 10 be Informed OF aai the
details don't know why they would need any chief
them That said Mr. Wins. Is one OF the Things
this committee to find out. If we have CHIEF
who attends 10 all these things why do we need COM
missioner Poor MIR. Eickhof looked alarmed but
didn't say anything.
in the afternoon Mr. IIns asked Mr. Eickhof about
the supplies of rubber hose To the department ne
wanted to know wis certain makes were preferred.
Mr.. Ecklor SAID that the Commissioners were ruled
entirely by the preference OF the chief.
Henry d. PurIUy, the president of the Board OF Fire
Commissioners. then put under OATH lie Is d
regular Vicar OF Bray" in the Fire Department. and Is
proud of it, No matter what Mayor rcigns' he Is de-
crnincd u be Fire Commissioner Us long as he has
mind to-, lie appointed first on May III, 1901 ana
WIS appointed again Oh May 10, 1852 and third time
on May = lie testified about his appointments
IN pOndc Ously 1Ocular wav g was hrst appo'h'ed'
he sad 10 Mr. WINS. by his Honor MavOr Grace !
have the certificate made out in your handwriting
think il is dated september 49, 1881. have 1t
framed (Lauehter) have 1t hung over my bed and
see IL every night when say my prayers
In naming The men who had served with MIN In
the Board since he first became a member OF IT. Mr
purroy cave each the title Of honorable" He was
asked why. "Oh," he said TO Mr. WINS, u would
call you honorable because you have been City Cham
bcrlain. Oh, I'm a regular Chesterfield
I'm glad TO meet YOU" said Senator Fassett sar-
castically. IL always wondered how Chesterfield
would behave the stand
MIR. Purroy threw some further light on MS sue
cessive appointments by saying that the two last uee
he had by his request, forwarded his resignation tt
tie Mayor, thus giving all opportunity for ms Hcsl
Mr. Wins asked him if he knew that one physical Gs,
Of department. Dr. Robert a. joyce had been under
he not said aid Mr. rSrs9 3;sr hi! sSesi
must have BEEN aGSSs e
filed on November 20. 1882, and signed by j. Edward
simmons as foreman OF the Grand Jury. IL charget
a violation of the election Law by DR.. Joyce In ASSIST
ing in an impersonatiOn at the polls. and was no'
prosecuted Mr.. PuTrOy intimated that the charg
where politics are very lively" somebody. he said
induced young man to I" go down and swear that Ut
Joyce offered him dollar to vote in another man
name.o a., . -. no... A
Mr.. Purroys explanation OF the case OF Peter a =
Smith who was passed by DIR. Joyce as physically NJ
Tor service, although one Of his hands was lame,
Was that Smith, who was the 1antor OF the " hospta
SEAMLESS had been employed a. an outsider before
formally entered the department: that he was regu
isriy engaged and uniformed on the recommendation
the superintendent OF horses and that Dr. joyce ma
r.porcd him ply sicaly capable. and he was appolnte
and Mad dome GOOD work. :" He had slight injury II
his right hand" said Mr. RurrOy, but the Civil Ser
vice laws did not apply then: . .. -.
vtssbiifty Of adjourning Mr.. Purroy said that
necessary he would stay on the stand until mdmght