The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-06-09
PLAYING WITH FATE"
Bad Condition Of Jersey City's Fire
Experimentation Wanted.

Dounelly arrived at the meeting room of
the Fire Board. Commissioner Heuder-
sou and Superintendent Brown and
large lobby anxiously awaited their ar
rival until nine O'Clock and then left.
Upon convening, the frst business TO
De acted upon was the resign ations of
Frank McDermott of No. 9 truck and
Hoseman-at-Call J.. J. wittpenn Of No. 10
engine. Both designations were accept
ed. The case Of Thomas Covert, driver
OF No engine. was TO have been heard,
but Covert rendered his resignation, and
1t was accented. Two weeks ago Covert
drove his engine to Box No. 1853 when No.
l43 was pulled. This was to have been
decided last night, but in the meantime a
more serious charge had been PREFER ed
against him. On May 80 Box No. f45 was
pulled. Covert was In bed asleep and
| did not get up There is an immense
gong within thirty feet of his bed which
| taps four times. and smaller gong, not
| fifteen feet away, which taps several
times to wake the men; but Covert slept
through it all. and did not know that
there was a fire until aroused by the
noise caused by backing the engine into
the house after IL was all over. The man
was to have been dismissed from the de-
psrtment. but bis resignation prevented
/ the Commissioners from performing this
| pleasant task.
BOUNCED OUT AND IN.
| At ten O'Clock recess which lasted
more than an hour was taken. When it
| was over, the following promotions, ap-
pointments and dismissals were ordered:-
| Daniel Ackerly, engineer Of No s engine,
was dismissed for burning out the aues
OF mis- engine. doing about $500 damage;
| John Coughlin, stoker iof No. 8 engine,
was promoted to fill the vacancy caused
/ by Ackerly's dismissal. John Boucher,
permanent hoseman OF engine No. Twas
promoted to be driver of No. 9 engine;
/ stephen Davis was appointed stoker of
/ engine No. 6, John Bowen permanent
| hoseman to Engine No. and John
| Sheridan, foreman of Truck No. 2. to I'LL
vacancy caused by the resignation OF
| Foreman McDermotL
| An application for position of any de-
| scriptlon In the department was received
| from j. w. Coykendall and referred to
the proper committee.
The Committee OF the Whole presented
a revised copy Of rules and regulations to
| govern the department.. The duties OF
| Superintendent were described as the
duties formerly performed by the Chief.
! The most important changes made, how
ever, were the rules which pro-
hibit the appointment Of any man TO
do duty In the department. who is
allow a leave Of absence of twenty-four
hours once week TO all the officers and
| twenty-four hours every ten days for the
men.
PRETTY BAD SHOWING.
| The monthly report of DR.. w. E. j.
| Saunders, Inspector Of horses. disc losed
an alarming condition Of affairs. One of
the horses OF No. engine had died; the
| team attached to No engine Is unfit for
use; as are also one of the No 10 engines
| horses, and the horse attached to the ten
! der of No. engine. The "nighn horse of
| No. Q engine is also unit for use, as he is
too light to do the work required. The
| Inspector advised that the horses be dis
| posed of and new ones purchased as soon
as possible. The suggestion OF the In
spector was acted upon, as subsequently,
| a resolution was adopted directing the
clerk TO advertise for sale the five horses
mentioned, as also quantity of old COP
| per, zinc and hose.
Inspector OF Telegraph Speicher report
| ed that during the month he had cleaned
| 337 cells; added twenty-six ceilssto circuit
| Nos. 5, o, and s; removed seven crosses
| in wires, and repaired four broken wires.
| Circuit No. Is in such deploraDle con-
dition that alarms are not properly re-
| ceived or transmitted. There were sew
enteen alarms of fire during the month.
LITTLE ELECTRICITY.
| The Inspector, in connection with his
monthly report, presented the Board with
! an invitation TO purchase his automatic
central alarm system, which he has been
using In the fire department for four
years without receiving any compensa-
tion for his patent What the department.
requires, said the Inspector, is an auto
matte central system with insulated cop
per wire for circuits. He cited an ip-
stance where the fire wires became crossed
with the electric wires on Montgomery
street, destroying the magnet in the re-
peater at the battery room, making it
useless so far as receiving and transmit
ting alarms was concerned. the entire
building and apparatus would have been
DESTROYED, had he not risked his own life
| in disconnecting the fire department. cir
cult Eleven gongs out Of the
there are fifty old boxes from
which an alarm cannot be given. The In
spector urges the Immediate purchase of
twenty five new boxes and fifty to replace
the boxes which have been In use twenty
years. The Inspector also kicked about
his small salary and concluded that he
hoped the head of the department would
awake from its lethargy and purchase
one central office automatic repeater and
transmitter, seventy-five new alarm
boxes, three gong circuits, which will re-
quire twenty-five miles or copper wire,
ten galvanometers, one switch board,
eleven engine house gongs. eighteen tap
pers and twenty automatic switch open
ers. the cost of which would be S12 900,
ana the department could then be put in
perfect condition. For twenty years. the
| Inspector says, the department has been
merely playing with fate.
URGENT NEEDS.
The communication was carefully
De rused by the Commissioners and a
resolution was then adopted inviting the
| Board of Finance to inspect the houses
ana apparatus Of the department at any
| time fixed by the latter board. The fol
| lowing resolution was also adopted
Whereas In order that the efficiency of this
facilities afforded to protect the lives and prop
critics of our citizens t is imperatiyely required
| that We be Immediately furnished with the
necessary apparatus and hose; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Board OF Finance be
| ouested to appropriate the following sums Of
| money for the following purposes
To purchase two new second class steam fire
| engines at $4,000 each;
one aerial hook and lad der So 500;
New hose, about 4, coo feet $4,000;
Repairs TO Nos. 4. and engines, $500;
Making total OF SIG 800.
The salaries for the last quarter of May
amounting to s.. .9lS. n were ordered paid
and a resolution directing the New York
and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph
| Company TO put up new wires for the de-
| partmenr in compliance with the existing
| contract between city and company was
| adopted.
After the meeting adjourned q confer
ence was held to discuss the advifability