The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-06-15
THE PILOT BLAMED.
Fireb0at's Poor Work at the
Burning of the Flyer.
KELLEHER PLACED IN COMMAND.
He Will Have Charge OF tho Men 1T
Fire, While Captain McAllep
Will Be Master.

The inefficient work of the fireboat
Monday night during the burning of the
steamer Flyer at Commercial dock has
caused Chief kellogg to appoint Captain
NJ. r. kelleher as fire captain of the boat,
and hereafter when fighting fire all those
on the boat will be subordinate to his
orders. The appointment was made with
Commissioner Jones' knowledge and per-
mission.
On Monday night Captain McAllep was
not at his post, it being his night off, and,
when the alarm of fire was sounded, Pilot
Soper, who was in charge. ran the fireboat
out into the harbor, circled around the
Flyer, played a stream of water on her at
long range and finally ran the boats nose
into the West Seattle ferry slip, where she
remained for about five minutes, being
Of no use whatever. 1t is claimed
that had Pilot Soper allowed the fireboat
to remain in the slip, where she was tied.
and turned two-lnch stream of water
from the swivel nozzle on the Flyer, that
steamer would have suffered but nominal
loss. The Flyer lay but fifty feet from the
bow of the fireboat when she,caught fire.
Those who were in position to see and
Judge as to the manner in which the fire.
boat was handled admit that she got the
first water on the fire. but the force of the
streams drove her astern so that she was
soon out of range, whereas if she had lain
right in her slip and run out line of
hose, in addition to playing on the
burning vessel from astern, but lit
tie delay whould have resulted and
the fire would have been controlled before
any great amount of damage resulted. As
it was, the fireboat kept lodging around,
now playing on the blaze for a moment
and then backing off by the force of the
stream until she finally backed around
against the ferry boat slip, upsetting the
hose reel on her stern. She was then
made fast to the Flyer.
Pilot Soper said yesterday that the fire
burst out on the starboard side of the
Flyer and he wanted to bring the fireboat
head-on right up against the side where
the blaze was. He insists that he had the
fireboat nozzles playing on the flames be-
fore the land force arrived, and kept it up
until ordered to stop, as the heavy streams
we've liable to injure the firemen who went
on board the burning boat from the
land side. He said he expected the mat
ter would be investigated.
1t is understood that Pilot Soper will
be released and new pilot appointed In
his place.
Chief Kellogg claims that all the fire.
boat needs to make it useful is a good fire
captain and proper discipline. The ap-
pointment Of Captain Kelleher to the posi-
ton of fire captain will, Chief Kellogg
believes, make vast difference in the
successful management of the boat. Kel-
leher was once before on the boat in
the position to which he is now reap
pointed, but resigned. His late place as
captain of engine company No. has not
yet been filed.
Commissioner Foster declined to be in.
terviewed, but said there are only two men
on board, and it is not an easy matter for
them to handle the hose. He said the
movement of the boat complained of was
unavoidable.
Commissioner Kahaley remarked that he
had very little to say for publication, be-
cause he was not present at the fire, and
could only theoriZe. as most of the critics
seemed to be doing. The comments he
had heard were so widely different that he
could not understand what vas really COM
planned of. He believed that the two men
on board did the very best that number
could. One critic said the boat ought to
have stayed in the slip, so as to get foot
hold, as the force of the water thrown
drove her back. Another said if she had
stayed in the slip she could have played on
that end of the Flyer which was not burn
ing The report was made that the Snoqual-
ME had full stream turned on the burning
steamer before the alarm was sounded, but
had to shut off in order to leave the slip
and get more advantageous position.
Chief Kellogg does not seem at all dis
turbed by the action of the council in re-
fusing to confirm his reappointment.
Being asked last evening when he ex-
pected to turn over the office to his sue
cessor he said:
II don't know. | have heard nothing
more about the matter since the last meet
lug of the council. l am not worried
about it at all. | never sought the Office in
the first place and | wouldn't ask to be re-
tanned as chief, even if | knew that the
place could be secured merely for the ask
ing. l believe that an office of this kind
should seek the man and not the man
seek the office | understand that certain
members of the council have received let
tiers charging me with irregularities.
have no means of knowing the precise
nature of these charges, but I think that
before any decision is reached the council
men should hear both sides of the story"
Uri Seeley, agent for the Columbia
River and Puget Sound Navigation Com
pany, which owns the Flyer, said yester-
day that he was quite sure the fire origi-
mated over the boiler in the jacket around
the smokestack, or drum, and was smol-
dering there tor some time before break
ing out. The hull of the boat Is not dam
aged at all, but her upper decks were all
destroyed ami the machinery more or less
damaged. The following special tele-
gram was received from Portland last
evening in regard 10 the fire:
PORTLAND, Or, June 14-lSpecial. The
steamer Flyer, which was burned at Seattle on
Monday night, was insured for s75,0o0 of which
sos COO was in Portland companies and $1,000
in Seattle The steamer cost $l10, 900 and the
machinery $4,000 Captain e. b. scott, presi-
dent OF the company, says the boat viii DO re-
guilt as soon rs the insurance is adjusted.
OK THE MEN-OF-WAR.