The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-07-13
ENGINEER KE0GH FINED.
The Fire Commissioners Convict
Him of Di~sobeying Orders.

The Board of Fire Commissioners held
a regular meeting last evening, at which
all the members were present. The m ost
important business transacted was the
trial ana con viction of Thomas Keogh.
engineer of Engine Company No. 6, on
charges of dlsobedience, neglect OF duty,
and careless driving.
Superintendent Brown reported four
teen alarms. nine of them bell alarms,
during the two weeks ending July IL,
and also present ed his monthly report for
june, showing the total amount of loss
from fire during that month to have bee u
$l0,05O; total insurance, S2.75o; total
amount of insurance paid, 81. $50; n am
Der of alarms, 80; bell alarms. 10.
The Superintendent of Telegraph SUBJ
mitted his report for the last 1--WE weeks.
aud Inspector of Horses Arrowsmith re-
ported thirteen horses under treatment
during The last fortnight, u three
horses now at the hospital, together with
one extra horse.
Superintendent Brown notified the
board OF the death, on July IL. OF Timothy
cornell. hoseman-at-calt Of Engine Com
pany No. 5. detailed TO En- glue Company
NO. q, which created a vacancy in Engine
Company No. S..
ThonlaS keogh, engineer OF No. 6 en-
CINE, Was placed on trial OF three charges
preferred by Superintendent Brown, dis
obedience of orders in driving the ho4e
wagon on AL alarm instead of the en-
CINE, as required to do; neglect of duty in
not properly shutting off the back cou-
nections of the heater and allowing the
water to run of the boiler, and care
less driving III running into a wagon
standing on the street, all occurring on
l the occasion of nnQ alarm frnll SrafInD
NO. 81, between six and seven O'clock, on
the morning of JULY 3.
The department order, which Keogh
was charged with violating, is Que issued
by the late Chief tiarrier IN March ID,
1890. providing that when only two mem
oers OF a company are on duty-an en-
glneer and q driver. or stoker and driver
it shall be the duty of the engineer. in
case of an alarm. TO drive the engine.
The object of this order is to keep the
engineer with the engine so that he will
be on hand to properly put the apparatus
at work. 1t was charged hat Keogh
violated this rule in drt wing on the occa-
sion mentioned the hose wagon instead
of the engine.
The third charge was that while driv-
ing the hose wagon in violation of a
special order he did SO in such Il careless
manner as to collide with a vehicle stand
ing on the street thus damaging appar-
atliS u bu0 LIZ Gu0 AISU
charge Keogh pie aded guilty Il to the
other two not guilty.
Superintendent Brown made q state
ment in ~substantlation of the charges.
He said he saw on the street the water
that ran out of the engine, found the
engine at a hydrant with the furnace
door open ALL the fire drawn; aud subse-
quently ascertained that the shaft of the
hose wagon was broken. He was afraid
the boiler Of the engine had burned out,
but he had 1t tested ana found tnat It.
was uninjured.
Keogh made a statement to the
effect, that he Is fully familiar with the
order he is charged with violating. but
wnen the alarm IN question came in he
went to the back OF the eugine to start
The fire and when he went to get on the
engine he found driver Mcdonald al
ready in the seat and to avoid delay al
lowed him 40 remain there and drove out
the hose wagon. In reference to the
charge of neglect of duty, keogh stated
that the shut off TO the back connections
is automatic aud he supposed that it had
closed itself. which it had never failed to
40 before. AS to.the charge Of leck less
driving, he said. one of the horses shoes
split in two, causing the animal to lag,
and when he struck The animal with the
whip he Shied just at the time of passing
the wagon standing on the street, max
ing it impossible for Keo9h to avoid
striking it. The damage resulting. he
said, was very slight.
Keogh WAS found guilty on all three
charges. and fined five days pay, Presi.
dent Donnelly admonishIng him TO
hereafter obey the rules of the depart.
ment, aud be with the engine wherever
1t goes.
A number of elaine were ordered paid.
a batch of permits for the erection anC
altel alton of fame buildings granted
anu the board adjourned to July IS.