The morning call., 1894-09-15
All Over the FirebOat Gov
ernOr Markham.
STATE WHARVES DID BURN.
While the States Tug Pumped
to Save City Property.
OPINION OF THE HARBOR BOARD
The Docks Should Have Been Looked
After by the Markham Instead
of Insured Buildings.

There has been a clash of authority over
the fireboat Governor Markham, the ques-
ton of who has jurisdiction over the YES
sci during fire being in dispute.
The trouble all rose over the efforts of a
sub-chlef of the Fire Department trying
to put to rout Assistant Wharfnger George
Root, who had, with the aid of several
waterfront employees, manned hose fol
the purpose of saving State property.
Then came the row. Root had goi
out line and was attaching a nozzle to il
to save the East and Folsom streets bulk
heads from total destruction during the
fire of Thursday.
What are you trying TO do thereP''
shouted a red-faced chief, rushing up to
the assistant wharfinger men acingly.
Pm going to save this wharf, replied
Root, proceeding to business without Civ
Ing much attention to the city official.
''YO on get out of here" how led the latter,
land leave that hose alone. The city's
got charge of this job and the State has no
power over the boat"
Root didn't bluff worth a cent. He had
his men play on the wharves and sue
ceeded III uenching a number of incipent
DlaZes that might have proved dangerous.
BY this time Chief Wharfngar Boo bar
had arrived on the scene; also HarboI
Commissioners Chsdbourne and Bassett.
Root was told that he had done his duty,
but Chief Sullivan and a number of the
city department were not satisfied, so g
conference was called on Howard wharf 3
and the matter temporarily adjusted.
All of yesterday the talk along the front
and at the fire was the rights of the State
and the rights of the city 10 use the fire.
boats during a cont1sgratlon, and a good
deal of feeling was manifested in the mat
ter.
Chief Wharfngsr BoObar is indig-
nant that every hose att ,ched to the
State tugs pumps was used to put out the
flames that were destroying city buildings
while the States property was in great
danger through lack of appliances.
The chief and Captain Cruise, in charge
of the State tugs and dredgers, had to or
gsnZe a bucket brigade with the result
that the head of the dock forces of the
water front spoiled a suit of clothing and
had tc do duty as a common fireman in
order to prevent State wharves from being
destroyed.
Chief Sullivan credited the Governor
Markham with having performed good
work, when conversing on the subject
yesterday, but he added, somewhat point
edly, that be thought another boat should
be provided by the State for protection
against waterfront fires.
we agreed some time ago." said Presi-
dent Bassett of the State Board of Harbor
Commissioners, ''tO give the local firemen
charge of the titeboat just as soon as the
hose was coupled to her. We did not in
tend, however, that the States property
should be entirely overlooked, and when
Mr.. Root insisted in manning a hose to
save the docks ne did rightly.
Estate property should, of course, be
looked after first, when necessity requires
it. That is why we support fireboat"
Folsom and East street bulkheads, to-
geiher with Howard wharyes 1 and 2,
have been pretty badly damaged. The
States boatman made an Investigation
yesterday, and reported that although the
piiing and crOss-timbering was not in the
least weakened, the top planking had been
burnt in innumersble places.
All this occurred while the Markham
had five big streams playing on the main
fire, and it was only by the efforts of
the waterfront guardians with their buck
cts that the docks were kept from igr ting.
In speaking of the condition of the
wharves a State official said:
cit was the naTrOwest escape the Oceanic,
Howard and Folsom street wharves ever
had from fire.
lit seemed strange, too, to think that
the State firetug was at hand pumping
for ali she was worth to save buildings
fully insured while the States structures
were threatened.
"Of course the Harbor Commissioners
never intended that such state Of affairs
should exist during fires on the front
when they authorized the local Fire De-
partment to take charge of the tug when
flames broke out near the bay front"