The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-07-29
PERMANENT MEN
WENT ON STRIKE
Did Not Like an Order They Received
from Chief Hickey.
HE SAYS THEY misunderstood
Had No Intention of Preventing the
Eircmcn from Answering Alarms as
Quickly as POssible..MayO and
COuncilmen Succeed in Straightcn.
ing Out the Muddle..Ncw Rules for
the Department..

What Is alleged to have been mis-
Interpretation of verbal order given
by Chief of the Fire Department Hickey
caused the three permanent men en-
ployed in the Chemical Engine house
to go on strike yesterday morning. Az
ter several hours the difficulty was
Strengthened out by the mayor, Chief
Hickey Select Councilmen c. Il. Chit
tenden, Fred Durr and Common Coun-
Gilman John Flanaghan and peace
again rens in the quarters Of the Chem
ical company. The incident. however,
will lead to some changes In the man.
ner in which the department is con-
Quoted
The trouble arose from the failure Of
the members of the Chemical company
to report their response to still alarm
at the store of Siebecker & Watkins,
| on Lackawanna avenue Monday night
When the chief heard about the fire it
was 1890, three hours after the fire
occurred. He called up the Chemical
house by telephone and wanted to
know why he was not apprsed of the
fire and the response he received,
| he says. is that the matter was over
looked. This angered the chief and af-
ter considering the matter over night
he was still angry. Yesterday morning
| he transmitted verbal order to the
members of the Chemical company
which they construed to mean that
| hereafter before responding to a still
alarm they should notify him. and If
| he was not to be found then the alarm
was not to be answered.
FIREMEN WE'RE ANGRY.
When the three permanent men. 7.
w. George, Thomas Campbell and Lin
coin Tillman, received this informa tion
they promptly and decisively declared
that they would not work under such
an order and forthwith quit. Word
was sent to the city hall and Select
Councilman Chittenden was apprised
OF the condition of affairs. He called
up Mayor Bailey and found that the
latter was about to start for the engine
house. The mayor invited the council
man to join him. Soon after the mayor
and chief and the councilmen above
mentioned, We're at the engine house
and for some minutes thereafter there
was brilliant display of verbal pyro-
technics, as the firemen spoke their
mind about the order.
Chief Hickey denied having given any
such order, and said his language had
been miscOnstrued. He insisted that he
wanted to be notified of every still
alarm, but did not say that the mem
bers should delay in responding to an
alarm In order to apprise him, and he
was most emphatic in declaring that
he had no thought of preventing the
engine from being taken out until he
was notified.
| rs the order was a verbal one and
the one who sent 1t and those who re-
ceived it could not agree as to the Ian
guage 1t was couched in, Mayor Bailey
| directed Chief Hickey to reduce it to
| writing and have it posted in the en-
gine house. He also suggested that the
| chief name one Of the three men ms
lieutenant and put him i'm charge of the
company, giving all orders through him
and holding him responsible for the
city's property and the discipline Of the
men under him. This will be done.
RETURNED TO WORK.
When the men learned that they will
not be prevented from answering all
alarms as promptly as possible, they re-
turned to work again and the mayor
and other city officials departed When
Chief Hickey was questioned about the
incident yesterday by a Tribune re-
porter. he said:
II am doing my best to get the de-
partment on a smooth running basis
| that will insure the best service posi-
BILE. The first thing necessary is tc
have discipline: that is absolutely es-
sential. Some time ago l told the
Chemical boys that / wanted them &c
notify me whenever they answered q
still alarm. They can do so without
losing any time. | had a direct wire
put in their house connected with my
office in the city hall and with my
quarters in the Century Hose house
They don't have to call exchange; al
they have to do is to ring three bells tc
call me. There are three men in the
house and two are enough to get out the
apparatus. While they are doing so the
third can notify me.
Monday night even, after returning
from the Siebecker < Watkins still
alarm they did not apprse me of the
five, and when / inquired at 1890 why
they had not done so, they said they
were so excited they forgot about it
This morning | notified them that here.
after must be Informed when they re-
spond to still alarms, but l did not say
that they should not leave the house
until | had been notified. 7 want the
city to get the best possible service
from this department, and to that enc
must know what the firemen are doing
| am now engaged In drafting code OF
rules for the government of the depart
ment. They will be posted in each en-
gine house and it will be my duty tc
see that they are observed. Perma-
nent men are receiving a salary from
the city and it is only just that the city
should receive the best service they
can give"