The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-08-25
ACTING CHEF ACCUSED.
Hoboken Fire Commissioner
Says He Sent Engines Home
Before a Fire Was
Out.

At the meeting of the Hoboken FIRE
Commissioners, held last night at Fire
Headqiarters, charges OF 4 serious nature
We're preferred against Captain Charles
Soffel. who is Acting Chief of the depart
ment in the absence of Chief J. D. Apple
gate. The charges We're preferred by
Commissioner f. William Bender, who as
serted that Soffel called the department
away from a fire at No. 800 Washington
street on the night of August l, before
the flames had been extinguished. 1t was
anticipated that there would be trouble
at the meeting and as a result the room
and corridor were crowded with interested
spectators. After the routine business Of
the Board had been transacted, Commits
sioner Bender rose from his seat and adj
dressing President j. E. w. Kuper said
Il hereby prefer charges against the
Acting Chief
State them. Mr.. Bender said Commits
sioner Kuper.
''On the night of August /, 1884, con-
tinued Commissioner Bender, IAN alarm
of fire was sounded from box No. SO. 1t
was in Simon's pharmacy at No. 900
Washington street. The fire department
responded and at 9:15 o'clock they left
the scene of the fire believing that the
flames had been extinguished. DR.. Simon
sent for me, as l had insured his store,
and asked me if l would permit him to
clean up his cellar. When / arrived there
[ found that there was smoke in the cell
lar. Simon said that could not be pos
sible. / investigated and found that the
smoke came from between the ceiling and
floor. I went up stairs, and at 1920
O'Clock, two hours after the first alarm
was sounded, I attempted to send in a
second alarm, but I could not ind the key
to the alarm box"
Commissioner Bender then stated that
he returned to the cellar and found that
flames We're coming from the bottom of a
barrel of alcohol and he expected it would
explode at any moment. He said he and
the druggist procured several pals of
water which they threw on the blaze and
~extinguished it..
Il want to know why the fire depart
ment left that place before the fire was
out and l prefer charges against the Act
ing Chief. In another moment that barrel
would have exploded and would have
been killed
The Board instructed Captain Soffel to
appear at the next meeting of the Board
diid dAao Wei IN itdi5tS t
Commissioner Bender told of a humili-
ating experience he had with a member
of the Board of New York Fire Under
writer's last week. The Commissioner was
showing his visitor about Hoboken and
he found that the fire alarm boxes were
in such a state that it was impossible to
tell them by the color from the letter
boxes. The Board decided to give each Of
the boxes two coats Of red paint.
Several months ago the Board adver-
tised for bids for new hose. The bids
were received, but the contract was not
awarded. At last nights meeting Com
missioner Fenton aid
Il want to know whether or not we
are going to award the bid to the lowest
hose. I'm getting sick of this delay
Commissioner Bender opposed the
awarding of the bids on the ground that
the department was amply supplied with
a reserve of 400 feet of new hose. Mr..
Bender is decidedly in the minority in
the Board and his colleagues opposed him
in the matter. stating that in the event
OF a big confiagration a large supply of
hose would be in demand. The awarding
Of the contract was finally laid over until
the next meeting.
Bids for q new hose wagon We're re-
ceived from Brinkman & Hauck. of this
city, S425. Peter Barrett Manufacturing
Co, sSs5; ohm Brady & Sons, S5I3: Gleason
Manufacturing Co., s445. The contract
will probably be awarded at the next
meeting.
After the routine reports had been read