The record-union., 1897-10-13
Chief GUTHRIE SUSTAINED.
NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR FRANK
SMITHS LOSS.
Trustees Declare the Seventh and
L Streets Fire Was Well
Handled.

Streets Fire Was Well
Handled.
At the special meeting of the Board
Of Trustees, held last night, to investi-
gate the charges brought against Chief
OF the Fire Department Henry A. Guth~
RE, by f. S. Smith, respecting the
formers mana cement of the Fire De
partment during the fire which occur
red September Both, and which destroy
ed the complainant's stables on Seventh
street, between K and L, President
Leonard, Trustees Mckay, Davis
Wachhorst, Tozer, Bentley and De-
vine were present
Clerk Desmond read the charges,
which have heretofore been printed IN
the "Record-Union."
r. T. Devlin appeared for Chief Guth-
RE, and filed a general and specific de-
NAL of all the charges and speclhca-
tions, as follows:
Before the Honorable. the Board Of
Trustees of the City Of Sacramento
Comes now Henry A. Guthrie, and
answers the petition of f. S. Smith,
filed herein, and denies generally and
specifically each and every allegation IN
said petition contained.
Denies further that the cause Of the
fire spreading, as described In said pc
tition, was due in any manner to his
negligence or carelessness. Ayers that
he attended to and conducted the man
agement Of said fire in skillful and
6remanlike manner, and ayers that he
Il
efficient manner, and in all respects
complied with the law, the rules of the
department, the order of the Board of
Trustees, and with the most approved
methods of handling fires.
Ayers that he has been connected
with the Fire Department many years,
is skilled. in his business, has attended
to many fires in the past, and conducted
the mana cement Of said fire to the best
of his skill and ability"
Attorney w. NJ. Sims appeared for the
prosecution. and presented a plan of the
buildings, taken from the plat Of one
Of the insurance companies doing bust
ness in the city. He explained the po-
sition of Smiths barn and the build
ings which had been in the immediate
vicinity before the fire
f. S. Smith took the stand, and testi-
fed that one Of his employees had rung
him up and told him through the tele-
phone that a fire had broken out in the
pickle factory near his barn. He had
replied that it would be easily ext~
guished, and there was no need of his
presence. The employe, however in
sisted that he visit the fire, and he did
so
Some time after his arrival he asked
two of the firemen where Chief Guthrie
was, and they told him they did not
know, and that at the last three or four
fires he had never been on time in order
To direct operations.
The witness said he suggested to
the ffremen that they attach a hose
to. the plug al the alley on Seventh
street between K and L streets, but
that they paid no attention to him. He
volunteered the statement that had the
hose been attached as he desired the
fire would have been extinguished in a
few minutes, and would never have got
into his barn,
Witness testified that it was some
time after he heard of the fire before
he got to 1t, and when he got there he
thought there was no danger to his
property. He, however, ordered his
horses and wagons taken out, and that
work took about fifteen minutes. He
did not see Chief Guthrie until after
the horses and wagons had been re-
moved
Cross-examined by Attorney Devlin,
the witness stated that it was about
SIX minutes from the time he learned
of the fire before he reached the vicin-
ity, and that no flames were visible
when he arrived He stated that the
damage he had sustained amounted to
between 81 500 and $1,000
Attorney Sims objected to questions
respecting the losses, and Attorney
Devlin stated that they were merely in
tended to show that the witness had
exaggerated his losses, having claimed
in his charges that he had been dam
aged to the extent of $4,000 He in
Quired of the witness if in reality the
damage was over So, 100 The witness
replied that loss of his time made up the
deficit but subsequently stated that he
could not reft the building and replace
the contents for $4,000.
The witness said he had asked Chief
Guthrie to run a string of hose into the
barn and play upon the beams to keep
the floor from falling. The Chief had
replied that the boys would do so in a
few minutes. He said if Chief Guthrie
would have attached two lines of hose
to the Seventh-street plug, the fire could
have been easily extinguished with
practically little loss.
Don't YOU know said Attorney
Devlin, that if two lines of hose would
have been attached to the plug that
neither one would have done efficient
service?"
"I guess you don't know much about
plugs, replied the witness.
do vou?" returned the attorney.
= guess I do" replied the witness.
He further stated that the main which
supplied the plug is the largest in the
city, and submitted that five gallons of
water would do more execution in eX-
tinguishing fires than two gallons.