The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-01-03

the fire department physician. who this
morning pronounced his patient improys,--
be able to leave his home for several
weeks. A portion OF his nose was torn
away, and has been sewed on, an ugly
up, as has also been nasty cut on his
Themembers of the fire department feel
very much put out by the public criticism
Of their actions. One Of the members OF
No. engine, which is located at Summit
and st. PauPs avenues, said to News"
reporter this morning.
6The department did all they could
under the circumstances. No. I Engine
reached the scene of the conf1agration
was given. We were badly handicapped
within three minutes after the alarm
by several of the fire hydrants being
frozen.
Some of our men went directly to the
rear of the building where the smoke
was not so dense, and forced an entrance
We heard nothing about any people being
within the burning building: ana + found lrl
gine, in stepping into the hallway on the
first floor, found the dead bodies of Reich
his eldest daughter and one OF the sons;
"a further search was then made and
revealed the bodies of the other son and
daughter in the corner of the basement
hallway at the front door, and the body
of Mrs Reich lying in a corner Of the din
ing room on the basement floor.
Chief Conway could not be seen owing
to his condition, but the firemen who were
interviewed all deny the published story
that they refused the appeal of the son
Who was saved to enter the building and
rescue his relatives
viewed for s'The News this morning,
regarding the disastrous fire at No. 317
Germania avenue yesterday morning. He
was indignant at the accusations which
were made against the firemen. mo
formal complaints have been made to us
against any firemen and until we re-
ceive complaints direct we cannot take
any action We cannot act on random
statements made in the newspapers If
any firemen were in an intoxicated con-
dition and unfit for work we would have
ceal the fact, but would take action at
once. If young Reich made the statement
attributed to him, namely, that the fire
men were many of them drunk and that
one of them refused to go into the burn
ing building after his father he proba-
bly, did so while temporarily deranged by
grief at the loss of his relatives.
Another statement which was made in
the newspapers this morning and which
| wish to deny, is that the fire engines
were late in arriving at the fire, and that
had they arrived on time the deaths would
have been averted -Four engines were on
the scene within four minutes of the time
the alarm was sent in. They couldn't
have arrived quicker. The trouble was
The same trouble occurred at the fire
this morning, where the negro lost his
life. When the fires broke out there were
no policemen around to send in the
alarms Citizens hunted for the keys and
couldn't find them. In both cases after
delays they were obliged to break the
alarm boxes. We can no longer depend
upon the police to send in the alarms.
They are never to be found at he proper
time. We will not have many more such
fatal delays, as in a few days we will
have a key in every box, so that it can be
turned by any citizen"
Sergeant Archiband of Police Headquar-
ters said regarding the statement that po-
llcemen were drunk at the fire:-"If any
citizen sees a policeman drunk while on
duty he is not a good citizen unless he ap-
pears before the Police Board and presses
charges against that officer. | have no
sympathy with persons who accuse police
men and fail to substantiate their charges.
Such people should be mFde to prove
what f they s. say % Or . else y be pr proseeeuted'
is in the City Hospital suffering from
severe burns, will recover. He is do
ing nicely" said Warden Osborne this
ssHe does not know yet that his
mother and father perished in the flames
he suspects that they are dead. !
He asks for his mother and wonders why |
dare tell him the horrible details of the |
fire yet for fear it would cause him to suf- |
fer a relapse. His brother Henry visited |
him yesterday afternoon and tried to |
cheer him up, telling him that he would |
come around all right The grief of Hen |
ry was pitable. He bore up, however, when |
IN the presence OF MS SICK DrOJner.
There were not boxes enough for the |
bodies at the morgue The bodies of the /
two girls and one of the boys lay on the I
floor all last night. They were wrapped |
in old quilts, taken from the burned |
house. Their charred limbs protruded from
beneath the scant covering. Frank New
kirk, who is acting morgue keeper dur
ing the illness of Louis Heck.says that the |
bodies are burned worse than any he has |
ever had to handle in his fifteen years of |
experience. The mother is the only one
who can be recognized at all. The other |
bodies are charred to cinders The limbs |
were horribly twisted and the feet burned |
off. Not feature was left upon any of |
the remaining five bodies The body of
years old. was placed in the box with the
mother