The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-05-25
NO MORE CARELESSNESS.
Fire Board Says the Men
Must Look Out Or
They'll Be Broke.


| The first matter considered was a charge
against Hugo Kraus, of No. truck COM
| pany, who was detailed as driver of No 8
engine company. The charge was care
/ less driving on May IA, while going. to
| fire at station Mo. 123.
Kraus explained that the accident in
question was caused by the chying of one
| of his team at the corner of Grand street
| and Johnston avenue. The other horse
was frightened and they became un-
manageable. The engine was run up on
| the sidewalk and the rear springs were
| broken.
Captain Swick, who preferred the
/ charges, said he was on the tender of the
engine at the time of the accident and
was ordered to prefer charges by Chief
Conway, to whom he explained the matter
on his return from the fire.
Chief Conway here asked whether Cap
| tain Swick should have been on the ash
/ bend instead of the tender and upon re-
ceiving an affirmative answer remarked
l. What is the use of making rules in
| the department if they are not carried
| out?''
John 'Hanley, who was on the tender
at the time, said the accident was un>
/ avoidable.
i Stephen Davis, a stoker on Engine No.
| 6, but recently detailed to Engine No. I,
was tried for careessness and disobey-
| ing orders.
| Chief Conway preferred the charges
! and in explaining the case said that on
| May Is at 1115 A M, an alarm was re-
! ceived. Davis and the Chief hurried to
the stall, and, after hitching the horses,
Davis got on the seat, with a soft hat.
Conway ordered that he wear a regular
| fire hat AS Davis regained his seat the
horses backed into the stall and broke
the partitions The Chief also testified
| that the horses were not hitched to the
| engine, as they should have been, when
the alarm came in, and at that time OF
the day, under all circumstances, as a
| written order to that effect had been is
sued. Captain Bissell, who was called on
! to testify, stated that he knew of no
| such order.
| Davis was then tried on the charge OF
! failing to follow the route of the steam
| following statement
s'All the time l was alonesin the fire.
house with a horse that was unmanaga-
| BILE. I could not control him alone, as it
! generally takes two men to harness him
| WQ6n an dldTIu Is received. lHS STEAMER
had departed before 1 was ready to har-
ness the horse. The horse went to the
left of the wagon and ran into the stall
again. Finally after hard work I hitched
him and started. The tender had gone
out of sight and I drove to the station
| the shortest way. When 1 arrived the
| hose was not yet connected"
4 Several witnesses testified to the truth
| of Davis's story.
| President Erickson, after the Commits
sioners had considered the charges, SAID:
we have considered your cases thor
oughly, and have come to the conclusion
that we don't blame you for the accident
/ for which you are brought before this
Board. But the time is coming when the
breaking of the apparatus or neglect of
duty must stop. We want you to make all
the spec dpossible in driving to a fire, but
drive your horses in careful manner and
don't let them slip. And / will say that
any man brought before this Board for
carelessness will be severely punished
.sMr. Knaus," continued Mr.. Erickson,
eve have also looked into your case very
i thoroughly and we are satisfied that the
springs on the apparatus were
before the time the horses SHE'D and
drove the engine upon the sidewalk.
You may now both return to your COM
pwanies and in the future be more care
| full
4 A communication was received from the
Boar dof Finance notifying the Commits
| sioners to let them konwn about the real
| estate they had under their care which
| was not in use.
A communication was received from the
| Twelfth Ward Improvement Association.
1t advocated the selection of lot at the
northwest corner of the Boulevard and
Lincoln street for the proposed new fire
4 house This, the communication claims,
is available for the Tenth, Eleventh and
Twelfth wards. The letter was signed by
Fred Bugasch, George Hoeble, Thomas
Gardner B. Diller,. Justice Herwig, Jr.,>
and Robert Edgar
Applications to be appointed fremen
were received from John Mahoney, John
eCaig and Alfred Steele.
The monthly report of Chief Conway for
May showed htat in that time thirty-four
| alarms had been received, of which
twenty-five weretelegraph. The total loss
by fire was $1s,54S; total insurance $13S, 700;
insurance paid 19.24S.
Medical Examiner DR.. Lochner's report
for the month of April was read. 1t
1 showed that there are still four men ur-
der medical care, among them being
Superintendent of Horses DR.. Arrow
smith, who the doctor reports is I'M
proving.
Commissioner Hennessy introduced
| resolution giving out the vacation for the
Commissioners an dmen of the depart
| ment beginning July, as follows:-
ant Engineer, Battalion Chiefs and SUI
perintendent of Telegraph and Clerks,
fifteen days each Captains, nine days,
and the rest of the men in the depart
ment seven days EACH
/ The officers and men of the depart
ment will wear their summer uniforms
and straw hats, beginning the first OF
June. The officers of the department
will wear white straw hat, with a
4 black band and the men will have. a
j black straw hat with black band and
4 patent leather strap in front of 1t, upon
which will be placed the number or the
company to which he belongs.
Warrants were ordered drawn for sal
aries for the month of May, amounting
to SIS, 232.52, and pensions for S179. 15.
/ The Board then adjourned until We'd
nesday, June T.