Evening journal., 1902-12-03
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
Chlef ConwaY's pefense

]
Sir: ! wish, through the columns Of
your paper, to take exception to an
article published in relation to the fire
at the county workhouse.
My exception is simply this: The
trustees criticise my management of
the fire, when did everything that
they tcld me and the way they order
ed me and my men around was some
thing appalling.
They wanted the hose taken every
place they would see a Iblaze-first one
place and then another-until by ex-
haustion ard outside orders the men
at the pipe were forced to quit Had
they left me and the men alone where
first started them in the centre OF the
building, the warden's residence would
have been saved. as well as the jail.
want to state right here that if !
hadn't put my foot down just when
did, and if had taken their orders any
longer, the whole building would have.
been destroyed
Had the building been inside the city
limits, and responded to an alarm,
would have looked upon them as any
other citizens, and after l had placed
the men in a certain position and found
tnat they had moved them, would
have had them removed from the fire
ground. But. as it was, and consider
ing who they We're. l gave them too
much consideration. In reply to Judge
Ball wish to state fer his special bene-
ut, that there were no ladders needed
to fight that fire. and that it was no
easy thing to move five hundred feet of
hose any time that he saw fit
In regard to the ladders and trucks
being used for men to stand en- and
hold q nozzle of a hose. want him
to distinctly understand that he and
ten more men like him couldn't hang
on a ladder and handle a hose with
three or four hundred pounds pres
sure on it, The only ladder that was
needed we had, and that was the one
we used off the Water Witch combina-
tion wagon.
Now want Judge Bail to further un-
derstand that the Delaware truck and
Phoenix truck would not be ordered
out and away from the city of Will
mington under any circumstances save
cne-and that one to save human life
-as they are the only lile-saying ap-
paratus that we have in the depart
ment. l would not fer all the Judge
Balls in creation strip the city and
citizens Of Wilmington of their only
safeguard for human life by ordering
either of them to that fire.
II Judge Ball took the authority on
himself TO order any of the fire APP
paratus out. he is guilty Of a gross
breach OF the city ordinance and should
be dealt with according to the law.
For all the windows barred. it was Of
no use whatever, unless Mr. Ball
wanted to do like Warden Maserve
get up and look around
AS for Warden Meserve, / must say
that l could not understand his motive
in taking me away froln my post for
/ fully half an hour to break a lcck on
a trap-door to let him into the attic.
He asked me for an axe and l went to
the Phoenix truck and got one. and Mr..
Watson. OF the Friendship. also
/ brought one. and MIR. McGoldrick. OF
j the Water Witch Mr.. Watson. Of the
] Friendship, Mr.. Meserve and myself
1 went to the top OF the building and
lhe (Meserve) told me to break the lock
on the door of the attic. as he had a
man imprisoned uD there and he had
no key to let him out. After breaking
both axes l asked Mr.. Meserye TO get
cold chisel and we would cut the staple
After the staple was cut / crawled uI
in the attic and asked Mr.. Meserve
/ where the man was. and he said there
wasn't anybody up there-he onl,
wanted to look around. Now you car
, imagine my feelings.
Mr. Joseph H. Carpenter, in an inter
view. states that Council should i'm
peach me. and no doubt they shOule
p for allowing myself to be dictated e
. by men who knew no more about fight
ing FIRE than a lot of women.
| admit I made one big mistake. an'
have been censured for IL by ever.
e fireman there, and that is that / didn'
order the hose turned on the board o
trustees first. Had l done that four o
five suits of clothes might have bee
damaged but great deal more Of tn
building would have been saved. No
wishing to make myself too officicu
| did all | could. and went as far wit
their orders as my conscience woul
allow. But l will guarantee them tina
if such a thing happens again, there c
anywhere else. I will exercise my CIV
Judgment, take orders from no on
stand on the dignity Of my position
and henceforth be what ! am. Chic
Engineer of the Wilmington Fire D'
partment Michael ". Conway
Wilmington, Dec. 8. 1902.