The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1903-07-25
CHIEF JOHNSON EX0NERATED
Those Who Have Been Critcsing the
Chief Can Produce no Evidence as to
His Incompetency.

our associate was prevented from
acting during the entire investigation.
We address this report to YOU be
cause under our charter YOU are ex
otiicio head of the fire department
and would have the appointing pow
al in case of the present chiefs re-
moval.
! Tie three members of the commits
sion joining i'll this report held SEES
sion Saturday afternoon, July II, and
also in the evening of "Wednesday, a.,
July 10, and the afternoon and even
ing of Thursday, July l6. AT these
sessions we examined many witnesses
who had been subpoenaed and also
examined such persons as voluntarily
appeared before us and such persons
IA had been requested to testify by
the chief. We ,endeavored 20 treat
the matter without bias and to con
duct the investigation in fair and ju
dicial manner; and we have tried to
make the Investigation thorough one
The persons subpoenaed appeared be-
fore us in the main willingly and the
and the exceptions did not seem to
be OF enough Importance To require
compelling attendance ny attachment
We examined a great number of in
surance men and men engaged in var.
ious lines of business and fiji emen and
others. Mr.. William II Birch, insur-
adce surveyor, appeared before us as
a witness and was also present ut all
sessions of the board when testimony
was taken and materially assisted the
board in getting at the facts.
After hearing all the testimony we
were able to obtain and after consider.
alton of the same our conclusions are
AZ follows;
% 1t was alleged not in the or
gina editorial of the Evening Trle-
gram but at various times and places
that there existed lack of har nony
in the fire department and lack of
confidence on the part of the iremen
in the chief, such as to materially eff
| feet the efficiency of the department.
We made careful inquiries as to this
a Legation and are unable To find any
substantial foundation for IL.
CO. Some testimony was received
touching the conduct of the chief at
the fire of the Lange shingle mill ana
also M to his conduct ut the fire at +.
y Rolls and also Az to his alleged
carelessness In receiving n certain
still alarm at the North Eighteenth
street fire nall and failing to commun-
icate the same to the men The evi
dence failed to disclose any inelllclcn'
cy of the chief in any of these matters
and as they are all trivial matters we
do not go into detail.
(3) There was some testimony to
the effect that the management on
the part of the chief at the fire Of ;he
Prescott block on Feb Is was faulty,
bu. in view of all the testimony pre-
sented before US relating to this fire
we are satisfied that there was moth.
ing III his condIct at that time justi-
tying censure.
~ A large part Of the evidence
presented before us related to the
conduct of the Chief at the fire OF the
Scofield Mill on May 10th last and the
alleged errors on his part at that fire
require separate specification:
"a 1t was alleged that the chief
was at fault in not placing the engines
80 that the water could be taken from
the bay instead Of from the city ny
dranta. The testimony con vinceE Us
that there would have bee II no sub q
sLantial gain in taking water from the
bay and that on account of the con
ditions existing on the ground 1t would
have been impraciicable to have 80
placed the engines.
lbJ It was alleged that th5 chief
erred in drawing water from one of
hydrapts In such way as to cut off
water which was being used in the
protection OF the engine h Iuse by the
men employed at the mill using their
own hose The testimony showed
I hat the supply was not cut of in this
way but was cut on b cause the wItar
came through the mill aud the piue
furnishing the wate- was destroyed by
the FIRE. This was the testimony Of
the mill employees themselves AMI wt-
absolutely convincing ahi We fee,
sure that II 5aLi tisd the p'rs)nt or.
ginaIIy making the charge that they
were mistaken.
lcJ 1t was alleged that the chief
erred IN attaching the hose 10 4 inch
main on T. avenue when nc could have
attached the nose to a II inch main
$50 feet distant on Bay street, and
thai as result there was less press
nre than could have been obtained mad
he followed the opposite course. II
developed, however, that the gentle
men making this charge labored un
der misaprehension IN regard to the
mains the truth being that the main
on + avenue is not inch but .
inch main and the main on Bay street