Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-22
FIN DINGS REPORTE D
DELAY OF ENGINE COMPANY IN
GETTING INTO SERVICE.
Officers Deprived of "Days Off" and
Required to Pay for Repairs
to Fire Hydrant.

sChief Engineer William T. Belt OF the fire
department has forwarded to the Commits
sioners the findings of the board appointed
to investigate the delay Of engine company
No. 8 in getting into service at fire near
4th and X streets southeast July q last
The chief engineer has also forwarded the
protests Of Foreman c. r. Juhns and AS
sistant Foreman ]. H. Virnstein against the
verdict rendered. The board of inquiry
consisted of Assistant Chief A. ]. Sullivan
and Foremen ]. T. Young and G. w. Hop
kins. Its recommendation is that each
of the two officers should be deprived OF
his days or for a term of thirty days,
be .reprimanded and warned and required
to pay the cost Of repairing damage to a
fire plug
In forwarding the papers Chief Engineer
Belt submits q statement, In which he says
the delay Of the company In getting a
stream of water on the fire was due to the
engine being placed out OF service through
the bad management of the company in
laying out its line of hose. From the evil
dence it appears that when the engine
reached the plug the horses were imme-
diately unlocked and a suction sleeve at
tached.
When the reel began to lay out the line
one Of the firemen wrapped the end OF the
hose around one of the steamer wheels
to steady It, The line drew tight and pulled
the engine from it's position. The force
pulled of the plug coupling and blocked
the suction sleeves, making 1t useless. The
company had to lay out a second line from
a remote plug, where engine No was sta
toned
Finding Disapproved.
1.-The trial board appointed by the de-
partment to investigate the cause of de-
lay" says Chief Belt, attributes the same
to the negligence of Foreman c. r. Kuhns
and Assistant Foreman J. H. VirnStetn OF
No. company, in that they did not prop
erly conduct the company in laying out it's
hose this occasion. and it recommended
that Foreman kuhns and Assistant Fore
man VirnStein be deprived of their days
Off for period of thirty days jointly bear
the expense of the repair to The fire ny
drant damaged and that they be repri-
manded by the department for their nesii-
gence-
''This finding, in the opinion of the de-
partment. is too severe, and /, therefore,
respectfully recommend that only so much
of the recommendation of the trial board
as deprives Foreman kuhns and Assistant
Foreman VirnnStein of their days off for
thirty days and reprimanded by the de-
partment be inflicted
Commissioner Macfarland. who has super
vision of the fire department, in consider
ing the matter, decided that the full pen
atty should be inflicted. He snid:
after comforting with the chief engineer
/ cannot approve his recommendation. The
case is so serious that the full penalty rec
commended by the board should be imposed.
l so recommend.
Upon receipt of the findings of the board
and the orders of the Commissioners Fore
man Kuhns and Assistant Foreman Vim
stein sent letters of protest to the chief en-
gineer saying they felt they were unjustly
dealt with. The foreman claimed he was at
his post of duty when the accident occur
red. Virnstein declared he had nothing to 1
do with the accident, he was simply
carrying out orders at the fire. In sending
the letters to the Commissioners. Chief Belt
also forwarded Individual statements from
the members of the trial board, giving their
reasons for reaching the result stated.
I'm an interview with Foreman Kuhns
relative to this matter, says Chief Belt,
"he stated to me that he was not RESPONSE
BILE for the company in laying out it's line of
hose on this occasion. and upon being asked
if he was not responsible who was, he
stated that he did not know. He was In
formed it was very bad management on hts
part. for if he no. to blame. he should
have found out imme lately who was and
reported him to the department..
Failed to Thoroughly Investigate.
Had Foreman kums thoroughly investi-
gated the matter and placed the blame on
the proper one for the damage to the fire
hydrant. the finding of the trial board
would probably have been different, but his
neglect in not making thorough investi-
cation is alone neglect of duty, aside
from the fact that had his men been tho
roughly instructed to their positions
in laying out the hose to the fire. the dam
age to the plug and the delay in getting
water on the fire in question would have
been averted.
After carefully considering the case
l have come to the conclusion that Assis-
tant Foreman Virnstein was carrying out
the instructions of the foreman at this
fire when he ordered the driver of the hose
carriage to lay out the line of hose.
therefore recommend that so much of the
penalty as has been ordered by your hon.
orable board to be inflicted upon Assistant
Foreman Virnstein be set aside, and rec
ommend that Foreman Kuhns be deprived
of his days OFF for thirty days; that he be
required to pay the expense Of the repair
to the fire hydrant, and that he be repri-
manded for his negligence"
The Commissioners have approved this
action