Perth Amboy evening news., 1904-03-11
EN-
TALK BACK.
Declare that the Fire Had Big
Roadway Before Alarm
Sounded.
Editor Evening News:

| lIlO OIll lDSb., III MlllOh hO
Chief Uomings and the Fire Depart
mont in general, for the manner in
which the Reynolds & Hanson fire
was handled, l beg leav Q to take ex-
coption to Mr.. Macher's statements.
Mr.. Macher says: ITO my mind
there need not have been II loss be-
yond n few dollars, had the city a.
paid fire department, or even an ex-
perienced head" / consider this
statement and entirely I'M
called, as Perth Amboy's fire depart
ment has thus far proven itself equal
to any emergency that has risen.
While the department has been seri-
ously handicapped by the lack of
efficient apparatus, or equipment with
which TO properly fight "a fire, Mr..
Macher is the first person to publicly
take exception to the efficiency of its
officers and men.
In explanation of the situation Mr..
Macher says "When the boy who G
cidently started the fire rushed up
stairs for assistance l Immediately
ran down and found not one, but both
boxes on fire, Mr.. Hanson and Mr..
Sharpe tried to follow O minute or
two after, but could not get down on
account of the smoke. l had the
boy carry water to me and would
have succeeded in combining the fire
to the cotton BOXES had the boy not
become alarmed and run out the back
way. AS it was, l remained and
fought it back until the smoke drove
me out. 1t had gained very little
Roadway and could have been extin-
! guished with q garden hose. l fully
expected to return and direct the hose
men to the exact location of the fire,
as I has been down there long enough
for them to arrive. Coming up out
of the cellar I found them dragging
a hose into the alley which was put
through an iron grating and turned on
q coal pile, sixty feet away from the
fire."
From Mr.. Macher's " statement,
it was impossible, on account OF
smoke, for Mr.. Hanson and Mr.. Shaip
to get into the cellar a minute or two
after he had gone down, yet Mr..
Macher stayed i'll the smoke-filled cell
lar and fought the fire after the boy,
who was carrying water to him, had
deserted him, and while it was impos-
sible for any other person in tn store
to come to his aid.
AS q matter of fact, the alarm had
not beer sounded until: after Mr..
Macher had been driven out of the cell
lar by the smoke, and it is reasonable
to suppose that at least five minutes
had elapsed between the time the a
larm was sounded and the firemen ar
rived on the scene. And to that the
time consumed by the Lincoln Hose
Company making a connection with
the frozen khydrant at Smith and
State streets. and the making of al :
other connection at Smith and Hobart
streets, so hat at least ten minutes
had been consumed before the firemen
had water. ! also wish to inform Mr..
Macher that the hose he speaks of be-
ing dragged into the alley was not
brought there until at least it twas
connected by Mcclellan Hose Com
pany, who were no supposed to re-
spond until the second alarm was
given, the other companies, in the
meantime, giving their attention to
getting water on the fire from the
front, from which the smoke was aris-
ing in clouds.
The fire started in cotton batting,
which, as everyone knows, is highly
inlammable, yet Mr.. Macher expected
to return and direct the hosemen''
to the exact location OF the fire, ten
minutes after he had been driven from
the fire by the smoke. A little com
mon sense is all that is necessary to
appreciate the absurdity of Mr.. Mach
er's statement.
1t was impossible, owing to the con-
struction of the building, for the fire.
men to do effective work from the
front, and it was equally impossible
for the men handling the fire hose in
the rear to reach the fire on account
of the dense smoke in the cellar, and
the fact that the cellar was not unob-
strueted.
Mr.. Macher says that his busin ess
is to sell dry goods and not to decry
anyone. If such is the case, ! would
advise him to attend strictly to bust
ness, as it is evident from his state
ments that his knowledge outside Of
that speciality is nil.
l must say in conclusion that Mr..
Macher's criticisms are unwise, I'M
called for and unjust.
noenoo&fuIIu