New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-02-10
FIRE FIGHTERS RETURN.
GREETED As HEROES.
Congratulations lSkozrered on Chief
Ho5Ce and His Men.

Smoke grinled. cold. hungry and tired. the
New-York hremen. who at the most dangerous
point had held and routed the Baltimore fire.
returned late lsst night to this city. In spite
of the hardships they had met. the exhausting
work they had done when every other company
was worn out ard unable to aid them; in spite
OF the Journey hack in cold cars. delayed from
the ordinary four hour trip 10 eight. they ar
rived jubilant and almost contented Their
only complaint was that they had rot been sent
fo- sooner. Not man was hurt in any way:
not a horse was sick; none Of the apparatus
was damaged. In the history Of the Fire De-
partment this Baltimore achievement Is with
out a peer.
IT'S fine! It's inspiring" declared Commis-
sioner Hayes as the long train. with its passen-
gen coaches. box cars for the horses and gcndola
after gondoa with the engines. their hose carts
and the truck. rolled into the Pennsylvania yards
at Jersey City. Not another city in the world
could do it."
Back to the congratulations Of their chiefs
came the men: back to the praise OF city
which followed their actions IN the stricken
sister city and shared joyously In their gallant
achievement there. At their head came Bat
talon Chief Howe. young. slender and modest
Although he had been without sleep for more
than twenty-fuur hours and had. with Captain
-
Fire Department. and A l. Volgenau. Com
missioner Hayess secretary. patrolled the burn
ing city all Monday night. he said simply. i
don't deserve any praise I've had more thans
coming to me. The credits due TO the men
They did the work.
COMMISSIONER PRAISES HOWE.
Commissioner Hayes had different opinion.
however. Breaking through group which sur
rounded Howe. he stretched forth his hand and.
grasping that which the fireman had raised In
the formal salute, he said: 81 congratulated
you Chief, and in the name Of the Mayor l
thank you. I will congratulate you In more
formal way later" There were rumors last
night of the honor roll for Howe. and perhaps
all the men who made the Baltimore trip
1t was a great reception the men got. as one
ny one they slowly unloaded their engines and
drove them down into the ferryhouse- 1t was
a great story they brought back, great enough
to warrant fully the reception. Commissioner
Hayes. Alfred Downes. secretary Of the Fire De-
partuent: Acting Chief Kruger. who delayed
trim to Palm Beach. and Chief Croker were
there to greet the men. They had waited for
hours before the train came in; they waited az
,ervvard until the last engine the ferry
boats and the last man had partaken OF the
sandwiches and hot coffee whish the Commits
sioner provided.
The train in which the men came LEFT Balti-
more at 1 o. m. II delayed beyond rea-
son at every crossing The cars were coid'
the men were unable to sleep They had moth
ing to eat until they reached West Philadelphia
Junction, about .. m. where they obtained
coffee and sandwiches. From there on the trip
was made in more comfort. Just az Q p. the
long train pulled slowly past the yard super
intendents office. where was the Commission
er's party.
Then began a long tedious Job OF unloading
the heavy engines and the horses With the
horses IL was comparatively easy. but the en-
gines had to be run from one car TO another
then down long pair OF slids built of heavy
beams 1t was delicate work. for fire engines
are valuable machinery and not particularly
easy to handle. AS each one reached the ground
its horses were brought. and the crew drove
slowly to the ferryhouse.
FIRE FIGHTER TELLS HIS STORY.
Meanwhile the Commissioner Chief Kruger
and the rest OF the party had gone down to
the ferryhouse. where was Chief Howe Moth
ing would do but his story
well. I went with the second train from
here" he said. which the first to reach
Baltimore. We got there, at the Baltimore and
Ohio station. at so p. m on Monday. Assist
ant Chief Emerich met I've got TO give
you hard work. he told me- Ny own men
going to pieces. and the volunteers are about "a
bad Well we came here for work. told
him. He assigned me to the waterfront. down
at the wharves Of the Merchants and Miners
TRANSFORMATION Company. We had to buck
right against the fire II we had given way the
flames would have crossed Jones's Falls and
got right into a nest Of old buildings and tene-
ment houses as bad as any East Side rookery.
II didn't.
w., 60. 70 work twenty minutes after We got
there We quit at $50 O'Clock this morning.
There was A big u1althouse there. by the trans
portation company'S dock. put the companies
rfght M in front Of this There were seven
OF them massed at point. -Four times the
men we're actually driven against the walls OF
the rnaIthouse by explosions from the burning
buildings They held there, and they kept the
fire from crossing the falls.
There was a bigger body Of fire there than I
Rome Great buildings were falling. and We
rad To dodge walls ard wires all the time. Con-
ditions there were bad. OF course. 1 couldn't
tell much about the beginning OF the fire from
when I got there. The Baltimore force evil
dainty didn't have enough men to fight the FIRE
Then their engines weren't powerful and they |
vent at the outside Of the fire The streets |
rera narrow. and IL was hard to get in at the |
Gre 70 6Cht il right We had our work cut out /
for ms down the waterfront
srTbev treated finely there. Mr.. Roberts.
the steward Of the Merchants and Miners |
TRANSFORMATION Company, served hot coffee and 1
food to us all che time We were lighting the fire /
there at the docks When we left the people |
all cheered US
MUCH THAT CHIEF LEFT UNTOLD.
Such was Chief Howe's narrative. From II Il