Perth Amboy evening news., 1904-03-07

OFTHEFIRE

A. About $Io5,ooo.
Is anybody to blame for this
enormous loss of property? A. Nc
one can be blamed for the cause Of
the fire, but there was poor protec-
ton after such a fire started.
Who is to blame for this poor
protection? A. The city officials Of
the past year.
Who were the city officials OF the
past year? A. Mayor, Charles K.
Seaman, Alderman-at-large Eckert,
Aldermen Runyon, Cannon, Smith,
lToft, Donovan and Campbell.
Did not a single one of these do
anything to improve the condition
OF the fire department? Yes. Alder
man Cannon, who was also a mem
Der Of the State legislature, had a
bill passed authorizing cities to, is
sue $4,000 bonds to improve fire
departments and he pushed it in
tie council chamber.
Did Alderman Cannon have any
backing in this good work? A. Yes.
The Perth Amboy Evening News
backed him in getting the bill
through the legislature and then
pointed out the necessity of taking
advantage of the bill at once, urg-
ing the purchase of two steamers.
Did the Board Of Aldermen heed
this warning? A. 1t should not
have been necessary to warn them,
a little common sense was all that
was necessary to see that the city
was entirely unprotected, if a fire
once got beyond control.
Did the aldermen do anything?
A. A very little. They allowed
months to pass Ewithout making a
move and finally have ordered two
new combination wagons and a
truck, which, although a year has
now passed, have not yet arrived.
During these months of delay,
was there nothing done to impress
upon the aldermen the necessity of
Immediate, action? A. Yes. The
Evening News continued to advo-
cate the purchase of two steamers
before a serious fire occurred. 1t
was urged TINT they might not be
needed often, but when they we're
needed they would be wanted badly
Did this have any effect on the
Mayor or Aldermen? A. No They
said the Evening News was too flip
and did not know what it was talk
ing about. Some of them said
Perth Amboy did not need fire en-
gines.
Did they get along without fire
engines at the fire Saturday? A No
The fire was beyond control until
the fire engines arrived
Where did they get the fire en-
gines? A. One came from Tot
ten and the other from South Am
boy.
Are South Amboy and Totem
vile big cities like Perth Amboy1
A. No, Tottenville is a village of
about 2,8co population and South
A1nboy has about 5000.
Is it not humiliating for a place
like Perth Amboy to call upon these
small places to come in and save
the city? A. Just.a trihe.
How is it these small places have
fire engines and Perth Amboy does
not? A. The officials there were
not foolish enough to believe they
could get along without them.
What has Perth Amboy de-
pended upon for fire protection?
A. The pressure from the water
mains.
Was this pressure at its best
Saturday night? A. The officials
say it was.
Was it sufficient? A. Hardly,
when a call was sent to neighbor-
ing towns for their steamers.
What about the firemen of Perth
AmDoy! "A. They are the best
6refghters in the state, but they
were handicapped.
How were they handicapped? A.
By lack of equipment and frozen
fire MIGRANTS.
Were not the cit oficials warned
about frozen hydrants. A. Yes.
Early this winter the Evening
News said it would be cheaper for
the city to pay a nan a salary to
keep the hydrants in condition
rather than to run the risk of hav-
ing valuable property destroyed.
Was this warning heeded? A.
Nc. The city officials laughed at
the newspaper and said it was
trying to run down the town.
1t is being too hard on the Mayor
aud 1aSt wears BOARD of Aldermen |