The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-10-09
CHIEF MAGUlRE TALKS
OF RECENT TROUBLES.
Resignations Handed to Alderman
and Not Louis GarfunIeI.

Hestgnations Handed to Alderman
and Not Louis GarfunIzeI.
The designations of Foreman Campos
and Engineer Ponder. who were dis
charged from the fire department by
the Mayor Friday. were handed to
Alderman A. ]. Garfunkel. acting
chairman of the Fire Committee, and
not to Mr.. Louis G. funkel.
Everything NOV along smoothly
in the departmel ssterday and Chief
Mcguire says he expects no more
trouble. In regard to the statements
given out by the men who were dis
charged, Chief Mcguire has some
thing TO say. When seen yesterday, he
made the following statement in regard
to the recent fire department troubles:
Il deeply regret the circumstances
under which these young men were
dismissed. 1t was extremely unfor-
tunate that they should permit their
feelings to allow them to put one of
the finest engines in the South in such
condition as to be unfit for imme-
date use without first notifying me.
as our rules demand. Both men were
on duty and the foreman had at least
seven men under him whose duty il
was to obey his slightest command, all
of whom know would have prevented
any one from gripping the engine had
he but issued an order.
1T is true that the heater connec-
tions were to limited extent the per-
sonal property of the engineer. in so
much, as, with my consent, he paid
for the castings used in their construc-
tions, but it must be remembered that
the time occupied In the finishing of
these castings, belonged solely to the
department and to the city, to which
he was expected, under his oath of Of
flee to devote his every talent and
ability, while on duty. Even in the
face of these conditions 1 would not
have had the slightest objection to al
lowing the engineer to remove the con-
nections, because they were at the
most an experiment, practically I'M
tried and of doubtful termination, but
the fittings which had been i'm use for
many years before should have been
put back when the experiments were
removed.
II shall not enter into a controversy
relative to the engines on or off the
heater, but in justice to the other en-
gineers / must say that never in the
history of the department, since my
connection with it, have any two en-
gines in the same division been off the
heater as matter of economy. It is
customary once a year to allow each
engineer a certain period of time in
which to overhaul and clean his heat
er and his engine, but at no time are
any two of them allowed to do this,
except in cases of extreme emergency.
And even then the engineers are re-
quired to keep their engines ready for
as quick service as possible or to put
the reserve in service.
1T has been stated that the original
heater connections of engine No. were
put on engine No. 2. This is abso-
lutely untrue. The fittings on No. 2
are those originally purchased with the
heater about fifteen years ago, the only
difference being that the painting and
stripping has been changed according
to the fancy of the engineer at that
station.
II consider the removal of these
connections under the conditions mem
toned almost criminal and am
thankful that no fire occurred during
their absence, which would have con-
trlbuted to make the act absolutely
so."