The sun., 1910-06-07
FIRENEN SCARED, SAYS CHEF
Cr0kIR OBJECTS TO WEN VINO
tITN ON NOON LEARNING.

t.. H.f Edward = Croker declare,
g.. ....y y,- srisy tha, panic anon
,.rul hrameI who were hEhtinI
.a Hrn. blaze in the big warehouse ~
. In y Hphhy's Son Company a
.... .rt Washington street early in th,
r - Hst been directly re-ponsibl,
To- .a Irlrhs ~ Two iirsmen who bel
.rr .g.- 90 o." burning building an,
.... ....rrr Iu urI-- ~ three others Veal
-, mdrrszed. cigarette smoking
,..rau " hp got on he force through ia,
a., r- ~ fH" Civil Service Commission
I.t ..n irmoralis,nE the force for the
u...r'Nruty- SIX wears that the p.'AsOnns
81, ..r f,rr Department had been under
.. .|-t,tIun ~ the commission. hs
600. ard many other things in blunt
r."-m Chief Croker said while he wa.
,.r.ng ru front II the dripping walls
.f... .rIi tr- by M. side ~ acting Rat
d. .. Hl-f David O'kesfe. the man who
hal d 'Hr hand of hose handlers into the
ir., % rn. fire q few hours bsfOre and Al
a. -. .rIrr- the retreat which the iirr
,.,. .laract-rlled ~ panic had been
rli. ~ rWu II the euEine houses where
ts 'lgg~i trrmen we're looping mp bands
.' black ,rap- Chief Croker's structures
Oh r.a moral fibre of the men ho had a
isa hours before eaten smoke On Wash
.-s'ou street until they dropped in their
ra,a, we're received with some -illen
...Iggng ~ the shoulders ThO-r who
d-i 10 the hr- we're.
..nrhy Jottsr of "a Hudson street
-r."tu Of the second grade OF tugns
..Futstsi
N'tm Urt''y Of J.. stone street areman
otr.asr,' grade ~ Engine ~. sIffocated
Those seriously enough injured 10 be
,a,-u 70 the hospital were:
...a conrad. dreman Of Engine 10
fttart paNenel fireman of Ens cine 10
Iu". .Drimm nremen of Nm gine6
BESIDES these there we're twenty others
vH. acre temporarily overcome by smoke
Grd kno were treated by ambulance
surgeons 40 they lay stretched on tar
rs.Iu', on the sidewalk They we're act
ing ,hief O'Keefe Lieut. Maher and Fire
msn Archer. dunno. McGinnity. Murphy
ard Watts " Engine 10. Capt FLYNN and
Firsmen Haipin. McCiolderick. Mckenzie
and d Ha-a oG Engine 8; Lieut. T1ghe and
F-smsn Crrgan. Reith. Snyder aud Weiss
FugInr ~. lieui Campbell and Fire
nan raleo,t Of Truck l5 and Fireman
Hen eta II Engine
lu.rf Croker had Whirl-d dpWu 10 the
tuug warehouse just a. me onuttngrnt
frrmen under O'keefe had found them
-~'-- trapped by the back drsugh, ia
." smoke filled mal-- on the fourth Nor
E..- VarouDus. H. himself directed The
..rug mp ~ ladders and the bringing ~
r.- unconscious men d,wn % the side
.ah What he saw evidently let the fire
..a' rp voice the raI-tIr r-virN " the
-8f-Uai in the department und-r linn
a. ths method ~ if- selection Hr -aii.
= majority u the men who fought
'r., ire were young recruits "a the de-
rar'm-nt who gDl In under the civil
seryioe Commission substitution Of
, aims for downright muscular strength
and endurance ~ qualifications Tor fire
~ They failed 10 measure up to-
pa .a,' of competent hremen When
they gut into The thick ut the smoke
leir lungs couIdn't stand the sirau
1d they dropped theu huss and ran
yoi there in time 10 see some ~ them
snung out Of the windows 10 dodge
pol smoke. while back in the thick Of Il
rfle bunch of the old timers were ~ and
.r z he raT As they ought TO
There was no excuse for the deaths
r otter and Healey. and II the younger /
hadn, broken in a panic these deaths
not have happened. Why. if we'd
lad a bunch Of the old time giants W.
sod ~ have on the force before the ,
p -- II the civil service put book learn
~ 1ver grit and muscle this panic /
v.. dnt have occurred Many lines
o.-rg The last few wears I've seen the
came hing young civil service men
r-rp their hose and run when II looks
,a '-ouhIs ahead This isn't the first
O. sas-ruIs panic that's happened IN the
renlrrent lately
~,y'v per cent. of the department force
vas rad he said a. a result Of the re-
- IONS imposed by Inc requisite men
"a 'esrs and the only salvation u the
fE- ~ force lay in the remaining ~
Is- rcnr that was composed Of the old
liners vno came IN before the civil ser
'.ra rules grew 80 rigorous IN the matter
hook earning.
Tee rarccntage of good and compe-
'a. rr"r i constantly decreasinR.' said
To- nd here is no change in sight I'M
go '.- commission changes It's rules
o. entrance into the department. We
fsr' '-rnen none of whom shall bsunder
& 'as' ucha- with big lungs. big chests
s.0 -nugih and grit A. long as they
tHYN enough 20 sign an apphcation blank
or O. r".ur' q doesn make any difference
s .' OBJ" res, II their mental accom-
r ..mar.-
Ia.- from me. these meutaT tests
.r .E- commission has prescribed
'1sra a. 'he b,g. husky men who may
o. -rnE much. pu who are Rams TO
g. where 'Uav are told and stay there .
''H ''av lre told 10 cUme away. The
'' ~ man who passes the examinations
.f -." man drilled 20 hard work and
zg.7 from an outdoor life A clerk q
"1AzeepeT can pass the eKamina
T, ... Do" cannot make a coed fire. ,
Wen" gettIRg too many u this
aI'Hr ..as-
Ir" fire. chief qualified his fat by
'.lf undoubtedly a dg man
w. F.- a-u q man q some education .
0 make the lest fireman hul be-
rH '.. rH" Way things Uenr now me
''' Hf. "iuoItiOn sufficient 20 lass he
20 -". .r examinations were nOt the =
rx- unv4cally ~ morally
"' '"" T~roentage u the big. dare
a timers Waa stronger the young y