The San Francisco call., 1910-03-16
SHAUGhNfSSY WILL
RETIRE ON PENSION
Chief Engineer of Fire Depart
ment Will Be Succeeded by
Thomas Murphy

Chief Engineer p. H. Shaughnessy of
the fire department will retire from the
service tonight. Gaping the climax OF
an internal disturbance which The Call
predicted would come to crisis al THIS
time. There are different versions OF
the conditions which have brought
about the change in the department.,
and while Mayor P. II. Mccarthy de-
clared yesterday that he had tried 10
persuade Shaughnessy to stay, Presf-
dent Joseph Sullivan of the fre COM
mission spoke frankly when he said:
1--WE shall be most happy to accept
Chief Shaughnessy's resignation.
Shaughnessy will end "a years OF
service with petition for retirement
on half pay He says he Will De glad
to have a rest.
Thomas Murphy. former battalion
chief under Chief Dennis Sullivan, and
now acting second assistant chief. Will
succeed Shaughnessy, and will be
named chief either tonight or at the
next meeting of the board.
STATEMENT By MAYOR
Regarding the resignation of Shaugh-
messy. Mayor Mccarthy said yesterday;
'I have tried to persuade Fire Chief
Shaughnessy to stay. Only yesterday
talked with him and have several
times recently sought to have him
change his resolution to withdraw
state now, as I took occasion to state
publicly shortly after entering upon
this office, that Shaughnessy is splen-
did fire fighter"
I'VE shall be most happy to accept
Chief Shaughnessy's offer to retire.
said President Joseph Sullivan of the
fire commission. You may state that
. fc he
boards intention to bring the depart
ment back where it belongs. We are
going to promote the harmony of the
department and it's efficiency no matter
at whose expense"
DO you mean, Mr.. Sullivan. that
Chief Shaughnessys retirement is
looked upon as necessary to promote
the departments ef1ciency?"
INTEND To PROMOTE HARMONY
'Oh. no. / wouldn't say that, BECAUSE
If | did l would be stating what Is not
true, but we are going to promote
harmony Shaughnessy has not been
asked to resign, not at all: but We shall
be most willing to have him retire
from the rank of chief on his pension
of half pay
Shaugnessy will ask for retirement.
not because of disability, for he says
that he is in the best of health and
pnyslcdI CONDITION. but under the prOVl-
sion of the charter which provides that
the commission shall upon applica-
t1on" allow pension to any member
OF the department who is 55 years of
age or. over and who has served in the
department continuously for 20 years.
TWENTY YEARS A CHIEF
Chief Shaughnessy is 81 years old
and has been; "A years in the depart
ment. For one year he was a hose
man, for three years captain, for
10 years battalion chief, for six
years and three months the second
assistant chief, and for three years and
nine months the chief engineer. Curl
ously enough yesterday marked his
twentieth anniversary as a chief in the
department. The charter provides that
when pension is granted 1T shall be
for half pay for the rank which the
applicant has held for three years or
more, ShauShnessy was regularly ap-
pointed chief engineer and took leave
OF absence from the department as sec
ond assistant chief June Is, 1906
Basfng his application upon his three
years and nine months incumbency of
his present position, Shaughnessy will
ask for a pension on half pay as chief
engineer. The salary of chief engineer
is $4,000 year, and Shaughnessy has
| been given to understand that his ap-
plication for the S2;500 pension will not
meet with objection.
Shaughnessy said that Battalion
Chief McKittrfck, who had served so
years in the department would also
ask for retirement on half pay from
the department.