Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-01-21
Captain Of Fire Com
pany Is Scored in
PreSentment.
CAUSES OF HIGH STREET
HOLOCAUST ANALYZED
Building Inspection Department
Is Criticised in Disaster
Summary.
6svvrssy scoring members of the New

86vVF8tY scoring members of the New
ark dSe department, the building in
spectton under the State department
and the tenants in the High
street building, where the recent
fire disaster occurred, the retiring
grand jury handed In it's presentment
to Chief Justice William s. Gummere
today. The jury did not return any
Indictments for criminal negligence
against the ones blamed, but the pre-
sentiment scores In particular Captain
Darc1e Won Volkenberg and the men,
beys OF No. Engine Company, whose
quarters are directly opposite the scene
OF the disRstax.
Chief Justice Gummere. in receiving
the presentment, thanked the retiring
juro.s. The only one not present was
Matthew w. Hogan, who is confined to
his homo owing to illness. The jurors
will dine at Achtcl- Stetter's tonight
as the guests OF their foreman, James
B. Seymour. jr.
The preaentmsnt in full is as follows:
TIE P<esentment.
HThe grand jury, sitting for the body
ox the county OF Essex for the first half
Of the December term, in 1910, A. D.,
respectfully presents TO the court as
follows:
I'm reference to the fire which oc-
CURED In 1910 in the building located at
the corner OF Orange and High streets
In tho city OF Newark, In the opinion
Of tho jury the superintendent of the
Anchor Lamp Company showed ex-
tremeiy poor judgment In attempting
to extinguish the fire without first no.
tifytng the fire department and also
the employees Of the other concerns in
the same building.
".rhe failure OF tho captain of the No.
4 Engine Company to Immediately send
In an alarm Of fire, instead OF first
making an inspection to determine the
seriousness Of the alarm. was serious
mistake In judgment. In view Of the
fact that the members Of No. Engine
Company were familiar with the dan
zerous conditions that existed in the
premises In question in case of a seri-
GUS fire and the loss of only one min
ute in time in the arrival of other fire
apparatus undoubtedly prevented the
saving of some OF the unfortunates.
Conduct OF Fireman.
'The conduct of the fireman who ac-
companied the captain into the build
ing In question, as shown by the testi-
mony. raises q question in the MIND
of the Jury as to his fitness as
member of the fire department. The
testimony clearly shows that the\ door
leading from the third to the fourth
floor was hooked back against the
wall when this fireman reached the
third floor, and in the opinion OF the
iury II was clearly his duty, when he
discovered the conditions that existed
on the third floor, to continue to the
fourth floor with the engineer of the
building, who was ascending the stairs
in advance of him, to direct the en-
ployees in escaping the threatened dan
ger The failure, either on the part OF
the superintendent of the Anchor Lamp
Company, fireman or captain of No
Engine Company, to close the doors
leading from the third floor rooms into
the hall, showed a lack of proper
thought on their part
THE failure of the members Of No
2 truck In their attempt to raise
ladder at the north end Of the building
should be made the subject of inquiry
by the fire commissioners.
Commend Engineer.
The actions of the engineer OF the
building in ascending to the top floor
In his endeavor to assist In the escape
Of the employees cannot be too highly
commended
1.-The inspection OF factory buildings
As shown by the testimony. would seem
TO DO entirely inadequate. and the fall
,rre Of the State factory inspector to
report that he found the door locked
leading from the third TO the fourth
fioor when he made his inspection can
not be too strongly condemned. and the
attention of his superior is directed to
this failure on hts part to comply with
the requirements OF the statute.
1--WE feel that the members of the
fre department located in the various
fire-houses should be required to send
in an alarm of fire upon notice that a
fire exists in any building in which are
employed any persons, rather than to
attempt to make an investigation first
The ineff1ciency in the present opera
tion Of the Bureau of Combustibles can
best be corrected by reports OF i'm
proper conditions existing In any build
ing coming under the notice of the fire
department being sent by the Bureau Of
Combustibles to the local building de-
partment, and to the department of fac
tory inspection where such building or
buildings come under the provisions of
tho factory law, and additional legisla-
ton should be invoked. If necessary, to
correct dangerous conditions. IL no au
thority to do so now exists.
ut would appear to be absolutely es-
sentiaI that the requirements of the
State law for the erection of fire-escapes
and and for the protection OF employees
in case of fire. should be materially
changed.
1.-THE present Microscopes, in case OF