Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-01-07
STORAGE CO. MUST
SUSTAIN CHARGES
AGAINST F|RENEN
Commissioner Burke Declares
Matter of Blame for Fire
Will Be Pr0bed.

An inquiry into the fire of last Tues
day whereby the big storage warehouse
in ArlingtonW street was burned out
from top to bottom, with h exception
of the third and fourth floors of the
new structure, will be taken up by the
fire department just as soon as specific
charges are received from William ].
Decker, manager of the storage plant.
AT fire department headquarters to-
day Commissioners II. e. Burke declared
tina IL Decker did not bring charges
against the fire department the board
itself would take that action. THE
charges made by representatives of the
Knickerbocker Company are too strong
to be passed up by the commissioners.
They must be substantiated," said MIR.
Burke.
Mr.. Decker insisted this morning that
he was not ready as yet to make
specific charges against either the
Salvage Corps or the fire department
members.
"Why can't you specify whether your
investigation has shown which was al
fault?" he was asked.
Parties the Question.
.You mean whether It was the fire
department or the Salvage Corpsp' lie
parried.
Eyes; was it the Salvage Corps OF
some company of the fire department
that was to blame, as o claim, fol-
the doors between the old and the new
building being opened?"
"At this time / do not care to answer
that question. There Is a technical
question involved. We do not know
Just where our complaint can be
made and until we determine that we
feel that 1t is useless to say anything
ut is a fact, isn't 1t, that employees
of the Knickerbocker Company made
sure that the fire doors were closed be-
fore they left the building" was asked
Mr.. Decker.
at certainly Is" was the reply. Foul
of our employees saw that the IRE
doors were closed"
After the fire were n OF them
found pried open. Did n OF them
show that force had been used to open
them?" was asked Mr.. Decker.
81 cannot say that they did," was
the answer of MI. Decker.
Continuing he said that it Is admitted
that the Salvage Corps opened a door
on the third floor and after placing
rubber blankets over valuable material
near the door closed 1t again. There
was no fire damage on the third floor
near this door," said Mr.. Decker. when
asked If he blamed the Salvage Corps
men for opening the door.
Continuing. Mr.. Decker said:
"At the present time, in view OF the
fact that 1t is only today h a we have
been able to make a comprehensive In
spection of the new and old buildings
Of plant, 1 do not a to say just
what course we will take in asking for
an inquiry as to the work of the fire.
men"
Says Ffremcn Loafed.
Mr.. Decker reiterated his statements
made at several different times that the
firemen seemed to be loaing during the
fighting of the fire.
This statement is ridiculed by Chief
William G. Ashley Inc Deputy Chief
Joseph E. Sloan. Chief Ashley said to-
day: "All statements made by anybody
connected. with the Knickerbocker Stor-
age Company that the hremen were lax
in their duties are false, to say the
least. Other than hat statement. I
have nothing to say until the time
comes for an inquiry. which will be
held by the Fire Commission either at