The Washington herald., 1914-01-25

WAGNER DRAGGED
into TESTIMONY
Sullivan Says He Left HIM IN
Charge Of Front Part
Of Fire.
ALL HEADS RESPONSIBLE
Some Witnesses at Deputy's Hearing
Doubtful Whom to Blame for
Firemen's Danger.
ALL HEADS RESP PONSBLE

this week In the case OF deputy r1re
Chief Andrew j. Sullivan. who. charged
! with negligence in tho handling of the
! recent Five and Ten Cent Store fire in
! Seventh street. has been asked by the
Commissioners to resign.
Attorney Charles w. Darr. who Is at
the head of the movement for the re-
tention of the veteran fire-fghter, had q
conference yesterday afternoon with
Commissioner Oliver p. Newman. but
, no action was taken. Mr.. Darr said
last night that he would submit to the
| Commissioners. probably tomorrow. q
written statement. bnt declined to COM
ment upon its purport.
An insight was gained by The WASH
ington Herald last night into the record
of the testimony given at the secret
probe by Commissioner Siddons into the
circumstances leading to and surround
ing the trapping Of five firemen belong
ing TO No. 6 Engine Company. at the
fire.
Leave. Wagner in Charge.
A thorough scrutiny of this testimony
reveals the fact that there is consid-
cradle doubt on the part Of some OF the
witnesses as to who, IL any one, is to
blame for the danger in which the nve
-fire-fghters were placed at the hre ana
which resulted in injuries to them.
While the record shows that Sullivan
ing building, he testified that az soon
.as Chief Engineer Wagner arrived on
sthe scene he CSullivaA) went to the roof
of the Strasburger shoe store and stayed
on that roof for at least an hour. Upon
leaving Chief Wagner, he stated, he ieft
the latter practically in charge OF the
front part Of the fire.
Several of the witnesses testified that
one of the principal rules in fire fighting
is that the chiefs keep themselves con-
stantly informed as to the exact posi-
tions of the various companies. Fire
. Marshal Philip W. Nicholson intfmated
that after Sullivan went to the roof OF
the shoe store, other men, including Chiet
Wagner and the battalion chiefs should
have noticed that the five men were
trapped.
Private HeIlmuth one of the men in
jured in the fire, said il was the duty
of the chiefs, from the chief engineer
down TO the battalion chiefs" to keep
!. posted on the position of the men.
Chief Engineer Wagner called the send
ing into the building Of the men bad
judgment"
Battalion Chief Proctor termed It
criminal neglect"
Most Essential Testimony.
The most essential part of the testi-
mony is reprinted herewith:
Deputy Chief Sullivan testified that
when Chief Wagner arrived, he, Sullivan
started to go around to the rear, leaving
% Chief Wagner to take command OF the
frcnt part of the fire. He said ne hao
sent the five men into the building In
response to a question by Private He'll
muth. of No. g. where do you want
us-in there?" He added that he never
made a report at any fire to the chief
engineer as TO the disposition and loca-
ton of the various companies
r- Sullivan stated that when he went to
the roof of the Strasburger shoe store,
i. .everything looked safe" and that he re-
r marked to Chief Wagner, I'VE have it all
right
The collapse that resulted in the in
juries to the firemen, he said. was "a
thing that I don't know anything about
1t was the last thing l thought would
happen"
shoe store in obedience TO an order Of
d Chief Wagner
5u A.-''Yes. sir"
Q.-''Is il customary to send men into
building that there is no reason TO
believe is occupied at the time to fight
a fire such as this?"
Ayes, sir"
Q.-"To send them right in?'
Would Have Gone Anyway.
Ayes, sir. That is the success OF
our department And / am satisfied that
II I hadn't sent in Mr.. Helmuth and
No. 6, any company would have gone
into the building without instructions.
j have seen it done very often
The deputy chief stated that he went
into the building with the five men and
went back again about half an hour
later. ''At that time he said, 'they
were right in there and knocking the
life out of the fire. Everything looked
as safe as in this room. and il I had
had the slightest idea that there was
any likelihood of walls falling in, I
would have ordered them out right
away"
Sullivan answered in the negative re-
peated questions as to whether ii ever
occurred to him that a company inside
the building was in danger.
- Claiming that the men, when sent into
. the building. had "a nice position" Sui
Ivan at the close of his testimony en-
phasized that he could Ssee mo room for
criticism:" that he did his duty up to
the handle in that case and that he
would do the same thing over again
under the same circumstances
S,,llf, t..l