The Washington times., 1914-02-14

else, and replied he had seen Captain
whether, in his Judgment, Captain
Dixon had seen the men at work In the
building. and whether the captain knew
II don't guess he knew the company
unless he knew some Of the men BY
sight" Birch explained.
Odd Captain Dixon know the nose
ran into the building?
A-Yes. 1 asked him for help tc
tighten them. That is. to drag more oi
hem in the building; we did not have
Captain Dixon was called by Mr.
Eyme. but he was not present He was
sent for.
Coptain Lanahan Testifies.
Can't. William F. Lanahan, Of No.
Ecnvine Company, who was OF duty the
night of the fire, and who reached 1t on
The third alarm, was the next witness.
ON direct examination by Mr.. Syme,
he placed the responsibility for the
safety OF the men on all Of the cflets.
While knowing of no written rule on
the subject he said he considered It the
duty Of the chief, the deputy chleI, ana
the battalion chief to keep one another
informed as to the location of the men.
Q.-Who Is In command on the first
alarm? -,-. -
A.-The captain VINO nrst aLIHeS S III VI
the battalion chief, II he gets there
0.-when the deputy chief arrives
does he take command?
Ayes. ,.--
chief?
Ale places the companies.
O.-Is it the duty of the deputy chlet
20 make himself familiar as TO where
the men are located?
6-Hs there any rule requiring that
report be made to the deputy chieI
concerning the location of the men?
Al know of no written rule, but 1t Is
o'~When the chief engineer arrives,
how does he find the location Of the
men?
Ale goes to the deputy chief or the
deputy chief goes to him.
Captain Lanahan then told of his sum-
mons from home on the third alarm
and Of his discovery on arrival at the
ire that the men of his company were
buried beneth the debris.
He was accompanied, he said, by
Private T. D. Lyon, and their first act
was to trace the hose of No. com
pany from the engine at Seventh and D
streets to the front door of the Amer
lean Five and Ten-Cent Store. The
engine, he said, was working.
Q.-Then what did you do?
Informed Chief wagner.
Al made inquiry as to where My
company was working and when found
they had been sent into the building
left the front door and went and
told Chief Wagner. He seemed sur
prtsed CBattalion Chief Proctor yester-
Jay stated that Wagner showed sur
prise when he informed him of the To-
cation Of No. 81 I ran back to the rear
of the building and tried TO enter. Lots
Of the men were on the roof or the
Kaun building. They all came down
and we began trying to work our way
into the building TO rescue my men.
Odd you see Chief Proctor?
Al don't remember half of the peo-
pie who spoke to me
Q.-Would you like 10 express an
opinion as to whose fault It was that
the men were buried in the building.
Al don't know, sir. 1t seems TO me
Il was UP to the chief
OFF you had been ordered into the
building by Deputy Chief sullivan,
would you have considered it his duty
70 look after you? -
Ats up TO all the chiefs to look
after the men. That's their business.
Q.-You think it the duty Of all above
YOU to look after your safety?
Captain Lanahan said when he arriv-
ed the fire was practically out: and that
while II is the rule that captains report
to tbe chief on their arrival, he did not
do so, as in this instance he CONSIDERED
on his way to the engine house, in
Massachusetts avenue between Fourth
and Tcifth streets. he stopped a moment
at the fire, he said. and II ne mao con-
sidered the situation dangerous ne
would have started In to fight the nre
in his citizen clothes. Instead. ne pro
oeeded 20 the engine house, where ne
net private Lyon and returned with
aim 10 the fire. It was then, he said,
that he discovered his men were In tne
debris.
Lanahan Contradicts Proctor.
Attorney Darr, in Cross-examination
Of Cap,ain Lanahan, asked why he had
told Commissioner SidiOns he had gone
direct TO the fire, in view Of the state
rnent lust made about going to the sta
tIon. The witness replied he considered
/. he went direct and tina: he was on uity
c~en when going to the envlne mouse to
chanCe his clothing
you knew when You told Commits
sjoner Siddons that you had gotten the
location Of the fire at the door OF your
home that this was not trua dion you!
Captain Lanahan made remonstrance
At the form of the question, and MI
Syme entered objection
CAPTAIN aLnahan wanted to answer
and MI Syme said he might II he
wanted to The captain then declared
IN vehement language that he was at
tending to department business al
the time that he had no intention tC
lie or to mislead the Commissioner.
Captain Brooke chairman of the
hoard, had a hard time restraining the
captain, who declared the questions
looked like insinuatiOn that he wa'
lying.
The situation simmered down, and
Mr. Darr asked. "When you founc
your company. the hose was in plair
sight?'
Q.-Your eyesight is not overly gooc
is it captain.
A.-No. not the best.
Q.-Then anybody could have seer
4, couldn't they.
Al should think so.
Q.-What did you do when you foun'
your men covered up?
A.-Wene right out to the Chief En-
eineer. / must have passed him goini
IN but did not see him then.
The captain indicated on char
here the Chief was standing. He sai'
The Chief made an exclamation OF sur
prise and shouted an order.
Captain Lanahan declared emphati
cally that he did not see Chief Procto
during this time, but saw him later IL
The back of the building.
Odd you tell anyone else at tn
time you told Chief Wagner your mel