The Washington times., 1914-01-14
SULLIVAN TELLS
OF FIRE INCIDENT
Deputy Chief Engineer on Roof
of Next BUiIIing When
Floors Fell.

Deputy Fire Chief Engineer Andrew
Sullivan was on the roof of the Fam.
Shoe Store during most of the fight
-sinst the fire in the American Five
nd Ten Cent store December q. and
id rot know that FIVE men of No. {
lgine company were imprisoned by the
alTing floors until word was sent tC
m on the roof. Statement TO this ef-
CT syss made today by Chief Sullivan,
p nd statements of similar tenor have
cen made to the District Comm.ssin-
-.
Though he has steadfastly maintained
most a stclid silence with respect to
ne fire investigation and the situation
3. Using therefrom that so vitality al
Gets him. Chief sullivan has given TO
he Times a simple narrative Of the
vents of the IRE as they concerned
ls actions.
Would Welcome Resignation.
Upon inquiry into the events oi this
scf Commissioner Siddons stated that
N application ior retirement from ShleL
-ullivan would be welcome. The Com
lissioner's statement seems TO Imply
that Sullivan was IN some way cut
liable. In telling of what occurIS'i'
'hief Sullivan said:
7 was the first Of the chiefs in On
he first alarm, and took q station on
he front of the building. No. 5 Tnell
sot to the front and ran line ipto the
fI-st floor of the building. 1 saw the
JtheT COMPANIES placed. and went In be
md 6's men. They were working Their
way TO the back of the building, wheT=
ire showed from above at the stair
''I went along and asked if they were
F. u right They said they were, but TO
tighten the hose. CThis meant the hose
hould be lifted SO they could string it
.iong.) / went out and told Truck !
len to tighten SIS hose, and they did.
''The second alarm companies were
uen coming in. and 1 hurried around to
he hack and placed the companies.
cot lines into the first and second floor
vipdows of Kann's to fight the fire back
rom this vantage ground ! saw that
verything was all right. and went back
the front Things were going wei
here. snd [ went into the building again
SKIS men. -
In Heart of Fire.
" looked carefully around TO find any
! yllIer way in or out but the front.
ooked the floor over carefully. and the
7oor above and everything else looked
ust az safe as this place Cthe engine
Gouse1 looks now. ! asked SKIS men if
hey could hold and they said, You
)st' / then went out to look after the
,ther companies.
THE third alarm men were coming
IN and Chief Wagner came with them.
: told the chef everything was all
ight. He took the front and asked me
Il had been in that building, pointing
o the Family Shoe Store. | told him
1ot yet; there had been no chance
lie said: Get in. Get some of these
- a.aia g.v, 1aa aT
81 got some of the third alarm COM
1auies on the roof, and we fought the
fire down from there. stayed with
them. &
sent word down to the chief by my man
that We had gotten her down. MY man
came back and said te hchief said that
s men were caught under fallen f1tors,
md / hurried down TO help.
''You see. in a fire, the chief takes
he front; that is his place. The junior
hief takes the back
lis own statement, was at the back OF
his fire directing that end and beating
he fire back to the front. He took
harge Of all the companies stationed in
lack. Chief Proctor said when inter
yiewed: 'Yank' Sullivan was on The
roof. 1 heard him up there while !
on the back
chief Sullivan would 20 into no fur
.iIer details, and would not discuss the
inquiry by Commissioner Siddons. He
ndicated that what he had related was
Practically what he mad said at the in
guiry.
At least one business nan. it is under
stood, went to Commissioner SiddOns to
tell him that he personally saw Chief
sullivan directing the work of the fire
men from the roof.
Commissioner Siddons stated yester-
fho4 hi ETnfar0 nf p,
nat he would be glad to get Deputy
Thief Sullivaa's application for retire
ulent was based entirely OF the events
Df the I0-cent-store fire.