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Post by jon hynes on Jun 5, 2009 23:53:08 GMT -5
Once when Mr. Hanlon returned to the building he fell over a big dog. The last time he went down the smoke was so dense that he jumped or slid down the stairs from the fourth to the third story. It was Mr. Vanderpool of the chemical, who took Mr. and Mrs. Doan and their children down the ladder.
J. P. Tuckerman and family will be at E. W. Jarrett's, l55 Park avenue, after to-day. Mr. Tuckerman says he was awakened by the smell of smoke. He went to the dining room door and saw smoke. Then he went to the front window and looking out saw two or three men at the cellar window. He asked whether the house was afire and one of the men answered. "Go back to bed. It is all right." He returned to his apartments, and he and his wife paced the floor for some minutes. Then he again went to the window and called to one of the men. who said: "Save yourself." In the interval he believes he could have saved considerable of his effects. He had many articles of considerable value, but when he came to go, he took only the picture of his little boy, who died at the age 9. This to him was more valuable than all the rest.
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Post by jon hynes on Jun 5, 2009 23:53:42 GMT -5
Northrup & Latcher desire to return thanks to the people in the neighborhood who opened their homes to their tenants at the time of the fire.
The funeral of Mrs. Hugh Hugh's took place from the residence of her daughter. Mrs. H. S. Van Valkenburg, on Hicks street, yesterday afternoon, and was largely attended, Rev. G. A. Biedemann officiated.
The law allows no pay for the taking of minutes at a coroner's inquest. The coroner is expected to conduct the investigation and reduce the evidence to writing. Frequently coroners have employed stenographers to take the testimony, but the witness is required to sign his testimony after it is taken, and signing the shorthand notes, it is held, would not be a compliance with the law. Coroner Ward says he will make the examination as thorough as possible and provide some one to take the evidence. Many of the points now in controversy as to the material and construction of the building will be I fully determined by the evidence.
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Post by jon hynes on Jun 5, 2009 23:54:18 GMT -5
A contractor named O'Hare built the foundation walls and a small portion of the brick work, working from July to September. Northrup & Latcher then discharged him and gave the work to someone else. O'Hare brought suit for what he claimed was due him the case was XXX and Northrup & Latcher were sustained. The evidence in the case is very voluminous and is on file in the county clerk's office. In his testimony O'Hare says Mr. Latcher asked him to make changes in the plans and to lower the windows. Mr. Latcher was on the work every day. but he did not see the superintendent. D. C. Worden. every day. He says: "I saw that building today. In my Judgment it was not carried up according to the specifications. The construction is the same generally as the specifications required. The charter and design of the work that 1 put up corresponds with the rest of the building. There is a change it is not the same.
The testimony of Seymour D. Latcher shows that there were over 20 windows that O'Hare had not located properly and compelled him to take them out and locate them according to the plans and specifications. They were not at proper intervals. 'I have seen O'Hare at the works over a dozen times real drunk. The original plans as to structure were carried out. The building was completed substantially according to plans and specifications.
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Post by jon hynes on Jun 5, 2009 23:55:03 GMT -5
The building superintendent. D. C. Warden corroborated this. He testified that there were put into building 2,282,286 bricks 1,889 XXX of stone, and 16,000 yards of plastering. The referee I. N. Southworth. found in accordance with the testimony of Mr. Latcher.
The firemen say the aerial truck was not brought closer to the building because of the railings in the lawn and they had no tools with which to take it out of the way. Since the XXXXXXXXXXX by had been quite prevalent that the men at the chemical engine had a net to be used in catching people that leap from windows, but that they did not use it because it was left at the engine house. Mr. Sullivan last evening denied this and says the net is in a bag beside the seat, and has been carried to every fire for years. It was at the fiats fire and taken out and would have been used had there been any call tor it.
Another story was to-the effect that Mr. Latcher would not allow the firemen to go through the building to wake up the people. The firemen themselves say this was not the case, and it was also denied by Mr. Latcher who summoned the firemen by telephone for that very purpose. The wooden floors of about two-thirds of the balconies have been burned through.
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Post by jon hynes on Jun 5, 2009 23:55:54 GMT -5
The importance of keeping the streets free of obstructions is demonstrated by this fire. The street extends from fence to fence, and this is the property of the owner, but subject to the rights of the public to pass and repass. Neither the owner or any one else has the right to obstruct it. There are plenty of obstructions which may be regarded as necessaries in the shape of poles, posts and wires, but a permanent fixture in the shape of iron railings in the lawns is not absolutely necessary. Still there are plenty of them on Whitesboro, Elizabeth, Rutger and many other streets. A wooden railing would be less sightly and serviceable, but not as dangerous. Many tall houses have iron fences in front of them, and these of course are legal, but they would just as effectually keep out fire apparatus. A sledge hammer in the fire apparatus would however quickly dispose of them.
There are many buildings in Utica which are not regarded as "fire traps or "tinder boxes." which would prove very dangerous to human life if they once caught fire, and the time to attend to them and make them safe is before any such catastrophe occurs. The law requires the chief engineer to annually inspect hotels to see that they are furnished with rope fire escapes and this is done. But there appears to be no system of inspection for churches, schools, homes, hospitals, asylums, theaters and big office buildings in which there are many people. Even the fire limits ordinance is more honored in the breach than in the observance. There is urgent need of a good deal of missionary work along this line in Utica, and it will be done if public sentiment demands it.
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Post by jon hynes on Jun 5, 2009 23:56:46 GMT -5
Quite a crowd remained around the flats until late last night, expecting that the walls would be razed by dynamite and people living in the vicinity slept with one eye open.
______________________________________
What Mr. Tuckerman Said
To the Editor of the Utica Daily Press:
I desire to correct an impression which may be gained from the statement attributed to me which appeared in your paper this morning. I had conversed with Mr. Latcher and he had told me he might rebuild, but would not go above three stories in height. I told him, if he would do that and make his building fire proof I would like my old quarters, which were on the second floor as I missed the accommodations of them. When afterwards your reporter questioned me I made the answer I did, thinking he had heard the whole of the conversation. What I said referred to a three story fire proof building, not to one of the character which was burned.
J. P. TUCKERMAN. Utica, March 5, 1896.
Utica Daily Press - Friday, March 6, 1896
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Post by jon hynes on Jun 8, 2009 10:22:21 GMT -5
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Post by jon hynes on Jun 8, 2009 10:24:28 GMT -5
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Post by Clipper on Jun 8, 2009 11:32:44 GMT -5
Oh dear. The picture of the old telephone makes my fingers tingle. My grandfather had a couple of the old magnetos, such as are pictured on the middle "shelf" of the telephone shown. We used to hold hands with friends, and then have someone crank the handle on the magneto, giving everyone a shock. We also had some of the magnets from those magnetos that we played with as kids. They were quite powerful.
I also remember my cousins that lived in Bouckville had a phone that had no dial. They routed all calls through the operator, and when their phone rang, each phone on the party line had a different ring sequence of short rings and long ones. If the phone rang two shorts and a long, it was your call. If it rang one long and one short, it was not your call to answer. They used to pick up the receiver and "rattle the hook" to get the operator to answer. I don't know exactly what that accomplished, but they always did it. Then again, I never knew what exactly was accomplished by cranking the magneto on the wall phone either. Do you know Jon??
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Post by jon hynes on Jun 21, 2009 18:58:19 GMT -5
UTICA'S FIRE HORSES EFFICIENTLY TRAINED BY WELL DRILLED CORPS WHICH PROTECTS CITY __________________________________________
Animals Quick to Learn Duty - Firemen Find Comfort and Pleasure In Caring For Their Equine Friends - Several Veterans in the Service - Commissioner of Public Safety - Church's Experience Valuable to Department - Some of the Animals Which Draw Apparatus to Scenes of Conflagrations. __________________________________________
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Post by jon hynes on Jun 21, 2009 18:59:07 GMT -5
"Wait and I will show you how quickly the horses are hastened said the captain of Engine Company No. 6. The visitor had been examining the apparatus and premises and thought he had seen all, yet as he was speaking the captain touched the part of the fire alarm and in a flash the chains in front of the heads of the horses dropped and the XXXXXXX of to their XXXX at the of XXXX engine, at the XXXXX jointed chains XXXXXX, which are always suspended from the ceiling, fell down onto the horses neck and were clamped with a spring. Only a few seconds had passed since the animals were resting in their stalls the captain's fingers had scarcely passed from the button, yet the horses, fully harnessed, were ready to dash out into the streets. The doors had not been thrown open and the horses seemed severely disappointed that the alarm was not for a genuine fire, they snorted and cavorted quite resentfully as they were ordered back to their stalls again and there the danger of bells, the tumult of shouting men, are at times more alluring to an engine horse than meals and quietude.
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Post by jon hynes on Jun 21, 2009 19:00:45 GMT -5
At the engine house on the corner of Bleecker and Wetmore streets there are lodged the steamer No. 4 and the truck No. 3. On the engine there are three horses. Billy, Charley and Babe, on the hose truck are Fred and Eddie. While all the horses are fondly regarded by their grooms, Billy seems a special favorite. He is a large horse 17 1/2 hands high and has passed through 12 years of service. His color has changed from a dappled gray to white. The men say that he is a "wise old bird" he makes his own pillow out of the straw. When he goes to sleep he adds to his other attractive qualities by snoring like a man. Charlie sports a coat of dapple gray. He is 16 1/2 hands high and very stylish in harness. He has been in the fire business eight years. Babe has only two years service and is still frisky. He is so intelligent that he readily takes up the many points presented in the service. Fred and Eddie, who are on the hose wagon, are very attractive horses. Fred, though gentle as a lamb, is a hustler and never fails to get out first at the summons of the gong and then he stands in harness at dignified attention. The drivers on Engine No. 6 are William Walker and John Donovan, they love their horses and proudly call attention to their fine qualities. The same may be said of Irving Brockrway, the driver of Frank and Bob, the team attached to truck No. 2. He says that his horses run the speed of deer and at the end of a long run seem just as fresh as at the start. They are both dark bays and 16 1/2 hands high. Frank lost his mother when he was two days old and was brought up on the bottle. After he had become initiated in the fire service he developed such ability that his former owner at Stittville would gladly have taken him back at a much higher price than he was sold for, but Frank is too valuable a horse to be parted with lightly. Old Billy, Fred, Eddie and Babe are State horses; the others came from Western States. Besides the horses there are many points of interest to be seen at the engine house. A large, airy box stall is provided for a ailing horse. The fire work is a great strain on even the strongest of them. Strict care is exercised over their diet which is often adjusted to suit their varying conditions. Any ailment as soon as developed is attended to by the veterinary surgeon.
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Post by jon hynes on Jun 21, 2009 19:02:10 GMT -5
At the quarters of Steamer Company No. 5, at the corner of Albany and Blandina streets, there are five horses. Tom and Sam, Tim and Dan, and Volunteer. Tom is a black horse, five years old, 13 1/2 hands high. Sam, the bay, is 10 years old. 11 hands high and a very swift runner. Tom and Dan are dapple gray, each about 10 years old and are considered by many as the finest team in the Fire Department. They are 16 1/2 hands high; their tails touch the ground . The bay horse with white feet is Volunteer. He is 10 years old. He is strikingly attached to the Fire Department, also to his driver, Gilmore P. Daniels, whom he can pick out in a crowd of men. William P. Fenton drives the combination wagon team. Louis J. Hacum drives the engine team, whose weight is 1300 pounds.
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Post by jon hynes on Jun 21, 2009 19:02:56 GMT -5
At Engine House No. 3 on John street are four horses reputed to be among the best in the Fire Department. Jim, Baby and Charlie are the engine horses. A sad tragedy is attached to their career when on February 6, 1907, their driver Charlie Owens lost his life at a fire. A flapping blanket scared the horses, the driver's foot was entangled in the blankets and he was thrown down and crushed by the frightened steeds. They form a powerful team carrying with ease the large engine over five tons in weight. At the Academy fire April, 1905 truck No. 3 was stuck in the mud up to the hub and could not be moved till assisted by the engine team which drew it out easily. The engine is a first class metropolitan steamer. Dick, the boss cart horse is a pretty animal, faithful and intelligent. His car is about one and one half tons in weight carries 500 feet of hose, chemical extinguishers, water, and other material also eight men, with such a load. Dick acquits himself, it takes about eight seconds to get out the apparatus on the street after the signal is sounded. Frank Clark is the driver of the engine horses . Ernest Bates drives Dick on the hose cart . The mascots of this house, are two Maltese cats, a little over a year old. They are plump, seven toed and rival the horses in the affection of the men. No dogs are allowed in the fire house.
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Post by jon hynes on Jun 21, 2009 19:03:33 GMT -5
At No. 7 Engine House
At the engine house. No. 7, located on Whitesboro street, near St. Luke's Hospital are four very attractive horses, named Tom and Jerry, Mike and Nick. Their black coats are relieved by a little white. The first named team is attached to the engine, the latter to the combination. Tom and Jerry have been in this house about five years and somewhat longer in the department. They are getting a long in years, but are still holding their own. They are very powerful and draw their engine over four tons weight. Mike and Nick, the team on the combination, are young horses, very spirited and fast. They have made some very successful records. William Ferrell is their driver. Nick is docile and social and loves to shake hands with his friends. Mike is a little quick tempered. Recently when a door was not opened quickly enough to suit his fancy he did it himself with some vigorous kicking, which resulted in damage to the woodwork, still visible.
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