A Fire Commissioner on Trial Over Rotten Hose

The trial of Fire Commissioner George T. Masel on charges connected with his celebrated motion to have the fire commission order ex-Chief Allen to place the Baker fabric fire hose in service occupied the attention of the city council last night for a little over two hours. Only about half the witnesses for the prosecution were on the stand, but their evidence was enough to establish the fact that the hose was unfit for use and that Masel was not present at either test. From the questions asked by the defense it was plain that Masel will attempt to show that he believed the hose came from a first-class house and, if unsatisfactory, would be replaced. The chamber where the trial was held was crowded with city officials, including the fire commissioners, Chief of Police Eppers, and also ex-Chief of the Fire Department Gardner Kellogg. All the members of the two houses were present when the trial was begun, except Jordan, and he came in later.

Clerk Neil read the minutes of the last meeting and, at the request of Crichton, the charges against Masel in full.

Corporation Counsel Scott said he was ready to go on with the trial, and it was so ordered, but Wiley, who appeared for Masel, objected on the ground of lack of jurisdiction of either the council or the fire commission. He read from the city ordinances relative to purchases by the city to show that the board of public works was the purchasing agent and sole judge. He said he could not find anything in the charter that gave the fire commissioners anything to do with the purchase of hose; the commissioners might discuss action, no further. A reference to free silver caused some merriment.

Corporation Counsel Scott replied that Mr. Wiley was correct to a certain extent. The board of public works was the purchasing agent of the city, but if an officer or head of a department took any step that would defraud the city, he was culpable. He said it was time to find out if a commission had nothing to say about goods purchased by the board of public works. In the present case the board had done its duty and the hose was in the charge of the fire department at headquarters. "The commissioners certainly had the power to order the chief not to go to a fire with rotten hose."

Wiley replied that the hose was purchased by special ordinance, not under the general ordinance, and then quoted poetry, tending to show that the mayor was "lord of all he surveyed." Wiley declared: "I say that Masel is no more responsible to this tribunal for his utterance at that meeting than if he had on the street."

Wiley's objections were overruled. George P. Meacham, secretary of the board of public works, was the first witness, and through him the contract for 1,500 feet of Baker fabric 3-ply hose entered into between the board of public works and Mitchell, Lewis & Starr was brought out. The contract called for a replacing of the hose if it was not all right and did not do good service for forty-eight months.

J. W. Van Brocklin, of the board of public works, testified that there were two tests of the Baker fabric hose. The first day the couplings flew off, and the next day two lengths burst at about 170 and 210 pounds. One length was wet up to 340, and the coupling flew off. One length stretched seven feet nine inches at 320 pounds pressure. The lengths tested were fifty feet long. The test was made with a small plunger, with six or seven inch stroke; such a stroke with a steam piston would not be harder on the hose than if it were the larger volume of water and swifter current. Van Brocklin thought the hose was not fit to be placed in the department.

Ralph Cook, acting captain of company No. 1, testified that he had charge of the hose at the tests. On May 31 two lengths were tested at 310 and 340 pounds, and the couplings flew off. The next length was tested after the rings had been expanded, and it stood 570. At the time of the test Cook thought the hose should stand 400 pounds at least. At the Hobart mill fire the pressure at the nozzle was forty-five pounds, and the first few lengths from the engine would have to stand 400 pounds at least. New hose could not stand that, and it was worthless for a department.

Ex-Chief Allen said he was satisfied the hose was unfit for service, and that he had told Masel so before the test. At 9:30 the board adjourned until this morning; the city had four more witnesses to examine.