Show FSOM A PROFESSIONAL VIEW What ExChief Ottinger Has to Say of the Incident Wishing to obtain ad entirely comnetent and > dispassionate opinion on the management of the fire a HEBALD reporter sought George M Ottinger late chief of the fire department and a man whose equilibrium could hardly be disturbed dis-turbed by an earthquake and bluntly askev him what he thought of the fact that not a baby carriage had been saved out of the tremendous stock Mr Ottinger did not seem anxious to tallt but the reporter persisted in asking Whak wouid have been your first move had you been to charge of the fire Well was the cool and deliberate reply f should have banged in that front dooms quickly as an axe would do it I should have bitched my engine on to Cunningtons hydrant crowded seventy or eighty pounds of steam on to her taken one oig stream of water and with three or four good men run my hose right through the store into the back end and aimed to keep the fire from reaching the valuable stock in front With that force I think the fire could have been kept back And what about moving the goods All the sets in tho windows the rolls of carpets car-pets the light boxes with curtains In etc could have been taken out the front and many thousands of dollars saved that Is my belief But the apologists for the blunders meet that by saying a draft would be created through the building Draft be It would have sent the smoke upward thats all What do you think of a chief of a fire department depart-ment who would slop In the midst of a fire to pick a quarrel with a bystander Well responded the exchief with his downcast down-cast twang a lit tie more pronounced than usual I found I never had much time to fool with bystanders by-standers I just used to let them talk thats all They might have followed me right up and howled their opinions at mo right in the fire What did It matter They only got wet What is your opinion about the action of the chief of the fire department in firing all but three of tho experiened hands I think it was a great mistake If not something some-thing worse Had I been in his place I should have wanted to keep the majority of my tried hands at least until my force had been through one or two tires as an educator Is it true Mr Ottinger that you were sent forNo No it is not What is your opinion of Mr Stanton as capable man for chief of the fire department t There Mr Ottinger suddenly remembered tha he was being interviewed and with a smile more eloquent than words he passed on |