The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-07-18
THE CITY MIS- TO BLAME.
Report Of the Committee II the
Fire AdjnSters.


~srsx ii tie report * tie csera Esslss-s
ssspalMsess by fse' Association o. tas Ere
s<sszssers sss san Francisco ~ investigate
the eaasse OF inessxsessf xAssr sa9p2s dar
ing Tho Gre of june s. sad the ecsasission ~
sfas seattle Ere Department prior 10 tnAs
s4use. ese. whieh angcayesi IN the last asala-
uer sss Ta< toast EErse - of san y "a sssso-
T., .sha Association of she Adsnsisss 81
rsssatsazszas ia Interest OF the Static Ere
An~ss@
Ys,ssr committee AIS appointed ~ als -
szrAsr and report ora sae eoasistscsl o. Isae
en- ssafssrsrxesr II seattle FFseg % fzse AFr
ii June {. 49,. it, o,sesatson iwrlng the IRE
and lsx present fsssfal tp0s tbs w~ssr vi
Esss 2ssi tee water company : soafFaxt, =
any sxIsS the es.y sf seattle ! our eNan-
rasgsee beg seave 10 reforE ss follows
M e. -hepsri, raanAgsY OF TIE cs ....a
Hi Water coz gsasy srsd Mr.. James Nut
,ssev srsr sssFSrx.ar cssfes engineer OF the
-eafsIs ire Department, spEes1e1 etAa.e
n. ard satisfactorily aEsss eFsts al Yaes
tons. A copy OF the same aDa ans"s.s
are on E2s in slge library 81 iae ftsN ..1 -.
writers Association of the FaelHe- a ss.a
Fray.esSa.o. IL would be well Tor US ~
ss.r.s ar "a. e,,ssseg. fha. Mr.. Murphy Is
f,rsarseaEfg the executive officer @ iisS III
a.rsrtr,1eyst. and had charge during s1as
grssss Ere In sdssition 10 tie test 4Hfgsss 81
tafsss. gentlemen, we rec wed Fa4aaosr
fo nation iroia prominent btasa'ss'ss n'sA' "a
~. x sfs.r ss,pr,ly was derived from Lake
Washington. body OF water ahoui SHY
SQUARE asiIts ia area, two nlllss us>sks .a
Tn. water Is conveyed - rsscrf or ~ ZIG
saFsssr1s ssEne Ii5 fect above toe tsEets tis'
storage capacity of which i s,v",et" ssl-
I'm, II i distributed throughout the ciss
IN 4 rgfngh rnatn from the reservoir 10
Com useFeial street. From this l2-iIeh pipe
There are three mains, tao >-lnta anu enc
4 inch. running through the business part
Of town. The water pressure az the out
bleak Of the fl,e was 10 pounds 10 the
sauare inch. in the burned distinct, bat
greatly reduced by citizens using their
garden hose for self protection. The water
company has II contract with she city. pro-
y!diisg for water for fire purposes, al %
per month for each OF the twenty hydranls
ia the district burned. There is nothing
In the contract 10 prevent the company
from Skating OF the water irofa any por-
ton or ali of the city AZ any time.
We are Of the opinion that the mains
are wholly Inadequate fer a city the size
OF seattle Tae responsibility for this un-
fortunate state of affairs is due 10 the eul-
pablo negligence of the city council.
The fire department is com posed oi about
40 members. zll volunteers except two
engineers. two drivers OF STEAMERS. oile
driver of hose cart, AMI the first assistant
chief engineer. The apparatus consists OF
one tnird-ciass and one fourth class
steamer 81 the Gould pattern: one hand
engine. seven hose carts, S.soo feet OF hose
in goo1 condition, one secoud-clasS as-fo3i
steel extension Preston truck, sud one viii
lage truck. une hose cart and the two
steamers are drawn by horses. sill other
apparatus is dgawn by hand. The IRE
alarm system is the ordinary telephone
service, hardly to be depended upon.
Statements differ Us 10 the time between
nf fra n q
of the alarm. Some say ten, others fifteen
minutes. The department responded
promptly, and bad two strong streams on
the ERE within two minutes. Five minutes
alter the alarm Sin streams were turned
on. The water supply Immediately oil
unfinished, and was insufficient for the use
of many streams all drawing from one
main. This alarming discovery demorsl
/ ICED the department and thereafter Ii wa,
practically useless. Futile efforts were
made 10 check the progress OF the fiamss
by blowing up buildings, buE the fire con
tinued To burn anti everything comb ust
ib5e was consumed.
Water from the sound might have been
used to great advantage had the authori
4 ties provided drops in a wharf SD thai
/ the suction pipes of the engines could
/ have reached the water "a low tide. As il
/ was we have the amazing spectacle of =
I large city nearly surrounded by water
with appliances fer using it, set yielding
unrt sislIngjy TO the flames fer Jack oi
water which could not be reached.
In conclusion, your committee would
+ state thai the city authorities are respon
sihle, nos only fer an inadequate water
supply, but Tor an uaaiScipliued and in.
/ efficient ire department, a lack Of Ere sp
paratts and. finally for the destruction u
! tiie beautiful and prosperous city OF seat
/ tie. Had the authorities given more time
/ 10 the dis hasge OF their official duties and
I a litsie less To their personal affairs. the!
I underwriters and the appeals of the loea
I press. and Seattle would not today Be In
ashes ID. b. WILSON, Chairman.
GEO. PRATT,
l.. H. Enw ARDS.