The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-12-10
CITES THE CONTRACT
WATER COMPANY NOT At FAULT
DURING THE LAST FIRE.
At Least that Is What Secretary
Davis Says-Writes the City
Two Letters.

Yesterday the Board OF Works received
two letters from T. \. w. Davis, secretary
OF the water company. in answer to ihe let
ter addressed him by the board, asking for
an explanation Of the poor water supply at
the recent big fire. The first OF the letters
from Mr.. Davis came from him as an off,
cial OF the company, and the second was
from Mr.. Davis as an everyday citizen,
with a suggestion on the very momentous
fire protection question. The first letter is
as follows:
.You state we are REQUIRED to furnish
sufficient power and pressure 10 throw eight
streams at once distance of one hundred
feet vertically through one-inch nozzle, said
pressure to be furnished within six minutes
from time alarm Is sounded.
The conditions above are entirely Differ
ent from those existing Dec. 3. There were
ten streams from hydrants and five from
engines. MOBILES used were one and one
eighth and one and one-quarter inches in
diameter. There was one open butt al
lowed to run in the cistern. This Is pro-
hib;ted by the &c; contract So the s., statement
tract on Dec 3. 1895. cannot be correctly
made.
I'VE have based our needed pressure upon
the following test, made by Mr.. \. p. L.
shure, chief engineer, Springfield, Mass.
who IS accepted authority:
With 1-inch nozzle stream 100 feet
high will discharge 1iS gallons of water a
minute; 1s-inch nozzle. 1Ss gallons a min
ute at height of los feet and 1I4-inch noz-
zle 2S2 gallons at ITO feet. The following
fire hydrant to obtain this height OF stream
with different lengths OF hose:
Feet of hose. 100 200 800 800 800
Pressue 1-inch nozzle.... 6S 20 So 81 IS
Pressure 1A-inch nozzle. 70 80 lis 1S7 156
You will see by taking on five hundred
feet or hose that nozzle one and one
eighth inches in diameter requires twenty
ha oo- fn.l
nozzle, and one and one-quarter inch nozzle
hfty-eight pounds more pressure, using ring
form of smooth nozzle The percentum of
discharge is 81 for ring nozzle as to 81 for
a smooth nozzle.
I'VE raise fire pressure in a minute and
a half to two minutes We carry at the
lower station 100 pounds pressure. upper sta
ton. 100 pounds pressure. The gauge at
headquarters of the fire department showed
While We give you a table showing five
hundred feet of hose. experience has dem
onstrated that effective streams are not OBJ
hose"
The second letter from Mr.. Davis reads
Il think it highly proper that a careful
and diligent investigation be made but /
question very much the wisdom OF our peo-
firemen and water works as deficient in
every way, Without careful inquiries, as
II tends TO increase rates OF insurance and
our people seem to forget that the Man
haitian Bank building New York, which
was a nre,proof building. caught fire from
building there were concentrated fifty
streams: The loss IN this case was given
as million dollars. IN Chicago. a short
| valuable establishments burned. The reg
u.ar call was made. second and third calls
adding twenty engines. and yet the build
| ing burned. in Milwaukee a large loss
was incurred and they had stream from
| fire boats
While the losses here are TO be de-
| plored, yet, If in the city of New York.
| with its great fire department, fire-proof
buildings could not be prevented from
burning with the fire across the street.
| what can We hope for with a building with
| light walls filled with inhammable ma
| terial?
II believe that you and the Board of
| Public Safety comprehend the situation.
| and in due time will arrive at just con-
| clusion and make proper provisions for
future security as far as possible, and
| even when that is done there will be de-
| structive fires for the absolute fire-proof
| building is yet TO be erected, in my judg-
| ment.''
Yesterday morning the members of the
| Board of Safety and Works. with the
| Mayor, met 10 consider the question of i'm
| proved fire protection. The meeting was
important action was taken. only con-
sheraton being given -. to the sv different
| cided to leave all matters to the Board
Of Safety. believing the latter is the better
| informed upon the needs of the depart
ment. The Board of Works decided to do
anything possible which the Board of Safe
| " may recommend. The latter board an
| ticipates the erection OF three engine
houses. one west. one north and one south.
Alien. Wolcott and Clark have been chosen
| by Mayor Taggart to act with the Board
| Of Trade and Commercial Club committees
| in the consideration OF a better equipment
| Of the fire department