The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-12-06
MIR. CONNER STARTLkS.
SAYS CHIEF WEBSTER. OF FIRE DE-
PARTMENT, SHOULD GO.
Public Meeting n Board of Trade
Records Show Water Company
Largely Responsible.

H'SS WI. 1OruOn sdlu the meeting was
called not so much for the purpose of criti-
cislng the present management OF the fire
department. but rather for the purpose of
suggesting means for the improvement OF
existing conditions. He thought the SUBJ
jects of equipments and water supply should
be considered. Members OF the Board of
Trade and others present were asked for
expressions Of their views.
L. B. Martindale touched upon the fire
equipments that are in use, and expressed
tx as his opinion that they were inadequate
and far from what they ought to be. Mr..
Martindaie dwelt particularly upon the sub
ject of fire walls He said it was a fact
tnat there are few. If any. good fire walls
separating the buildings Of this city. He
thought the Importance of building strong
fire walls should be particularly impressed
upon property owners as one OF the surest
ana best means OF protecting themselves
against loss He urged the necessity of
having water tower that could be relied
upon to throw water on high buildings He
spoke or the poor hose, which has been
reported as in use, and said be thousht
some action ought to be taken by the city
au.p haa Win view Of purchasing bet-
cluding water tower. Mr. Martinda,e
thought the fire department. had done the
pest pest tnat could be done during the recent
IRE, considering the manner in which the
men were handicapped in having to depend
upon rotten hose. low water pressure anc
L.aaequate apparatus In general. He said
at the present time he had no criticisms to
oHer as TO the management OF the depart.
ment during the Schnull fire.
Board of Public Safety. spoke at some
length on the different questions under con,
sideration de said for two years he was
a member of the Safety Boa rd and durine
that time had investigated the question OF
nre protection pretty thoroughly One
thing he had noted was the disincination OF
IN. ne CITY 20 make sufficient appropriations for
the purchase of adequate equipments for
the ire department The Board of Safety.
ne said, always recommended the appropria-
tlon or larger sum than 1t secured. An
other thing he had noticed in addition to the
lack or proper equipment was the mad
equacy or the water pressure. He said:
MR.. CONNERs SURPRISE.
The fire department needs reorganization
speak advisedly on that question. 1 made
1t my business TO be at some OF the fires.
1 witnessed the Denison House fire. and
saw things which were cause for regret
and modification. I want to say the chief
OF that department Is my personal friend,
and / have nothing against him; but the
time has come when we must speak bravely
on these questions. AT the time of the
Denison House fire there seemed to be no
head OF the department. at all. Men acted
on their own motion instead of reporting
10 their chief. They did as they pleased,
and some of them disobeyed orders. / am
thoroughly convinced there needs to be
reorganization of the department. There
needs TO De stronger executive at its head.
That is what mean
MIR: Conner said every man who has seen
the fires in this city during the past three
or four months must be convinced there is
an inadequate water pressure. He said the
plea had been made that II a higher pres
ha ms 1fxrhr
burst and the supply be cut off entirely,
and that he had been told Ii would be bet.
have the supply entirely cut of.
He thought IL there was danger OF burst
ing mains II should be known and the dam
ger removed. He spoke Of the fact that a
gauge had been ordered placed at head
quarters TO register the actual pressure
that was maintained during a fire In twen-
ty-minute periods. Yesterday morning he
secured a report from the fire department
showing the pressure registered by the
gauge during the first twenty minutes OF
the Schnull fire. The first minute the pres
sure was 80 pounds; the second, so; third,
20; fourth, 50; fifth so: sixth, 100; seventh,
100: eighth. 105; ninth, 105. During the tenth
minute the pressure fell back to 100 pounds.
After an interval of five minutes the pres
sure was still 100 pounds, where ii remained
during the remainder of the twenty-minute
test. Mr.. Conner said he understood the
claim was made at the water comDany's
pumping station the mean pressure had
been 100 pounds. Some loss of pressure by
friction between the station and the fire
headquarters would occur. but he thought
IL doubtful that the difference of thirty
pounds could be accounted for in that way,
as the fractional loss would hardly amount
to so much ANY one knows" said he,
this pressure would not throw eight. six.
four or even one stream 100 feet high as the
contract with the water company provides"
In concluding his remarks, Mr.. Conner
gave an Illustration OF effective work he
had seen done with water tower I'm an
other city. He saw six-story building
I.d ~ oh rf nrr4n md On
the use of this apparatus the building was
HOSE NOT THE BEST.
c. F. Sayles said he did not believe the
great fire losses in this city were due so
much to the personnel of the department
as to the poor equipment It had to use in
fighting the fire. The city authorities. he
said. did not buy the best hose. Said he.
They buy some Just as good as the best,'
but they don't buy the best" Speaking or
the recent fire. he said It could not have
been controlled with ten towers. Webster
ing buildings, he thought, and did as much
as any one could have done under the cir
cumstances- According to Mr.. Sayles's in
formation, the companies do not blame the
department, but they consider the large
loss by fire Is due TO poor hose and other
inadequate equipment.
Mr.. Parry, of the Parry Road Cart Cons
pany, said he went TO the fire house a few
blocks from his shop to investigate the
equipment in use. He found five men, one
wagon used In hauling hose, lot of poor
hose and one nozzle. He was informed the
nozzle did not belong to the company, but
had been borrowed. In answer TO ques>
said the reason more nozzles were not In
use was due to the fact the city had no
money to purchase others. The man told
him most OF the nozzles in use by the de-
partment were old and battered and threw
a fine spray instead of a solid stream.
The consensus of opinion seemed to be
committee should be appointed to consider
the needs Of the department with authority.
on behalf OF the Board OF Trade, TO confer
with a like committee from the Commercial
Club and city officials. Upon motion of MIR.
Scott the following resolution was adopted:
ssThe responsibility for disastrous confia>
grations does not rest alone upon the ire
department, but Is Wei distributed. The
water company does not fulflll Its 0biga>
tons to the city. IL has not furnished an
abundant supply of pure water for domes~
tic purposes, nor Is Ii able, when required,
10 throw eight streams OF water at one
time from eight one and a quarter inch noZ-
zles 10 the height OF one hundred feet for
the ex.inguishment OF fires. as required by
the terms OF it's contract with the city.
1.-THE fire department is not adequately
CONGREGATIONS, having not more than one
or two first-class engines, having no water
tower TO carry water 10 the roof OF high
buildings having an inadequate supply or
first-class hose and a limited number or
ladders which are important IN case or
great fires. The telegraph and telephone
COMPANIES have formed network OF wires
N next TO impossible to reach a fire when
20 frlv under way In the upper floors. The