Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1890-1895, 1895-06-21
THE DRY PLUG,
Over Which Much Discussion Has Sprung
Up, Now Being Investigated by an
Adefmanic Committee.

The special committee of the city coun-
ell, consisting of Mayor VanHoose and
Aldermen Gillespie. McCartin, Kettig
and Enslen, appointed to investigate the
fire of Tuesday night and the cause of
the failure of water to flow from the plug
when the hose was attached, met in the
city council at 4:3o o'clock yesterday
afternoon. Solicitor James H. Little.
whose residence was destroyed by the
fire, Mai w j. Miner, superintendent
of the Water Works company Chief
Thad Mullin of the fire department and
number of others, most OF whom were
witnesses, were present.
About a dozen witnesses were exam
ined The first was Chief Mulln. lie
said when the plug was opened by the
firemen it was found to be dry. Some
four or five weeks ago, he said, that plug.
with others, was flushed by some OF the
firemen, but il had never been repaired.
The fremen, he said, have nothing TO
do with the cutoff valves, and are not
supposed to know there are any.
He knew none of them had closed
the valve prior to the fire. After
the fire the chief went to the
plug and opened it and found ii per-
fectly dry. Some one of the firemen does
the repairing necessary on the plugs and
the cutoff valve is closed while such re-
pairs are being made. No repairs he
said, had ever been made except on COM
plant of the water company. Ia the
past two or three years he had found two
or three dry plugs. but only one when
called to a fire.
G. Il. McLemore. who runs the steamer
said as soon as the connection between
the engine and the hydrant was made
he opened the plug, but got no water.
He opened and shut it several
times without getting water. He
then tore up the box around the
cutoff valve and turned it both ways
several times still getting no water
Others tried it with the same result. AT
one time he noticed a small quantity of
water, but didn't know whether it had
been in the steamer or was drawn from
the hydrant.
C. ]. Carter assistant driver of the
steamer, connected the engine with the
plug. He testified about both the plug
and the valve being opened and closed
repeatedly without water flowing
through. He said that it was sometime
in April that the hydrant was flushed.
j. M. Fielder, who fires the steamer
made about the same statement as did
Messrs. McLemore and Carter.
II. Nj. Statum and Jim Fair, members
of the fire department, made statements
similar to the preceding witnesses.
Mr.. Fielder was recalled and in re-
Spouse to a question said he pumped
three or four minutes without getting
water before he quit.
w. T. Underwood was called by Major
Miner and said he turned on the hy-
drants in Mrs. Lewis yard and water
flowed out in a good stream.
j. M. Arnold, Jr, said he got to Mr.
Little's house before the fire department
and connecting a small hose with the hy-
drant in the yard obtained a stream
which he played on the fire. He said it
threw water or four feet from the noz-
zle at an elevation of about 10 feet
,I,1 h. Il In frxr To IIcO
the hose after the fire department got
there.
j. D. Kirkpatrick said he went up
stairs in Mr.. Titles house and turned
the water on in the bath tub. getting
three or four tubs full before the fire de-
partment got there.
]. B. Morson said he turned on the
water in his yard and found good pres
sure.
Mr.. Foster, bookkeeper for the water
company, went to the fire plug after the
fireman had tried to get water and
opened the plug, but no water flowed
out. He did not try the cutoff valve
T. b. Merriweather who has charge of
the mains of the water company and
whose duty it is to keep them in good
order, said he went to the fire plug the
next morning with Major Miner and
found the cutoff valve closed He
opened it and the water flowed out at
the plug. He was asked If water would
run out If both the plug and the valve
were kept constantly moving; that is
opening and shutting. He said he
thought some would flow out, but not
large quantity. He couldn't say whose
duty it was to repair cutoff valves at
the fire hydrant. He had had no instruc-
tions with regard to that.
Maj w. ]. Miner superintendent of
the Water Works company, had a map of
that part of the city and showed the line
of the pipe through which the houses on
Underwood hill are supplied with water
The water used at the residences of Mr.
Little, Mr.. Morson, Mr.. Underwood, Mrs
Lewis and Mr. j. d. Kirkpatrick has to
pass the hydrant to which the fire hose
was attached, and from which the fire.
men failed to get water.
The committee will meet again this
afternoon to further investigate the mat
ter. They will go to the hydrant in
question and examine it before making
their reDort