The age-herald., 1900-05-06
FIRE PROTECTION
 AND WATER SUPPLY
Full Text of the Investigating
 Committees Report.
TWO CONCLUSIONS REACHED
Department is Inadequate to Demands of City and More Hydrants Are Needed-Chief Mullin and His
 Men Complimented

Following is the full text of the report of the special committee of the Commer- cial club charged with the investigation of the Metropolitan hotel fire and the water supply of the city:
 Tho work assigned the committee was Of the graVest importance, and the inVes- ugation was conducted with all possible thoroughness and fairness. The witnesses who were requested to appear before the committee rsponded most cheerfully and gave their tstimony frankly and without apparent desire to reserve or keep back anything that would aid in reaching a correct conclusion.
 'The alarm announcing the fire at the Metropolitan hotel was sent in to the fire department about five minutes after 1 o'clock on the 23d day of February, 1900 The department responded promptly, and reached the fire in about three minutes. The forces of the department were dis posed as follows One engine at corner of Morris avenue and Twentieth street, one engine at corner of Morris avenue and Nineteenth street, and the remaining en- zine at corner of First avenue and Twen- tieth street. A line of hose four hundred and fifty feet in length was attached to the fire hydrant, corner First avenue and Nineteenth street, and another line of hose eight hundred and fifty feet in length was attached to the fire hydrant corner iSiSilctHtA street anu MOTHS avenue. Dur ing the first stages of the fire there was no lack of ability on the part of the fire department to control and subdue it. Ind deed, 1t seemed altogether probable that the fire would be short-lived. The en- zines were working to their full capacity and were throwing good streams; the streams gotten from the lines of the hose attached directly to the fire hydrants were sufficiently strong to easily reach the top of the building. The supply of water was ample, and the pressure sufficient
 First Difficulty
 "The first difficulty was caused by the breaking of the engine stationed at First avenue and Twentieth street. This engine slipped valve and was therefore rendered ineffective for service. The stream con- tinued to flow, however through the dead engine, but it only had the force of the natural pressure of the water, less the force required to lift the valves of the engine. Of course none of the other streams were affected by the weakening of this one. The engine that was stationed at the corner of Morris avenue and Nine teenth street was brought to take the place of the broken engine at Twentieth and First avenue As soon as the change of engines was made. the difficulty that existed at First avenue and Twentieth street was removed. and a strong and ann pie supply of water again came from that point.
 After the removal of the engine from Morris avenue and Nineteenth street, the hose was directly connected with the fire dydrant and the stream was supplied by the plug pressure alone At this stage of the fire. sudden and inexplcable thing occurred, and your committee has exhaust ed every resource at it's command to as- certain the direct cause, but without avail. The streams that were supplied by the plug pressure alone without the assistance of the engines. suddenly lost force and volume. Instead of reaching the top of the burning building, they had in the outset, they failed to carry even to the second story.
 Lack of Pressure
 "It appears from the evidence offered before the committee that the lines Of hose were in good condition. and there were no sharp kinks or angles to obstruct the passage of the water and that the hydrants were wide open. Under such con ditions, according to the undisputed evil dence, the diminution in the force and volume of these streams could be due to no other cause than a lack of sufficient pressure at the hydrants.
 This condition of things continued to exist for nearly an hour. when the streams again resumed their original force and volume. The testimony showed that the street roller, passing along Twenty first street, opposite the courthouse frac- tured one of the water mains. thereby, causing some leakage. The testimony also shows that the escape of water from this point was not sufficient to interfere with the pressure at those hydrants that were in use by he fire department. It also ap- peared that there broken valve at Morris avenue and Twenty-second street. and that there was an escape of water at this point from an inch and a half open ing; also that at the beginning of the fire there were five valves, connected with a twenty-four-inch main, cut off on Twen- ty-second street. which were, however turned on in a few minutes after the fire broke out. It appears from the testimony Of experts that neither the broken valve at MoWiS avenue and Twenty-second street nor the cutoff valves on Twenty second street could have caused the lack of pressure above mentioned. Another confusing fact in this connection, devel- oped by the investigation is that the wa ter gage in the office of the Birmingham Water Works company showed no material difference in the pressure during the en- tire fire.
 Pipes Are Small
 According to the testimony of Captain Ryer, the superintendent of the Water Works company, the gage showed an av- craze pressure of eighty-five pounds, and did not show any sudden changes. But the testimony of eye witnesses at the fire showed that there was a sudden fiuctua- tion in the volume and force of the streams that came directly from the hy-
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