The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-08-16
A TEST OF sTANDPIPEs.
Assistant Chief Belt Makes satisfac-
tory Experiments.

Senior Assistant Chief Engineer Belt,
Of the Fire Department. early this morn
ing conducted a test Of the standpipes
attached 70 the business establishment OF
Messrs. W. B. Moses & Sons, Eleventh
and F Streets. The test was made at the
request Of the firm, and Chief Belt used
the opportunity 70 compare the utility Of
standpipes with the results obtained
from using the hose Of the departmen'-
He viii make a detailed report OF the
trial 10 the department. and it is ex-
pected that he viii in his report place
himself on record as belitving that bet
ter and quicker results can be obtained
from the use Of hose than from attach
ing engines 10 standpipes-
Reserve engine No. : was used in this
mornings trial being attached 10 plug
on Eleventh Street nearly opposite the
Moses building. Chief Belt first directed
that a single line Of hose be attached TO
the steamer and then hauled TO the up
pcrmost landing OF the hre-escape on the
building. In doing that the firemen took
Just three minutes. the men with the life
line ascending the iire-eScape. and nall
q minute later "A stream Of water was be-
ing played from the uppermost landing OF
the flre-escape on the Moses building
across + Street on the Woodward * 10th
rop building.
The hose was then lowered 70 the
ground and two lines Of hose were laid
out from the engine and attached TO
one Of the two staudpipes. four and half
minutes being taken 10 do this, and a
quarter Of a minute later q stream was
being thrown from the uppermost floor
OF the building down Eleventh Street To
this time. however. should be added, holds
Chief Belt. the time which It would take
fremen 20 ascend the fre-escape with a
section Of hose and a pIaypipe, which
would he thinks. make a difference
against the standpIpe Of al least another
minute. OF nearly six minutes in getting
il in service.
After using the first standpipe the sec
oud was tried, and through its use the
building was slightly flooded The stand
pipes II is uudsIS stood, were erected about
I seventeen years ago, and about ten min
ut,s were spent in attaching the hose TO
I the base of the second one, the fixtures
not being in good working order Chief
/ Belt was unaware that this second stand
pipe was originally designed Tor flooding
purposes and there was nothing about u
l on the roof where the playpIpe was at
/ tached. To- Indicate that ii had any other
| opening. But in a moment or two aiJei
| the water had been turned on Foreman
/ Proctor who was IN charge on the roof
I of the building. discovered that a smaller
pipe ran from this second staudpipe down
through the roof AMI opened ont M loit
above the ceiling OF the top ti0cr.
The water was at once cut on, but sew
! eraI hundred gallons OF water had eS-
! caued through tins wide-open pipe into
the building. Iauager Nourse assured
/ Chief Belt that the damage TO the build
[ ing and contents was trihIng, and acgUlt-
I ted him and his men OF any blame.
II appears that when the standpipes
We're erected uo cut-off valves were pace 81
/ on the second one. and 10 one about lht
/ building knew that the open pipe tnl lltu
I into the loft The firm ASSURED 'hi'l b'll
hat d was very fortunate that inns pipe
was discovered this morning, as Hih th'
staudUiUt 10 which II IS attached orth
used by the fire department 70 thr"" wa
ter i'm an adjoining fire the escaping Wa
1 ter would have seriously damaged Ut I"N
ruined, the immense stock stored III Ih'
doses building