The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1902-07-05
Joint Fire Committee Held Another
investigation Today.
The Fire Chief Tells About Our Fire
Hose, and Past Deals We're
Discussed.
NO DECISION YET RENDERED

eral council held another meeting at
the city hall this morning for the pur-
pose of further investigating the hose
deal. A number of things were
brought out by the inquiry, one Of
which is that the city will prob
ably pay for the hose furnished by
the National India Rubber company,
whether she wants to or not, as the
contract is binding. Another thing is
that by an oversight the name of the
kind Of hose to be furnished is omit
ted, and the company can furnish
Anchor Brand, or any sort Of hose 1t
chooses, 1t stands the test. This
would eliminate Cairo entirely from
the affair, as the company might,
according to the argument Of some OF
the committeeman, furnish some other
kind Of hose to Paducah and it could
not be claimed that that class Of hose
was offered to Cairo at 80 cents.
The committee delved into the sub
ject OF hose quite extensively this
morning and among other things
learned from Fire Chief Woods that
our FIRE hose is in a deplorsble condi-
ton. In fact. it was described as be-
ing rotten" and yet it is the same
hose that has been in use here for six
months under the present adminIstra-
ton. He said further the hose here
at present would not stand pressure
Of 100 pounds. The question having
been raised rs to the amount OF hose
Paducah needs, Chief Wood said the
city ought to have st least 8, 900 feet
That at the Kentucky Glass and
Queensware fire = few years ago there
we're $500 feet Of hose cut, and an
other fire in Meohsnicsburg at the
same time compelled the department
to reel up some Of the hose and carry
it up there.
In regard to the previous purchase
OF hose by the city, il developed that
the hose mentioned in an article in a
local paper signed Facts" written
evidently with the intention Of leav.
ing the impression that the previous
Administration furnished hose cheap
or than the present administration,
was cotton hose, anc not rubber
hose. and the price paid for 1t can
not be compared with the price paid
for rubber hose.
Il was developed by this part OF
the investigation that the city has
been doing things in t. very slipshod
manner for some time, and that no,
only is the contract, bond or guar
antee that the Eureka company made
in 1899 with the city lost, but that
even IL 1t could be found IL would
be seen that the city had not made
the test required in the contract
when the hose was delivered, moi
was any care taken of the hose, and
nothing could DO recovered undel
the contract.
Mr.. W. L. Cochran. who sold tn,
city the hose, says 1t was loaded on
the wagons without ever being tested
and that several times II was run ov,
by vehicles, as the records Of the pol
ice court will show. Further, tina
the test the hose were required Il
stand was only "at delivery" and tn
guarantee ended there.
It seems that the hose question i
ready to be dropped. II is getting TOT
warm. 1t is enabling the public to se'
! how its money has been wasted in tn
past and how careless have been tn
methods Of some Of its public servants
Hose has seldom II ever been tested
little care has been taken Of it, tine con
tracts have only been scanned
and then lost, and the city left with
out protection. The admission thi
morning Of the fire chief that all tn
hose the city has is rotten is . MIC
II II Ing to 20 before the world < large
and tim insurance peopl 81 oplar
II the hSls is rotten. ~ >hs
Ax.y in A instant sad ~