The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-11-22
FIRES IN SUBSCRIBERS.
Has the Right Method For Fighting
Them Been Discovered.


Them Been Discovered.
With the help of two fire engines
and a dozen officers and men of the
fire department, Chief Croker made
test in the "Flatiron" building, at
Twenty third street and Broadway,
Sunday morning to find out how far
standpipes In the modern sky-scraper
may be relied upon to give efficient aid
in fighting fires. The test began at
o'clock and was over at 1890. 1t was
witnessed by thousand or two citi-
zens, a hundred of two firemen, active
and retired, and the Hon. William
Leary.
For the benefit of the uniformed it
may be stated that Mr.. Leary is prob
ably the greatest living authority on
wild animals in captivity. He gained
the knowledge of birds and beasts of
prey by watching the animals in the
Central Park Zoo" while he was Sec
rotary of the park board. It was be-
cause of his knowledge on these sub
jects that he was appointed secretary
to Fire Commissioner Sturgis. He is
now engaged in training all the horses
in the fire department to eat with
knives and forks.
The test is one of several Chief
Croker has made within the year. Fire
hose won't lift water to the tops of
these tall towers. 1t bursts, at 1t did
on the East River bridge fire; and
Chief Croker gave warning long ago
that standpipes were necessary part
of the equipment of the tall buildings,
Now, almost as soon as a skyscrapers
has been completed, the owners ask
the chief to test the standpipes. The
owners Of the" Flatiron" put in such
request. When yesterdays test was
over Chief Croker said;
This has been one of the most sat
isfactory tests we have ever made. 1t
simply means that we have found
| way to fight fires successfully in these
| tall buildings with the aid of few
engines and few short lengths of
hose. We have done this morning with
two engines and nine lines of hose what
| we would have had great difficulty in
doing, without the standpipes, With
dozen engines, and I don't know how
much more hose. 1t also means that
| with these standpipes and their own
! hose, the employees in these buildings
can put out almost any fire with
| out the assistance of the department at
ALL
The "Flatiron" is twenty-five stories
| high and stapdpipes, connected with
| the engine In the building, run from
the cellar to the roof. Each pipe is
| fitted with hose couplings at every floor
and on the roof. The power which
| forced the water through the pipes
| yesterday morning was furnished by
engine /, Captain Anderlese, the most
powerful engine in the department,
and engine IA, captain Joseph Shea, jr.,
son of the chief whom Hugh Bonner
succeeded.
The big engine hooked on to the hy-
drant at Twenty-third street and Fifth
avenue and the other to the. hydrant
at Twenty-third street and Broadway.
Short lengths of hose were carried up
in the elevators and distributed from
| the thirteenth floor to the roof. When
all the horse lines had been attached to
the pipes, Chief Croker, Deputy Chief
Duane and Battalion Chief Ross went
up to the roof and Chief Ross called
down through a megaphone to turn on
| the water in the roof pipe.
| The hose used was three inches IN
diameter and the nozzle 11s inches. In
about two minutes after the signal had
been given the water filled the hose,
and in something like another minute
fine, full stream was out over the
| roofs of the buildings adjoining on the
south. So strong a wind was blowing
that the carrying power OF the stream
| was diminished, but those on the Flat
iron roof could plainly see that it car
ried to the roof of Park & Tilford's
store at Twenty-first street and Broad
way. The spray soused the Broadway
| pavement from Twenty-second street
| to Nineteenth.
| After little, the pipe was turned
toward the west and. in spite of the
| wind, the roofs of the buildings on the
| west side of Fifth avenue and far down
the cross streets got good bath. If
any of the scuttle doors on the roofs
happened to be open or If they did not
| fit tightly, it is probable that the upper
floors of the buildings to the west of
Fifth avenue got good and damp.
For the roof tests engine 1 alone