The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-06-11
OhFE TnUM TINE.
How Water Stricken Cities Are
Protected.
Topeka Appealed to Kansas City
for Help.
AID WAS PASSED ON.
Missouri City Got Engines from
st. Louis.
Now Latter Town Secures Ser
vice in Cincinnati.

When the Topeka water supply was
shut off, Chief Wilmarth sent 10 Kansas
City for a steam fire engine 10 pump
water. and received an engine, 1900 feet
of hose, and four men on a special train
within "A hours.
The day the engine arrived here, Kan
sas City's water supply was shut off,
and Kansas City promptly telegraphed
to st. Louis for ten steam fire engines,
and got them.
Twenty-four hours later, ST. Louis
was in trouble. and lost its water sup
ply. It telegraphed to Chicago and Gin
cinnati for 25 steam fire engines and
has them in service now
By this system of loans the Missouri
valley cities are trying to protect them
selves against a calamity by fire which
might be even worse than the destruc-
ton of the flood.
The four Kansas City fremen who
came to Topeka a week ago, and who
are still on duty, are Lon E. Hale, chief
at Westport; William DeWarr. engineer
at No 10; Patsy Sheehan stoker at No.
10; William Flynn, hoseman at West
port. Every one OF the Kansas City
firemen is sinewy. well built man,
with keen eye and a good firm jaw,
and they know fire fighting from the
ground UP.
Monday an alarm of fire came in from
the south part of town. The two chem
ical engines got away from headquar-
ters in their usual rapid fashion The
Kansas City steamer worked under dis
advantages The men had to pick up
the harness from the floor. and hitch
the horses. Patsy Sheehan the driver
was taking a bath upstairs. He pulled
on MS trousers and let the rest 60 slid
down the pole and was in the oriver' s
seat and on his way to the fire ONLY a
block behind the chemical engines II
was not in the programme for Sheehan
to drive, as Topeka man who knew
the streets had been given this duty,
out When the alarm came in he han
pened to be out, so Sheehan followed the
procession without waiting for him.
% Tar the Kansas City engine has not
been called upon to pump any water. Ii
IS not necessary to the efficiency Of this
engine that there be any fire pressure ir
the mains If there is any water at all OF
II tnere IS an open Wen. or a cistern, the
engine Will be able to put the pressure be
hind il all right In fact. the engine pres
sure IS 50 great that the fire hose used ir
Topeka would not be able to stand the
strain An especially heavy variety OF
nose was necessary, and 1S00 feet of this
was brought with the engine The engine
throws Co gallons OF water a minute
Topeka cid NJ. H. Case coffee notss mas
a single pump while the Kansas CITY m
. gine is equipped with a Gouble pumo
Three times a cav the Kansas civ eneinf
is taken out and fire built under it, tc
heat the water. In this way the water
is kept continually at a very high tempera-
getting steam in case of fire. While tht
engine is going five or ten blocks to {
fire the steam will rise to so pounds Tro
sure ana commence to blow off
Another thing which the Kansas City
firemen do is to test the fire plugs three
umes a DAY at Ienth and Kansas avenue
The object is to see if there is any water
, available in the mains. Tenth is the nigh
est point on the avenue, and if there i.
water there the firemen know they can sge
l it from any of the plugs lower on the ave
= nue. If there is no water in the mains
as sometimes happens in these 11ucerta IL
. times. the men would fall back upon tn,
big cisterns full of water which are 10
Gated at intervals under the pavement O.
Kansas avenue.
a few days ago Chief wilmarth received
D asking if the 1900 feet of fire hose sen
: here could be spared Chief Wimarth re
5 pled tnat II the hose should be takeI
+ away the engine and men might as wei
go with it, for Topeka has no hose strons
enough TO carry the stream which th'
steam tlre engine throws Chief Hal
t promptly agreed that the hose. engin,
and men should remain in Topeka as Ions
{ as they are needed.
promptness of Chief Hale. When the wore
came that steamer was needed here, ans
> ready to haul it. Chief Hale did not hesi
s tate even long enough to allow the fou
men detailed for the trip to bid good-by
to their wives. He simply ordered then
to take their steamer to the train an.
start, ana JneN Qlg. mats the KIND @
thing which puts mighty kindly feelin.
in the heart of Topeka for Kansas Cit,
and her fire chief
It will be weeks before North Topeka
! fire alarm system can be restored
Twelve miles of electric fire alarm wire
together with probably 1,0A0 poles ard !
fire alarm boxes. were swept away by th
flood All but two of the boxes xhicl
are worth about Sl25 apiece. have been re
t covered. and can be made scrviceable b.
e sending them to the factory in Massa
has been ordered by Chief Wilmarth an
he is now figuring on poles from the ceda
l. swamps in Wisconsin
No estimate on the expense can be mad
= It can not be stated how much of tn
b wire how many of the fallen poles ca
G be recovered. It has seemed so far tha
, the wire is broken into short lengths thu
: allowing the poles to float away down tn
: river Some of them viii 10 doubt h
n found in the drift. but it IS feared tha
4 most of them are past recovery
g Nevertheless. Chief Wilmarth is takin
a very determined and hopeful view of IN
situation
Don't let it appear. he said to re
porter for the State Journal. that thing
are being allowed to drift along. or tha
; the damage is more than we can stanf
We are going right into this business {
putting everything back in shape. and v
@ expect to work night and day to get tn
@ fire alarm system back into North Topeks
. don't know how much It VIII cost. bv
!, we will cut down the expense to the low
K est possible figure. The y fire alarm boxe
s are not ruined. They viii have to be ser
8 to the factory and cleaned and some part
q replaced. but the expense will be Srna
Il compared with the original cost of tn
boxes. Two Of the boxes for indoor US
l. cost s75 and the others cost S125- The W
= boxes which are missing were Si25 boxe
4 and were attached TO poles Poles and a
: have disappeared. and may have foate
d down the river We are looking for them.
d one of the fire alarm boxes, at No.
e fire station. was burned out Some heavil
= charged electric wire fell across the fl
4 alarm wire. and the inside Of the box loof
- as though a bunch of f1recrachers had e
ploded in there 1t is blackened. and II
3 insuiators are literally fried
l. The boxes which went through the hoc
s. are filed with mud, and everything sui