The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-06-26
THEY HAD NO STEAM
MAYOR LEARNS CAUSE OF DELAY
AT PRICE FIRE.
WAS PLENTY OF WATER
BUT FIRST ENGINES WE'RE SLOW
IN GETTING TO WORK.

The Fact That 'T0ire burned Fierce
ly While Firemen Looked on"
Caused Preliminary InVestiga-
ton and 1t Was shown That
Water supply and Pressure Was
All Right-TrOubIe Was with Fire
Department EnGines-They Were
CIOgged with Coal for Tfme-TO
Make Thorough investigation.
The stubborn fact that fire burned
fercely while firemen looked on" and
that feeble streams left the MOBILES"
was the cause of an investigation by
Mayor Myers yesterday morning.
1t was clearly demonstrated that the
fault was with the first engines that
reached the scene of the West Broad
street fire first, and in the preliminary
investigation made by the Mayor the
waterworks department was complete
ly indicated.
There will be a further investigation
and Fire Chief Mcguire has been in
structed to make a written report Of
the trouble that occurred at the fire,
and attracted the attention of the sew
eral hundred people who were present.
Chief Mcguire refused to discuss the
subject, stating that he would file his
report with the Mayor. He, admitted
to Mr.. Myers that the first engines that
arrived on the scene did not have
steam up and that after an investi-
gatlon, he had found that the water
pressure was in the hydrants.
Plenty of Water.
1t was shown that when the alarm
was sounded there was pressure of
tplrty-eight pounds and that little over
a minute afterwards the pressure was
increased to between sixty and sixtv-
hVe pounds. These figures are shown
on the automatic register at the water
works and cannot be disputed. The
iauit was with the fire engines, and it
Is the purpose of the Mayor to fix the
responsibility after Il thorough inves-
tigation
After talk with the fire chief Mr..
Myers stated that if the engines had
not answered the alarm and only NV
drant streams had been used there
would not have been the slightest dir
hculty an throwing water over a two
story building. 1t was a fire he gath
cred from the preliminary examination.
at which the engines were not really
needed, and If they had remained in
the stations there would have been
no trouble.
Had no Steam.
The engines went to the fire. or at
least one of them did, without having
steam up and in a wild desire to make
steam in hurry the furnace was
clogged with coal. The coal had to be
taken out of the engine and a second
hre started. In the meantime two hy-
drant streams had been attached to
this engine and the force was being
lost in the engine. 1t was gratifying
to the Mayor, and to others, to dis
cover that there was a sufficient supply
OF water and pressure from the water
works, and that the trouble complained
OF was due to the handling of one or
two of the first engines that put in
an appearance.
1t was stated at the City Exchange
and the assertion reached the ears of
the Mayor, that one of the engineers
had admitted that he did not attempt
to get up steam until he saw that
there was really a fire. He had grown
tired of answering false alarms and
was determined, according to the re-
port, not to start his fire until he was
certain the services of his engine would
be required In his effort to start a
big fire at once he managed to clog the
engine and render it temporarily use
less. All of these matters will be look
ed into thoroughly at the inVestiga-
ton.