The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-07-12
HUNTSFOR THINGS
Insurance Companies Still Seek
to Justify High Rates.
Admits That the New Engines
Are Satisfactory.
POINTS OVERLOOKED.
Nothing Said i'm Report About
Good Water Pressure.
Text of the Findings Of Mr..
Charles +. Hardy.
POINTS OVERLOOKED.

The Kansas Fire Prevention asso-
citation, of which Charles F. Hardy of
| this city is president, has made an
| other report. This time the associa-
| ton is obliged to admit that the new
steam fire engines are a good thing,
but it falls back on a rehash of all
the old objections to the water plant
| apparently for the purpose of arous-
ing as much prejudice possible
against Topeka, and assisting to main
| tain the fire insurance rates.
/ The report entirely overlooks the
/ good showing of water pressure which
has been made by the water company
| on numerous occasions, and devotes
| itself to criticiSing every feature which
is susceptible to Improvement There
| is probably not a water company in
| the world which could not be crft1-
cised. and defects pointed out, and no
doubt Topeka lacks good deal OF
having a perfect system, but this idea
of continually and persistently eXag-
gerating the faults of the situation
here is damaging the city. Topeka is
no doubt in much better shape to pro-
tect itself against fire than some other
cities which have not been getting
such rough treatment from the fire
insurance combine. 1t is hold up
pure and simple at the hands of the
insurance trust.
The following is Mr.. Hardy's re-
port
The Steam Fire Engines.
The two long expected steam fire
engines have arrived in Topeka. One
of the engines is second-class
steamer, entirely new. The other is
an old steamer which the city has
owned for several years and which
was sent to the factory to be remod-
eled and practically rebuilt. Both
steamers were tested on July and 3,
and show fine capabilities. On July
Of
hydrant with domestic water pressure
of 40 pounds in the mains. On July 5
they were stationed at hydrants with
fire pressure of go pounds in the
public cisterns.
The Fire Alarm System.
After the test with domestic pres
sure in the mains was completed on
July an attempt was made by tele- |
phone to call on the waterworks |
fire pressure. This resulted in the
discovery that the telephone wires
had been burned out in electric |
storm the night before and had not |
been repaired A GameweH alarm |
from box % (the downtown districD |
was then turned in at 11:14 a. m. |
from headquarters, and this should |
have imm ediatelY brought fire pres |
sure 1t failed to do so. A messenger
who was then sent to the pumping
station three miles away to locate the
difficulty found that the Gamewell |
alarm system was not working at the
pumping station.
1t was stated at fire department
hea dquarters that it is the practice to
send in test calls at a. m. and Z p.
M. but that no o. K. return call has
been required. The superstition was
that if anything was wrong, or if the
call failed to come in on time, the
would report to fire department head
quarters. Failing to receive such a
report, the department assumed
everything to be o. k
July 4 at o'clock. No reply was
received. Therefore the department
took it for granted that the line was
in good order, whereas in fact both
the GameweH alarm and the tele-
phone system are reported to have
been burned out by lightning. 1t was
the duty of the waterworks company,
if not of the telephone company, to
have reported the lines in bad order.
AS it was, the city of Topeka stood
from at least 6 o'clock a. m. until
nearly IL o'clock noon with both the
GameweIl and the telephone fire
intimatiOn to the fire department that
anything of this nature was wrong.
All this occurred on the morning of
the Fourth of July when every city is
more than ordinarily in danger from
possible fire. Why did not the engi-
neer at the pumping station report
the failure to receive the test call?
The chief of the fire department
states that he has now arranged to
see that his test calls are answered
either by telephone or otherwise, i'm
mediately after such calls are due.
Failing to receive such an answer he
will start an investigation.
Topeka's Present Fire Protection.
The city now has two good steam
fire engines, capable of discharging
four streams of water Crowded the
water supply is ample), in addition to
what feeble streams may be secured
by direct pressure from hydrants.
This is undoubtedly sufficient for an
ordinary fire, but if provision is to be
made for possible confagration it is
very far from being enough. Confla- ;
grafton hazard must be recognized
and dealt with, as the following will
show:
hagrations in the United States and
Canada, the property loss caused by
same ranging from $2,OO0,00O to
S16S, 100000. This means an average
and an average property loss of $I3,-
695.714 for each confagra ton. Dur
ing the past two years CONGREGATIONS
have been particularly disastrous.
When this record is rememb ered it
Is easy to understand why General
Inspector johnson recommended, on
May 8, 1904. that the city provide
itself with four good steamers-which
would produce eight strong streams
Of water. While the situation is i'm
proved (always provided the water
supply is ample), the city cannot yet
be considered as properly protected
against serious Eres.
The Water Supply.
In the business district are several
cisterns, two of $500
barrels capacity. These two are very 4
remote from each other. The others
nave 1000 barrels capacity each.
When throwing $50 gallons of water
per minute, the new steamer Grated
1t 500 gallons) can empty 1000