Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-03-28
IS ADEQUATE.
Water Pressure for Fire
Service All Right.
notwithstanding Statements 70
the Contrary.
PRESSURE Of 1879 PouE.ds at Pumping
Station. 1926 on Water Street.

From Developments which have ma
ter:aliZeG since the public alton III I'M
Boston Globe Of the alleged doiheS oi
the New England Insurance Exchange
at q meeting held in Boston. SaturuaS'
ii would seem that he Globe had pee'
made the recipient NJ generous
amount nf misinfornation. The paper
no doubt, thought that the news "hie"
Il gave out was authentic, but the one
who gave out the Information Hius'
hive been drawing generously from Ills
imagination.
In the opening paragraph OF the sun
day Globes account of the meeting III.
statement was made that the prlhcipa'
business transacted at tie meeting te-
lated to TIE inadequacy OF the wa'ei
supply at Augusta. Me-, for hre nght-
ing purposes, which was incorrect.
Among those present at the ABOVE
meeting was Hon. Geo. E. Maco1nDef oI
this city. the senior partner OF tne IN
snrance firm of Macomber. Farr &
Written. When shown the statement in
tho Globe Mr.. Maconber was very
much surprised. and stated to the
Journal that he was not aware that
any such action as stated in the GLOBE
was taken. The only mention OF the
rrattcr that was made Oh the part of
A. B. Fowler. special agent of the Pro-
whence Washington Insurance Co, OF
Providence, who, Mr.. Macomber stated,
said that he was in Augusta on the
night of the fire. and that the water
pressure was so poor that although the
1remen at the rear of the. building
stood on the roof of 4 coal shed, they
could not send a stream Of water above
the second story windows.
OF the inaccuracy of Mr.. FOwlers
statement as to the water pressure on
that night there can be no doubt. Pos
siby, however. he may have made his
observation soon after the hremen had
got to work ut the rear Of the building.
as according to the statement OF Chief
Engineer Kicker, the streams Cf water
from one hylrant lacked some force
when first started. because when the
water was turned on. the hydrant was
not fully opened. This defect was soon
noticed. and remediel by giving the
wrench another turn.
The statement that the firemen were
on the rOOf~af the coal shed was cor
rect and they were placed there, not
beI ausc they had to BE- i'll order to get
a. stream CT water into the second story
windows. but because il afforded them
a better opportunity and more room to
n,anage their hose than they would
have had had they remained on the
ground in the narrow space between
the coal sheds and the burning built
Ing, o. had fought the fire from lad
ders placed against the building.
AS to the claim of lack of pressure.
IT is sheer nOnsenre. The record taken
from the gauge at tn" pumping station
proves that. The pumps which fore"
the later from the river 10 the reser-
voir. and into the water mains are To-
Gated at the Edwards mills. and the
water pressure is registered for every
hour of every day in the year These
records of the pressure are kept by
Snpt. W. w. Albee of the water dis
trirt. and from that gentleman 1t was
learred just what the pre- ssure was on
Thursday night. the reading from the
record sheet being given below.
On Thursday night. which was tn"
night OF the fire. The pumps were
started at 6.1a p. NJ. and were worked
continuously until 4 o'clock, Friday
morning. Al 3 o'clock. at which tim"
the alarm WAS SOUNDED. the registc:
showed a pressure of 139 rounds. and a:
10 O'Clock, the same. At IL there was
an increase of q half pound, making
1917 pounds and the pressure was the
same at midnight. AT o'clock A. NJ,
the pressure had dropped to 1856. Out
the fall was only temporary. and at
O'Clock it had again risen tC 139. 1t was
the game at 8 o'clock. and at 4. when
the pumps were shut Gown.
Between the pumping station and the
hydrants which were open on water
street. there is l2-incn main. ana al
So a 12-inch main from the reservoir
down Bridge street. In Mr.. Albee ;
statement in the Sunday Globe. 1t said
that the pressure after the fire had gone
down A pounds, which should have
read four pounds pressure OF l5s
pounds at the pumping station will give
about 100 pounds on Water street.
Another record of the pressure on
Water street at the .ime of the fire was
had from Night Watchinan Chas. Grow
or. at the Augusta Savings Bank. There
IL water gauge in the basement al
the bank building. and Mr.. Grover stat
Ell to the Journal that at the time OF
the fire. when the hy6rants were ali
omen. he noticed that the gauge indi-
Gated a pressure of 100 pounds, and
that when he flushed 4 bowl to see II
the pressure would change. the arrow
y,brated back little. but returned
Immediately to the point which it hal
indicated before.
In the face Of the above facts. AM
many others which might be presented
il would seem that Mr.. Fowler's state
ments. which We're mace to the gentle
men present at the meeting of the New
England Insurance Exchange. would
hardly be borne out. II 1t were decided
to make a test of the Augusta works
III sec whether or not the pressure wa:
adequate for fire purposes.