The evening world., 1908-01-22
FIRE HOSE
WOULD BURST IF
PUT TO THE TEST
Commissioner Lantry Makes
Astonishing Admission
at Inquiry.

the scandal concerning defective hose
growing out of the fatal nre at the
. Parker Building. Fire COMMISSIONS
Lantry made the startling admission
that no one wanted to take the chance.
OF testing the hose used by the Firt
Department for fear It might burst.
Mr.. Lantry declared he could not tel
when the last test was made. ard ad'
mitted that there had been no test OF
hose since he became Fire Commits
sioner.
The inquiry Is being made in the
Mayors office, with John Purroy
Mitchell, one OF tho Commissioners o!
Accounts. in charge. He Is the direct
representative OF Mayor Mcclellan. who
ordered the investigation.
Lantry on the Stand.
Commissioner Lantry was the first
witness. He declared he had no criti-
ism to make OF the management OF the
fire at the Parker Building.
The Chief was present." he said.
and his officers reported to him per-
sonally. l have no criticism to make OF
the manner In which the fire was
fought"
Mr.. Lantry said that while there were
extremely heavy weights on the var
ious floors of the Parker Building. the
collapse Of the structure was due to
the buckling Of the red hot pillars
when the cold water was flung against
them.
Well" asked Com missioner Mitchell.
.is It a fact that the spread OF the fire
- H.. tn,Iapt ornao,rp
81 do not know said Mr.. Lantry.
.-The reports did not come to me. The
Chief in charge of the fire will know.
I would have been notified had the
Mayor no, caused this investigation,
when all reports were made to him"
Q. Have you any criticism as to the
condition OF the hose? A. No; only
want more hose.
q. Was the hose nsed At the
fire satfsfnctoryf A.. have no
criticism 10 make on h hose.
This made every one who heard 1t
sit UP.
O. Did some of the hose bursti A
Yes. and some burned. too
O. How many lengths burst or
burnedI A. Forty-one lengths of hose
were lost. burst or burned. The fore
IllhU Ol III repair SAOp fSSOi leu tLul
only twenty-one had burst. The rest
OF It burned.
@. But didn't a foreman at the fro
say that forty-one lengths burst7 A
Yes, but It all comes under the head OF
lost hose or spoiled hose.
Q. So you think the hose As a whole
was satisfactory A Yes. have ex-
amlned reports Of big fires for years
and the percentage OF burst hose is
about the same.
Fixing Responsibility.
@. Who is responsible for the depart.
ment hose? A Well, each compa nv.
has control Of its own nose. Some
companies have had the same hose for
twelve years. and 1t is stih good.
@. Who Is supposed to report on de.
fective hose7 A The foreman of each
company. He tells the superintendent,
OF the repair shop. who calls upon the
contractor to explain or make good.
Q. so II Is at the option Of the super
intendent OF the repair shop that the
contractor is called upon to make
good? A That Is practically SO. al
though my office deals with the matter
too.
!, @. How does a of mn
engine know defective
. hoses A. Well, that's hnrd to tell.
: 1 do not know II there IL any tes,
d except once a year then they
know.
, @. When was the last test. A.
4 Not at all In my time.
: q. when prior tn your time
!, A. I do not know.
q. Have you looked into that
A. No. Nobody wanted to take ths
: chances of testing tho hose foI
fenr II might burst.
Two years ago Mr.. Lantry said h,
e had asked for a test in n written com
= ~munication. An analysis ot the reports OF
: fires showing the pressure or defective
hose had not been made by him, tn
o Fire Commissioner acknowledged. H
i admitted that the average engine com
I pany had not its full quota OF hose sup
ply,
Q. Do you think 1t safe to use hos
y daily at fires to which the department
{ fears to apply the test? A. I think we
l ought to have more ~hose-plenty OF hos
and good hose.
+ O. DO you think failure to ties
| hose for fear II Will burst IL /,
condition of snfctyf A. 1 thinI
we ought to give each cOmpan!
5000 feet of hose, and GOO
/ hose.
Commissioner Mitchell showed tn,
witness a copy of the report of tn,
Board of Fire Underwriters on the bac
> condition of hose IN the department
II MIR. Lantry said he had read It.
. 9. Did you verify or approve the re-
! port? A. Well. l asked the Chief abou
!. It, and he said the report was practt
cally true.
q. Is hose that is ten years old sar,
hose? A They say not. l don't know
That question should be answered BY
more qualified persons.
Q. Wen. YOU are the COMMISSIONS
What did they tell you? A. They told