The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-21
Copeland COrOner's Jury Makes
Its Findings.
Ffremen Praised for Their He
rOic Rescue Work.
BLAME FOR SLOWNESS.
Prompt Use of Aerial Truck
Might Have Saved Lambert.
Absence of Fire Ropes and No
tices Commented On.


''The said jurors, upon oath, do say,
that the said Isaac Z. Lambert of EN-
poria. came to his death by being
burned in the Copeland hotel fire on
the morning of January IA. 1909 And
we find that the fire had reached such
headway that the fire department at
the time of its arrival on the ground
was unable to save the building. And
we also find that the firemen rendered
heroic and efficient service in saving
the lives of the inmates of the building
and we believe that if the aerial truck
could have been handled to the best ad-.
vantage, the life of Isaac E. Lambert
might have been saved. And we fur
| ther find that if the rooms OF the Cope
land hotel had been equipped as pro-
Vided by law he might have escaped
with his life. We find from the evil
dence that the Copeland hotel was not
| equipped with ropes, chains, fire ex-
tinguishers. and notices as to the loca-
tfon of fire escapes as provided by
law"
This is the verdict which the jury in
the coroner's inquest returned at 6:15
| last night after having been in the
| jury room for two hours and fifteen
minutes. The taking of the evidence
in the case required the greater part of
| two days.
| The verdict is not as strong a one as
| those who had heard the evidence had
| expected it to be. The negligence OF
| both the fire marshal and proprietor OF
| the hotel was shown up strong in the
| evidence, and also the negligence of the
/ city officials in maintaining an made
| quate pressure of water at all times
| during the fire.
Mr.. Jewell Testifies.
C. E. Jewell. one of the commission
| ers of the waterworks, was one of the
| important witnesses in the closing
hours of the inquest. He stated that
he 10 -f~ -fu r-1f
| have been used during the fire, as il
was virtually out of commission. The
engines at the present pumping sta
| tion which alternate in service furnish
/ five million gallons of water a day ac-
cording to his testimony. He stated
that the normal pressure at the water
works was 20 or 80 pounds which was
entirely sufficient for domestic pur-
poses. When a fire alarm is sounded
the alarm reaches the water station
where the pressure is increased to $50
pounds in three or four minutes. The
pressure sometimes goes slightly over
$50 pounds in case of a fire, but II is
not desirable that it should as the
pipes, especially the domestic pipes are
only guaranteed to stand up under a
pressure of $50 pounds.
| On account of the friction in the
mains the pressure at the fire station Is
about forty pounds lower than at the
waterworks. He stated that the Har-
rison street station. If 1t were fitted up
| for service would differ in pressure
| with the fire station register. only
| twenty pounds, and that more wafer
4 could be pumped into the local mains
| He also intimated that the pressure
with both plants running together
would be more than doubled Mr.
| Jewell told of several conversations
| which he had with Fire Chief Wilmarth
/ relative to the water pressure in times
of fire. Both of them realized, he
stated. that the pressure would unaer
no circumstances be sufficient to reach
over the third floor in any building.
and that in such cases steamers would
have to be used.
The witness testified that the facili-
ties of the Topeka waterworks would
not be sufficient at any time to prevent
the burning of an entire business block
on Kansas avenue should hre get
such q start in any business building.
such as was the case with the Copeland
fire. However, he paid the Topeka
said that the local department was as
good as any in any city or similar size
| in the country. He also said the To-
peka water system was as good as that
the population into consideration, pro-
portionately. At the time Of the Cope
land fire he insisted that the water
works was furnishing as good fire
protection as could be done with the
facilities. According to his evidence
four thousand gallons of water was be-
ing thrown on the Copeland fire every
minute.
A copy Of the pressure register at
the water station during the fire was
offered in evidence at this point of the
inquest and showed that the pressure
was in the neighborhood of the 150
pound mark during the entire fire.
Tells of Low Pressure.
NJ w. Van Valkenberg was one OF
the regular guests of the hotel, spent
some time on the witness stand. He
told about the low pressure at the fire
In his estimation the hoses on the
north side Of the building accomplish
ed little towards quenching the flames.
According to his statements the
streams were not directed on the blaze.
but were allowed to strike higher and
then drop down on the fire in a sort or
spray Mr. Van Valkenberg is a fire
insurance agent, and as such had spent
some time in investigating the fire
dghting facilities of the city. He thinks
well of the city's equipment. but does
not think the water pressure is sufi-
cient He does not believe that pres
sure of $50 pounds is enough at any
time nor under any conditions for
fighting a big fire.
slow in Handling Ladder Truck.
Frank NJ. Stahl former chief of po-
lice was one of the witnesses in the
| fnquest. Mr.. StahI said that it SEEM
ed to him an eternity before the
aeriaI truck ladder went up to the room
occupied by Mr.. Lambert. and at
tributed the failure to rescue him 10
| the slowness of the department. Mr..
Stahl was asleep about half block
north of the hotel when the fire broke
out, and cries of help from the guests
| awakened him. He heard the same
voice calling for help While he was
dressing and afterwards when he saw
| Mr. Lambert in his window at the
| Copeiand hotel. It was fully fifteen
minutes, so Mr.. Stahl stated from the
time he first heard Lambert's voice
until he saw the truck ladder go UP to
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