The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-20

the water pressure in case a fire should
| get well started in the National hotel,
4 which is two stories higher, would De
1 too weak to help in extingu1sh1ng tne
| fire Mr. WiImarth does not think the
| mains on Kansas avenue are sufficient
| The average pressure during the cope
| land fire was 40 pounds and TINS lsn
/ enough A pressure of 122 pounos
i would be required to do much good at
| the National hotel in case Of hre, ana
the best pressure that can be main
| tained at this place is 10 pounds A
| pressure of 125 would have sent every
stream to the top of the Copeland
| During the fire, as it was shown Dy
the evidence the connection which IS
sometimes made with the river IN
| order to increase the supply of water,
| could not be made on account OF
valve or plugging failing TO work
| Even this, according to the witness, Is
| insufficient for fire fighting, unless the
steamers are called into play, and two
streams is the maximum that can be
attached to the steamers
He Consulted Dreaming.
During his evidence. Chief VIII
marth was inclined to lay part of the
blame on the city attorney, F. C.
Drenning, whom he said he had con-
suited with reference to the enforce
ment OF the state law. Mr.. Drenning's
opinions were similar to those of Mr..
WiImarth so the witness stated, and
the city ordinance was recommended
in preference to the state law, which
should have been followed.
Chief Wflmarth in regard to the
iron ladder escapes said that the num-
Der on the Copeland filed the legal re-
ouirements, but his answers were eva
sive when Mr.. Schenck called his at
tention to the fact that he had the
right to demand more than the law
provided in case he deemed it best
Several changes were recommended
by the witness, one of which was
rope fire escape law, providing ropes
IN 10 al q in n
of a half inch as was now provided,
and that they should be treated to
prevent kinking. and be knotted so
that the force of the descent would be
checked.
Col. Gordon TeStif1es.
Colonel James Copeland Gordon.
the proprietor of the i'll fated hotel
was on the stand for half hour He
testified to having owned this oulIdlng
since its erection 26 years ago, and
agement of the hotel September %,
1903. He resumed management again
last September having had five years
of retirement. He told OF the con-
struction of the fire escapes, and that
it was necessary to go through the
sleeping rooms to reach most OF the
escapes He had never heard COM
plant from any source regarding the
escapes nor had his attention ever
been called to their inefficiency by the
fire department. He had diagrams of
the different floors showing the loca-
ton Of the fire escapes, which were
offered in evidence.
There were no ropes with chain at
tachments in any of the rooms accord
ing to Col Gordon, but he claimed
ignorance of the law. 1t was also
brought out that the law went into
effect June L 1903. with six months
given to comply, which would have
allowed until December /, three
months and a half after Mr.. Gordon
had retired.
Regarding the water pressure he
said that it was all that the depart
ment could do to get the water to the
second floor. He also said that
good portion of the building might
have been saved had the chemical
engines which were concentrated on
the center of the fire worked. but that
they did not He saw the ladder sent
up to Lambert's room. but saw no one
there.
phases of the fire escape law were
read to Mr.. Gordon but he said that
he had never known the law and that
his attention had never been called to
it. by the fire department. There
were no notices posted in the build
ing. Mr.. Gordon could not remember
of any inspection having been made by
the fire department.
Major Fuller Testiffes.
Major AIvarado NJ. Fuller, who oc-
cupied the room between Mr.. Lambert
and the fire escapes, was on the stand
for a short time and told of his es-
cape He said no alarms had been
sounded on the fourth floor of the
building. and that probably six people
came down the fire escape when he
did He testified to having lived there
for a year or more and that he had
become acquainted with the location
of the esca pes. which he could not
have done had he been merely a
miserable" said Major Fuller. "and
checked the fire only in the west end"
W. y. Breen. electrician at the state
heating plant, was witness He said
that the water could not reach above
the second floor at any time during
the fire except with the aid of
steamer. The pressure he said was
much stronger when the fire was put
out. than it was when the water was
needed during the time the fire was at
and thought that Mr.. Lambert could
have easily escaped had a rope been
thrown down from his window.
There are number of witnesses
subpoenaed who have not yet tes-
tified and the conclusion of the in
quest will not be reached before to-
morrow some time.
Clerk Rick Testifies.
Much of the testimony brought out
n the inquest was in regard to the fire
escapes and the water pressure. w F.
Rick. chief clerk Of the hotel, was the
first witness called He said that there
were no ropes in the individual rooms
as was provided by law, nor were there
any chains or hooks in the rooms. The
iron fire escapes were only on the front
or rear. The ladders came down from
the ends of the balconies in the front,
While there was one in the rear Of the
building near the room of Mr.. Lambert
and another in the southeast corner
There were no notices of any sort post
ed regarding the fire escapes, and the
guests would have no knowledge OF
any except when they made inquiries.
NJ ~,,1as ra1or5fo- 6ra aScanaS had