The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-20
WHO is TO BLAME
COrOner's Jury Investigating
l the Copeland Hotel Fire.
Provision of Law for Rope Fire
Escapes Ignored.
WILMARTH ON STAND.
Fire Chief Says He Followed
City Ordinances.
Admits That the Water Pres
sure Was Inadequate.
Witnesses Tell Their Stories OF
the Fire.
WILMARTH ON STAND

In an effort to determine the respon-
sibiIity for the death of Isaac Z. Lam
bert, who lost his life in the Copeland
hotel fire last Thursday morning, the
coroner's inquest. which was continued
from last Friday. has re-convened in
the court of Topeka rooms. There are
a number of witnesses to be examined
and the jury will probably not be ready
to consider the evidence until late this
afternoon
The jury which is sitting in the case
Is composed of c. o. Knowles. Captain
"A NJ Fuller, Z. B. KeIlam, NJ F Rig
by. G. F. Worley and H. B. Howard.
All the witnesses who are placed on
the stand are examined by County At
torney J. J. Schenck. James A Trout
man has been retained by the manage
ment of the Copeland hotel and cross
examines the witnesses. Several of the
attorneys are appearing for other inter
ests.
A strong effort was made in the cor
ouer's inquest this morning TO snow
that Isaac E Lambert, who died in the
Copeland hotel fire last Thursday
morning met his death because of the
derehction of the city fire department
and its officials. and also that the city
water service was totally Inadequate
to combat the flames. that would re-
suit from any building with four Stor-
les or over catcnlng nre
Wilmarth on the Stand.
G. o. Wilmarth chief OF the Topeka
fire department. was the principal Wit
messed examined this morning. 1t was
shown that the fire department had
been negligent in seeing that the state
law in regard TO the Copeland hotel IS
we'll as other hotels in the city was
not obeyed-
What might be termed sensational
piece of evidence of the disregard of the
II E-.g-r r1e+
brought out in a letter which Mr.
Schenck had sent to Chief Wilmarth
May Is. 1908. Mr.. Schenck had received
a communication from Governor Hoch
asking that he investigate and see that
the fire laws were being obeyed in To-
peka. Accordingly Mr.. Schenck COM
municated with the fire department
asking that the matter be looked into
(SchencO. This letter which was in
troduced into evidence. never received a
reply from the chief of the fire de-
partment.
In his admission that the Copeland as
well other hotels in Topeka had
never been provided with ropes for fire
escapes, Chief Wilmarth said that in
his opinion the law was unjust as ropes
were poor escapes. He said that he
considered it best to follow the city or
dinance which covered fire escapes,
and which did not provide rope escapes
for every room. Chief WiImarth called
the teention of the jury to the fact
that the Missouri law which was SINH
lar to the Kansas law had never been
enforced because it was considered
impractical He maintained that it
would only be one person in one hun
dred that could climb down a rope
from the fourth floor. and, that on this
account the state law was not en-
forced.
The fire marshal admitted that he
was at fault for never having caused
notices 10 be poste1 regarding the
locations of the fire escapes in the
Copeland hotel This he said was be-
cause the city Cf dnance did not pro-
vide Tor it
Mr.. Wilmarth evaded direct answers
70 the duestIors Cf County Attorney
Schenck and Sc en1ed disposed to wan
der from the subjeC' and hedge in his
replies Although he did not admit
ticaily understood by the jury that
none of the buildings in Topeka had
been inspected at the three month in
1er-aI., specified in the Kansas law
The fire marshal excused himself from
this duty on the ground that the pub
lie safety was his first duty, and that
he di0 not have the time nor the as
sistance necessary to make the regular
quarterly inspections.
Whether the other hotels of the city
have notices posted regarding the
locations of fire escapes. Mr.. Will
marth didn't know but thought that
He was asked when he made the
last inspection of the buildings of To-
peka. or more especially the Cope
land hotel building He could not
remember whether he had made an
inspection since the Kansas fire es-
cape law became effective June 1. 1908.
or not As far as he could remember
he had made no inspection of the
different hotels of Topeka since he
had received the letter of County At
torney Schenck He considered the
Copeland one of the safest buildings
in the CITY.
The witness described at length the
fighting of the Copeland fire. The fire
he arrived for the building to be
saved. The water pressure. he said
was good. but varied cOnSiderab bIv It
dropped 10 pounds as soon as the big
steamer was connected. and this. he
said drew so much water from the
mains that il weakened the pressure
on the streams from the hydrant. He
admitted that there was not enough
water TO run the steamers at their full
capacity.
Not Enough Water Mains
Chief Wilmarth wouldn't admit if
directly. but the county attorney drew
enough information from him to show
that the Topeka waterworks are in
sufficient to afford fire protection 70
the big buildings of the city- The
maximum pressure at the city water
works is $50 pounds. and this is re-
duced to 100 or 10 by the time it
reaches Kansas avenue. The water
commissioners do not consider il safe
present mains. He admitted that