Bisbee daily review., 1909-07-17
ONE HOUSE DESTROYED AND ANOTHER DAMAGED Defect in Fire Plug Said to Be Responsible for Big
 Damage

That one minute is a mighty big fractional part of an hour in the mind of the public while the burning of a house Is being witnessed was effect. ually demonstrated last night when the fire department, owing principally. 1t is claimed, to a defect in a water plug, was delayed in getting water four, or possibly five minutes, but generally estimated from ten to twen- lty, thus permitting the blaze to ex- tend from the already destroyed house | of J. E. Held. 1908 F avenue, to that of Mrs. Nj. E. Cox.( the cornice of which was not more than three feet away front he house where the fire originated.
 House Far Gone. The Held home was a total loss from the beginning, as when the alarm was turned in by c. H. Gosh en the flames were bursting from doors and windows all over the house. With the great headway the fire had obtained at this house. the work Of the. firemen was to save adjoining property. And here's where they claim their bad luck came in. That the con. nection with the plug from the en- zine was made in poor time was evi- dent, but that the engine was steam ed up in the best possible tine, is the claim made by those familiar with the operation of the engine. It al- ways takes several minutes to get the steam up ana as the run was an ex- ceedingly short one. the time required to get steam in the face of a burn ing house seemed far more extended than 1t really was.
 Defective Plug.
 The hard luck of inc department was encountered wheu they attempted to connect the engine with the hre plug. They found that there was defect ;n the plug, the stem being broken. 1t is said which greatly de- layed them in making the connection and then handicapped them in getting water and the maximum amount of pressure. While the engine was per haps one minute behind the hook and ladder truck. th's did not seriously hamper operations at the fire as 1t re quires several minutes to get the pres sure
 Nemeck Talks.
 'I have no excuses to offer and no one to blaine under the existing cir cumstances.' said Chief Nemeck this morning "The defect at the plug which handicapped us cannot be charged to anything more than hard luck. The plugs were thoroughly in- spected recently. and neither the wa ter company nor the city, as see 1t, could have foreseen that difficulty. A defect in the stem Of a plug Is ire uuently encountered everywhere and this cannot be avoided.
 How Spectators See t.
 "The public, in my opinion, in judg- ing the work of the fire department play here.
 last night should consider that when the alarm was turned in, the Held home was beyond hope of salvation. They should remember that it takes several minutes to steam up an en- zine and a very few minutes for that engine to run three or four blocks. A minute in front oI a fire always seems ten minutes, and if those who criti- cize us adversely would only pull out their stop watches. rather than ad- judge the time by what it seems to be, they would find that the steam pres sure is under way in the best time 1t Is possible for the best engine on the market to make it.
 Personality consider that the boys did excellent work last night. When We got to the fire, the cornice of the adjoining house was burning. and then came the admitted delay in get ting water. After we had the water the fire was speedily extinguished, and. at the home of Mrs. Cox. was confined to the roof. The interior of the house was scarcely damaged"
 Oil Lamp Responsibie.
 The fire which destroyed the resi-