The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-02-13
FROM THE GAS co.
Manager L. @. TreIeaven Says Fire
Department Has stop Keys.
Feb. Is, 1909.

I ask the privilege of making
statement regarding the turning off
of the supply Of gas at the Parkhurst-
Davis fire. There seems to be a
wrong impression of what might have
been done, and no doubt the press
and the public will be just as anxious
to learn the facts as our company is
to have an opportunity of presenting
them
IN the first place, the gas mains of
the city are not divided into districts,
each one independent of the others,
and 1t would not have been possible to
have shut off the gas from the section
in which the fire was located without
shutting it OF from the entire city.
There was a stop cock on the gas
service pipe outside of the building
placed for the purpose of shutting off
the supply of gas in case of emerg-
ency, the same as is done at all large
buildings This stop cock could be
reached with a long handled key,
partment has duplicate keys supplied
by our company, SO that they may
turn off the gas in cases of fire 1t
was in an attempt to shut off the gas
at this stop cock. after the fire had
gained considerable Roadway that our
unfortunate employe lost his life
If the city's supply had been shut
Off temporarily, as was requested, or
might say demanded, just think for
a moment what the results might have
been The fire occurred at a time
when the majority Of the people
were asleep, in most cases with gas
left burning What would have been
the result of turning off the gas long
enough to have caused all OF those
fires to go out and then turning the
supply on again? Even a greater dan
ger would have confronted the thou
sands of spectators who had left
their homes to view the fire In many
instances, doubtless, gas lights were
left burning, which would have been
extingufshed had the gas been turned
off Then when the spectators
reached their homes, after the gas
had been again turned on, what
would be more natural, on entering
and finding the lights out, than to
strike matches, which would be fol-
lowed by explosions
And if we had endangered the lives
Of the people of the city by turning off
and then on, the supply OF gas in the
dead OF the night, for what purpose
responsibility? the mere chance of cur
failing a property loss
I think speak advised1y in using the
expression mere chance" for it is
doubtful if the presence of gas in the
building was a factor worth consider
ing in estimating the damage done by
fire If the building was properly piped.
which in all likelihood it was. the pipes
would remain intact until such time as
the floors or walls fell, when they
would of course, be wreuched loose
from their fastenings and leaks be
started, but it must be borne in mind
that when a building has reached a
stage Of destruction causing its floors
to fall, the burning of what gas would
escape from broken pipes, would not
add much to the final loss. In the pres
ent instance the gas service pipe leading
into the building was broken when the
roof of the loading platform fell This
prevented any. but a possibly slight
amount of gas from entering the build
ing thereafter, and although the gas
from the broken service burned in
spectacular manner, it was on the out
side of the building and consequently
doing comparatively little harm
Why look to gas, or for that matter.
to any other agencv for a cause for the
spreading of the fire, when in the very
nature of things, the building Itself and
its contents furnished sufficient rea-
son for the deStructiyeneSS
Imagine a building OF that size with
out an inside partition except of wood,
filed to its capacity with a stock Of in
hammabIe merchandise and then say
what was there to stop the progress of
a fire, once it had a good start
What needs was there for escaping
gas to carry the fire from one part of
the building to another when a portion
which when ignited shot in every d.
rection It is also a fact that the ex-
pIosions which were heard both before
and after the gas was turned OF were
not gas explosions as has been charged
but were the explosion Of cartridges
which were a part of the stock
Our company is not disposed to dodge
responsibility rightfulIy ours. neither do