Omaha daily bee., 1910-03-27
BAD HYDRANT BASIS OF SUIT
Preparation for Action Against City
by Flooded Store.
COUNCnMEH VIEW PREMISES
Making Investigation OF Break that
Caused Damage at Thompson 4
BeIden's -. Clumsy Work.
men Are Blamed.

A lawsuit appears TO be brewing against
the Omaha water company and the city Of
Omaha as a result Of the bursting OF
hydrant which did considerable damage
Friday afternoon at the store Of Thompson
g Belden, Sixteenth and Howard streets.
The officials Of the water company claim
that the damage is the result Of the use
Of the hydrant by the city's employees in
the street department. This the street
commissioner and the councllmen ere in
clined to deny, and with view Of being
informed when the test comes. q number
OF the councilmen examined the scene Of
the break Saturday morning with Street
Commissioner Flynn and Assistant City
Engineer Campen.-
Within the last few months several
hydrants, or the pipes leading to them
under ground, have burst. The locations
where the accidents have happened are
Sixteenth and Howard. Thirtleth and Leav-
enworth, Twentieth and lizard, Sixteenth
and Cunning, Tenth and Douglas. The
breaks have not been very serious, except
as to possible consequences, Friday It
was necessary to shut off several blocks
In the business district to take out the
old hydFant and put In a new one at Six
teenth and Howard. The damage done to
the Thompson & Belden stock while the
water was running through the walls Of
their basement was quite serious, as
shelves loaded with goods are ranged along
the side where the water came through.
All Have Attorneys There.
When the broken hydrant was taken out
the firm suffering damage. the owner OF
the building, the water company and the
n ~.
tives present to see just the condition pro-
duced.
The water company claims that the large
hydrants are intended only for use Of the
fire department and that In the business
district special hydrants have been pro-
vided where sprinkling wagons and flushing
machines may secure water. The street
cleaning department has been using the
large hydrants for attaching It's hose lines
for flushing the streets, and the allegation
OF the water company is that the men using
the hydrant wrenohes have turned them
too vigorously in opening theohydrants, Or
have TUNED the valves the wrong way.
Street Commissioner Flynn says ne has
always Instructed his men to be careful
when opening the hydrants, but no pro-
vision has been made by the city TO have
an expert man do this work OF opening
and closing hydrants. In the case of paw
ing and other contractors who use the
hydrants at times the water company al
ways insists on sending one OF its own
men 20 handle the wrench, and the CON
tractor pays the bill.
No Great Trouble, Says saIter.
Fire Chief salter says his department has
not had any great trouble with defective
hydrants.
I'VE keep a record OF every hydrant
opened in cold weather for fire purposes" I"
said the chief. "and in all such cases the
water company sends out its own men af-
terward to make sure the hydrant Is not
frozen. In warm weather. OF course. this
is not necessary. We have not used
the hydrant at Sixteenth and Howard
for many months, so the fire department
could have had no part in putting that out
OF commission"
Chief salter expressed the view that to-
day there Is a more satisfactory street hy-
drant available than was the case when
the present water system was installed IN
1881. The hydrants now In have the valve
at the bottom. and tn case a strong man
opens them TOO hard. there is always danger
Of punching a hole in the bottom. or al
least weakening Il materially. This is JUS
/ what the water company claims has hap
pened in several instances.