Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-28
ROTTEN HOSE BALKS
FIREMEN IN FIGHT
AT $4,000 BLAZE
Could Not Garry High
Pressure Streams to Burn
ing Plant of E. J. Spangler
& Co. - Prediction Up-
held.

Rotten hose, which burst when attached
to the high-pressure fire main, thing
predicted recently by Director of Pubro
Safety Porter, held up hrenen early this
morning at $4,000 fire in the enveIon.
and paper plant of E. j. Spangler & Co.
1897 to 1919 North Howard street. A Riri
who discovered the blaze tainted after
rousing neighbors, and policeman,
whose home is across the street from the
burned building, ran eight blocks in hia
bare feet to turn in two alarms.
The bursting hose this morning is the
second experience OF that kind firemen
have had in less than 4S hours. La,s
Saturday afternoon three separate lines
Of hose burst while fremen were fighting
big blaze at the Roesch packing plant
Second and Brown streets, and in ons
instance spectators were drenched.
GIRL DISCOVERS FLAMES.
The fire this morning was discovered n
few minutes after o'clock by Miss Irena
Yale. 1898 Howard street, two doors from
the burning building. She was aroused
by the cracking OF flames and when shs
saw the blaze she screamed fire" and
then fell back in her room in a faint
Her mother, Mrs. May Yale. aroused
neghbors, including Policeman Bender. os
the Front and Master streets station
Hurrying out to send in an alarm Ben.
der fell down stairs. but was not hurt.
The bluecoat. in his pajamas and without
cI1 efl
Girard avenue and sent in an alarm
When, he returned the envelope plant was
blazing so fiercely that he ran back
again and turned in second alarm.
BY the time policemen and flremeu
arrived the three floors of the plant
were ablaze and the flames were threat.
ening adjoining dwellings,. The family
of James Schreiner, 1895 Howard street
had persistently refused TO heed the
calls of neighbors to flee to the street
Policemen Cooper and Casper finally ran
into the house and carried out three
children, after which the parents fol.
lowed.
Several fremen We're partially over
come by the thick smoke. but after being
treated by ambulance surgeons from
three hospitals who came to the scene
they returned to work. No one was in
jured.
HAD TO TURN WATER OFF.
The hose that burst had been run up
small alley from a high-pressure plug
near Howard and Thompson streets.
Firemen had been using it to direct a
strong stream of water on the rear OF
the burning building. They had 10 turn
off the water and run line of new hose.
This is the second time the Spangler
plant has been burned down. The first
was about three years ago and an equal
amount of damage was done at that time.
1t was estimated today that the loss
would range from $1,000 to $4,000 So
far the origin of the blaze has not been
determined.
F'iremen learned that the quick spread
of the flames was due to the fact that
1t started somewhere near the elevator
shaft. This acted as a fue by leading
the fire TO the upper floors within a few
minutes after its start.
Only quick work by the fremen in rum
ming new lines of hose Saturday night
prevented the fire at the Roesh plant from
spreading through the neighborhood. Re.
Gently Director Porter declared that he
would not follow the suggestions of the
National Board of Fire Underwriters to
test all hose. because he would rather
lose the hose in service than in tests
Councils will not provide for new hose
that Is badly needed. The Director agreed
with the fire underwriters, who said 10
per cent OF the hose being used in this
city is defective. He went further and
said most of II is rotten, intimating that
TO test it would be TO invite a repitetion
of the Baltimore fire in this city.