The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1920-06-23
RESIGNATION OF
CITY FIRE CHIEF
Handed to City Clerk Perrin Yester
day Before Findings of Investi-
CATION Committee of City Coun.
Gil Were Made Public-A
Meeting Of City Council -
This Afternoon


This Afternoon
Before the findings of the commit
tee appointed by City Council to in
vestigate the alleged ineficiency ex-
hibited in fighting the fire, which ear
ly Sunday morning destroyed I. c.
Browns store and the Grace Metho-
dist church on South { Main street,
were made public or officially report
ed to the city fathers, Fire Chief j.
E. Haralson Tuesday afternoon
handed in his resignation to City
Clerk T. G. Perrin. The resignation
is to take effect Immediately.
The investigation committee con-
sisting of councilmen Otto Bristow,
H. B. Wilson, T. M. Miller and M. B.
Syfan ordered hearing for Monday
evening at which time a number of
witnesses were examined as to the
prevailing conditions at the scene of
the fire. Practically all of the wit
nesses testified, under oath that there
was inefficiency exhibited at the fire,
which the concensus of the various
witnesses opinions tends to show was
due to shortcomings on the part of
both the fire department and the pub
lie works commission.
Some of the witnesses stated that
they knew several weeks ago, that
the stem of the hydrant from which
water was secured for fighting the
fire Sunday morning was so worn
that the ordinary hydrant wrench
would not turn it. Others testified
that after the stem was turned with
the Stilson wrench the flow of water
was insufficient to fill the two feed
pipes attached to the hydrant from
the fire engine and that one Of the
pipes was pulsating with the action
of the fire pump due to TACK of wa
ter.
One witness testified that there
was sufficient water and force to
have saved the church had the stream
been directed upon it. Others testi-
fed that the church could not have
been saved with the water available.
Some said that if the stream had been
directed upon the church that Mr..
Browns house would have burned.
Supt. Townsend of the water
works commission stated that only
two hydrants had been reported to
him as being defective and that the
one used Sunday morning was not
cne of the two reported. He produc-
ed record chart of the water pres
sure on the Square as recorded Sat-
urday night and Sunday morning as
evidence that there was never less
than so pounds of pressure in the
water mains during that time. He
stated that with the drop OF approxi-
mately so feet from the square,
where the record is made, to the hy-'
drant at the community house would
increase the water pressure some 20
or 80 pounds per square inch. Mr..
Townsend also stated that he had
witnessed efficient fire fighting with
so pounds pressure and that the
pressure at the time of the fire was
considerably more than this.
After the meeting of the investiga-
,tion committee was adjourned. Mon
day evening, the committee made a
thorough examination of the fire en-
gine and pump and equipment and on
Tuesday morning the engine was tax
en- to the hydrant in question and
tried out. The results at this test
were far from satisfactory and water
which should be available from a four
inch main could not be obtained.
Findings of Committee-Barnes
Elected Fire Chief
City council at their meeting
this afternoon heard the report of
the fire department committee