Evening journal., 1920-11-18
Plug TROUBLES
LAIDTOFIRENEN
Valves Turned Wrong Way
and Jammed, Declares
Water Dept.
OVER-SPEEDING TO
FIRES ALSO RAPED

Responsibility Tor the failure Of fire
! plugs In different parts OF the city 90
work properly has been put squarcly
up TO the ircmon themselves by the
Wafer Department As a result Fire
On cf Luiz win ISSUE Instructions 20
| the nromon concerning use OF the
! plugs.
The Water Department In a COM
munlcatlon 90 City Council. read at
/ me ting in committee Of the whole.
/ last night, declares that In every i'm
/ stance The plugs were rendered use
ss c.th.r by being iammed or dee
sirOycd IN such "a manner tina. they
were uscl ss. Ihs condition, the D. l.
ter attributed i0 "ncNpr enc m NJ
turning the plug valves the wrong
way.
5. u Van Trump. engineer Of the
Waller Department presented for The
inspection OF the cOuncilmen the tops
of four plugs that had been destroyed
lby attempts Go turn them the wrong
way Mr.. Van Trump said ihc dpari-
ment has made inspections OF all
plugs in the vicinity of fires immc-
daicly after they occurred
The letter from ihe Water Depart
mcnt over ihc signature or James !.
Ford. president OF ihe board. says in
part
"Thls matter has been thoroughly
Investigated. The fire plugs In this
city are in good condition. They are
, so constructed that 10 handled prop
- erly they viii open and close without
r any trouble. ihe mechanism ls such
, they cannot rust or corrode and 10 is
- only caralessness on The part of the
one who opens these plug. that
fInmI IU uNNaI ar NtsH NHf
ing them the wrong way.
s This department has The absolute
- evidence that he plugs in question
s h1d been turned on the wrong way
e and iammcd despite The fact there 4
- am arrow on top OF the plug indicat
ing The way % should be opened"
IS The letter than calls attention q
s the fact That a number OF years ag
J, the same trouble was experience
and that invsiigaiiOn showed mex
pcricnccd iremen were tO blame
is pointed out by the department tha
ont OF every i've hundred plugs In
spocied only one has been found on
n or order from ordinary causes.
' Taking mp the recent ilrcs. tho let
ter says that the Wilmington Leaiho
Company fire. the plug at Third an
lf Hawley streets was ont OF service b,
Is cause 70 had 90 IN turnd ~ wron
A way and iammed"
~ AT the fire at the Waverly Apari
- menis. Twelfth and Market street
%. an plugs Mere in good condition
$ me letter reads. "Thc large Sine
n high service plug at Twelfth an
Market streets. which Is Directly col
nccicd by a i2-Inch main 10 our
IT. inch forcing main. was not put In SCI
ya vice at an Instead OF that they RI
IN one full block OF hose 20 the plug
.a Twelfth and Orange streets, which
'V on the low service. The nremon
IN, not seem 90 b. familiar with the
nd vidins lines Of the different wal
services"
.m A. me Newark shoe store nre.
AZ Seventh and Market streets. the j
ln, t'r ass ris the plug was damned
ue while at The fire 90 Third and popl
STR els. where "a plug was report
out OF service The letter eNpla.
Investigation showed all plugs We
ed scryHcoaho.
nt Rcrcrring 90 the nrc az Twelfth az
re Market streets. Chice Luiz eWll'n
Isl the Phoenix Company responding
g. q sNn alarm. stationed Itself on On
c- corner and used its chs fm'cal en-in
a. and that other companies on arrf
ing connected with plugs neare
as fthoir apparatus.
iw President Lyon called attention
is the arcidfni In which the Fan
truck was involved at Fifteenth al
Market streets on sunday niuli.
strongly condemned reckless drvlr
re- saving reports of the sp1 ed at whl
llc iho apparatus was travelling Vari
lld from 80 90 30 miles an hour.