The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-02-21
Loophole Left in Ordinance
That Allows Pressure on
Chiefs Office.
PIPES OF WRONG SIZE
Inside Hose Connections in
Several Big Buildings
Not Standard.
BY DICK MILLER

Because of a loophole in a city
ordinance admitting possibility of
political pressure constantly against
the Indianapolis fire chiefs Office,
many commercial buildings in the
city daily are in danger of a disas-
trous fire.
Win construction in recent years
almost wholly of re-reSistlng ma
terialS, the o1d-time story of an
an apartment house or Office build
ing burned to the ground seldom
finds its way into headlines.
But blazeS that might have been
subdued with only puff of smoke
and a few minutes flare, several
times have ragged through one or
more floors, with dangers Of asphyx-
iation and panic, and resulting in
excess property loss.
Firemen in the ranks usually were
blamelesS. Fire prevention measures
taken when the building was con-
structed did not conform to the
spirit of the ordinance governing
such construction, and no orders
were issued from the fire chiefs Of
flee to make them conform.
Specified by Ordinance
All factories, warehouses ..
etc, sixty 600 feet and over in
height, shall be provided with one
% or more than two and one-half
(21a) inch or larger metallic stand
pipes, provided with house connec-
lions at each story on the outside
wall thereof, or on the inside of
such building, extending to an above
roof and so arranged that fire
hose may be attached from the
street to the same. All such stand
pipes shall be provided with Siamese
connections, provided and arranged
subject to the approval of the chief
of the fire department. Exception
other approved methods"
"Other approved methods" rest
solely on judgment of successive fire
chiefs.
On each floor of buildings that
are above sixty feet high, standpipes
are connected with fifty feet of hose,
unlined, but of sufficient strength
to Withstand pressure to extinguish
blaze within its length.
Battle From Below
However, modern fire fighting
methods are to battle blaze on
one floor from the floor beneath it.
Thus the regular standpipe hose Or
dinarily is useless, unless the fire
is a very small one.
Reaching the floor beneath the
fire by elevator and carrying their
own hose, then, fremen connect 1t
to the standpipe connection, and
start up the stairway leading to the
floor above, battling the flames as
they go.
The water coming from the stand
pipe is sufficient for a few seconds,
until a pumper below is making a
connection between a fire plug and
the standpipe connection on the
ground. The first supply of water
comes from tanks above the build
ing.
A few years ago the following
incident occurred in the city:
A still alarm sent fire companies
to downtown club building, where
fire was discovered on a roof
garden. First, firemen in the build
ing found that the Standpipe con-
nection on the floor level was
smaller than their hose.
Delay Causes Loss
They returned to the fire wagon.
procured rope, and reascending
the inside of the structure, tried to
pull up sufficient hose to reach the
ground. Finally, they carried the !
hose inside the building and
dropped it.
Delays Of several minutes were
encountered In getting the neces-
sary length of hose to the ninth !
floor Of the building, and the fire |
gained much Roadway.
At the same time, through inef- |
ficiency in handling or mechanical |
difficulty, the first pumper failed to |
function, and another was connect |
ed, causing another delay.
The battalion chief and several |
firemen were burned by fire that |
should have been extinguished |
without great damage.
The club was one example of |
buildings with inside hose connec-
tons one and one-half inches in |
diameter Standard fire hose Is
two and one-half inches.
Four of seven downtown buildings |
checked recently had connections |
one inch too small; three had |
proper size pipes.