When the fire broke out, it was found that the hose were in such rotten and worthless condition that289they had to be wrapped with blankets before they could be rendered available at all, and then of course very ineffectively. The engineer was allowed to sleep outside of the asylum at his family residence, three-quarters of a mile distant, and it was thirty-five minutes before he arrived on the ground, got up a fire in the engine house, and commenced to use the fire pumps. There is some doubt, at least, as to the supply of water in the tanks, but if filled in the absence of the engineer, neither the assistant engineer nor any other person connected with the institution, know how to utilize it, at least they signally failed. Your committee are further of the opinion, that the supply of hose is inadequate, that there should be a portable steam fire-engine connected with the institution, and that by all means the engineer should be required to sleep within the asylum limits, and his assistant well trained to perform all the duties in his unavoidable absence. Had such been the case, the building would have been saved.588
Rufus 3.6 Build 1551 Portable [Latest]
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