A little plumbing error corrected

[Tom Bender]

My brother was installing a water heater in an old hotel in New England. The 120 year old hotel was then three floors of apartments. It was all wood and had a dirt floor in the basement, (and a few spiders). To get from one room in the basement to the other he had to go outside and in another 'door'. There were two 3/4" pipes thru the wall. One fed nothing and the other had a sprinkler head. Unfortunately it was on the gas line! The building did not survive the building inspection that followed.

[Wade Lippman]

No one could be that stupid; there had to be a reason for it. Planning an arson?

[Tom Bender]

No, just confused by the pipe on the right and a longish walk to check on it. (ever cut a mortise on the wrong side?)

[Bruce Wrenn]

Remember you said two things that could explain this "New England, and Old."