Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 December 1895 — FOR FIGHTING FLEES. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FOR FIGHTING FLEES.

EVOLUTION.; OF THE MODERN STEAM ENGINE. A Qnaint English Concern, and an Antique German Contrivance that Worked on Rockers Like a Cradle— Bcrewinc Water Through a Squirt. Some Very Early Devices. Probably no other natural force or element has caused more destruction than fire. Although various extinguishing agents are, and have been, used, water has always been and will continue for some time to be the principal, simplest and most easily applicable cure for a conflagration of any magnitude. Among the earliest apparatus for applying water to tires was a large squirt, or syringe, consisting of a tube, filled with water from a tub, which was rapidly ejected by means of a plunger operated by hand. This, in various forms, continued in use I.r a long time. What is. perhaps, the oldest known fire engine for pumping water is mentioned in the Spiritualia of Hero, about 150 B. C. From the description there given this engine had two single-acting pumps, the plungers of which were worked by a single beam, pivoted between the two. The streams united in a single discharge pipe, passing np a trunk in which was an air chamber, and out at a nozzle which could be turned in any direction. This description might stand for a great many forms of hand fire engines used even to the present day. Something like the more modern, fire engine appears to have been brought out in the sixteenth century, and Is a “water syringe." This was mounted on wheels and was ed by levers. Fire engines of this kind were apparently much used in Germany. In England, during the latter part of the sixteenth century, large brass syringes were employed, holding several quarts of water, and operated by three men, two holding the syringe at each side with one hand and directing the nozzle with the other, and the third operating the plunger. After having discharged the water, the syringe was refilled from a cistern or a well near the fire, or from buckets. Later these water squirts were fitted to portable cisterns or tanks. The First Kitfjine. In the latter part of the seventeenth century a portable fire engine, with a double cylinder pump, mounted on °a

cistern or tank, from which water was drawn, was- introduced in England by Newsfiam. This engine was, in many respects, similar to the modern hand fire engine, and continued In use In England up to 1832. The improved Newsham engine was operated by side rods, and for the portable cistern a suction pipe was eventually substituted. Single cylinder portable fire pumps were also used in France and Germany about this time. The Newsham engine was, perhaps, the first successful fire engine, and really was the pioneer of the modern, manually operated engine. The pumps were of various sizes and designs, and were, in most cases, operated by levers. Various forms of engines, similar to the Newsham engine, continued in use as late as 1850. Even to-day hand engines are employed to quite some extent In the smaller towns and villages. Btatlonar»steam fire pumps were in nse long before the portable steam fire engine made Its appearance. About

1830 the firm of Braithwaite & Ericsson, of London, brought out a steam fire engine of about six horse power,

capable of throwing 150 gallons of water per minute a distance of 80 or 00 feet It (was drawn by horses. A *imllar engine of larger capacity was built ip New Yor£: by Captain Ericsson In 1843. The srst steam fire engine operated in the United States, however, waa built by P: R. Hodge, at New York. This engine was self-propelling, the boiler, engine and pumps were placed horizontally. When it was necessary to operate the pumps, the driving wheels were raised clear Of the ground, as the same engine was used for driving and pumping. This engine -was operated at the expense off the ineuranee beftppany, but continually met ■ with opposition frony.be volunteer firemen. when playing-at a fire in Dover street, the machine did such ex-

cellent work that the firemen utterly refused to allow it to be used thereafter, and it was stored away and New York’s fire protection was again limited to the old hand tubs. First Paid Fire Company. In 1852 a Cincinnati company placed a steam boiler and cylinder in connection with tlie pumps of a hand, engine belonging to the Cincinnati department and mounted the whole contrivance on wheels and a frame. A public trial was made of this crude affair, and it worked very successfully. In the short time of four minifies and ten seconds steam was raised from cold water, the engine started and water discharged through 550 feet of hose to a distance of 130 feet from the nozzle. Although this exhibition was naturally looked upon \ with dislike by the volunteer firemen, j the city government was greatly pleased and immediately contracted with the makers for a complete steam tire engine. This was built and put in service with a company organized and supported by the city. Thus the'first i paid fire company in the world to operate by steam power was brought into existence. The fame of the Cincinnati engines spread and other cities endeavored to introduce the system, always meeting

with the most violent opposition from the volunteers. But the steam fire engine was bound to come and was advocated by the press. Chicago and other Western cities closely followed Cincinnati by organizing paid departments

equipped with steam engines. The more intelligent volunteers in.the East began to see the error of their ways, and replaced their hand engines with the more modem apparatus. Boston was the first of the Eastern cities to organize a paid department, which she did in 1800. New York did the same in 1865, and Philadelphia in 1871. Other Eastern eities rapidly fell into line, but some of* the Southern cities, though equipped with the most modern apparatus, continue to the present day with volunteer firemen. New Orleans having only recently adopted a paid force. When the steam fire engine was introduced forced draft was used to expedite raising steam while the engine was

going to a fire. This was iater supplanted by gas burners, located in the furnace, which were continuously burning while the engine was at the engine

house, thus keeping the water in the boiler at a fair heat so that steam could be quickly raised after the fire had been stared and while the engine was on its way to the scene of action. Both of these plans have been done away with in most well regulated fire departments. A stationary steam boiler

a: the engine house is now generally connected with the boiler of the engine, and keeps the water in this hot, so that ■steam sufficient for pumping can be raised in from three to ten minutes after the fires are lighted dud while the engine is running to the fire. All the engines are supplied with the necessary flexible suction pipe to connect the pumps to the water plugs, but the discharge hose is, in most cases, carried by a separate tender or hose carriage. The larger engines have a capacity of from 800 to 1,000 gallons of water per minute, discharging through from two to four outlets, the discharge hose being generally fitted with 11/,l 1 /, to 1% inch nozzles. Some extra large engines have a capacity even beyond this. The weight of these engines varies from 0,500 to 7,500 pounds, and they are generally from 22t0 25 feet long, from Bto 9 Mi feet high, and about G feet wide. The piston speed varies from 200 feet to 300 feet per minute. The boilers have a large heating surface, and generally from 22 to 25 feet long, from 8 to In the modern steam fire engine it is safe to say that from three to four times as much coal is burned under the boiler per indicated horse power as would be consumed by a good, everyday stationary steam plant of similar capacity, say from 50 to 100 horse power. However, the steam fire engine is built for speed and rapid duty, and not for economy. ,

OLDEST KNOWN FIRE ENGINE.

GERMAN FIRE PUMP OF 1516.

THE FIRST ENGINE TO RESPOND AT CHICAGO’S BIG FIRE.

EARLY ENGLISH FIRE ENGINE.

ENGLISH FIRE SQUIRT OF 1568 .

STRASSBURG FIRE ENGINE OF 1739