A NEW FIRE ENGINE

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 21 May 1923, Page 5

A NEW FIRE ENGINE

SUCCESSFUL DEMONSTRATION

The Dennis fire engine, a.wonderful invention for increasing the efficiency of fire brigades, was demonstrated in Harwera on Saturday by Mr F. A. Brov/n----john. His Worship the Mayor, Mr L. A. Bone, and a number of councillors, members of the Fire Board and the Hawera Fire Brigade, were present, and it w?.s generally agreed that the new engine would be a great improvement on the equipment at present used in Hawera. The Dennis is fitted with a turbine pumn which sucks nr> the water and sends it out again at a terrific pressure, the firts instance being given, when with the same sized nozzles a> pressure of 351bs from the town main, sent" a stream of water 54 feet, while th« Dennis engine, with only the same water available, augmented the pressure to ISOlbs to the square inch, and sent a stream of water 120 ft. Two lea<i« into the engine and a number of leads out were tried .with various sized, nozzles. The superiority of, the engine was evidenced in each instance, the final triumph coming when a stream cf water through a fin. nozzle was sent up as high as the ton of the water tower, 165 ft.

The capabilities of the engine as a conveyance for the brigade were next, demonstrated, it bein^t clearly shown by Mr Brownjohn that the driver had absolute control over his machine. When going at a reasonable speed, the engine was pulled up in about i%B own length.

In conversation with a "Star" representative, Mr Brownjohn said that the turbine pump w?.s absolutely reliable. He showed how it was controlled from the engine of the motor, and the piessure could be reduced or increased as desired by accelerating o r reducing the engine As long as there was wafer the turbine pump would draw it iiito the hoses and send it out of the nozzle at a high pressure. In the greet fare at Salonika during the war two of the Dennis pumps were kept at work tor many consecutive days, and the great cities of the world used the machines tor fire-fighting purposes.