Chemical Fire "Engine

Southland Times, Issue 19387, 10 September 1904, Page 3 (Supplement)

Chemical Fire "Engine

m m „. Tho most conspicuous object at present at the Central Fire depot, Eastern Hill, is (says the Agc)f the big chemical fire waggon recently _m- | ported from America by the firo board. During his recent tour «>f inspection through America, .Chief" Ofliccr Stein was so impressed witli the* valuable work these mach-nes wer© doing that he strongly recoainncnded the acquirement of one for use in. Melbourne. The board, after car_ful enquiry, purchased tho combined hose waggon and engine. It was built by the International Fire Engine Company of New York, and as its name implies it can be used as a chemical engine for fires tn their incipont stages, or if beyond that the hoso carried on the -waggon can bo connected to tho street main by i leans of a hydrant, and the fire extinguished in that way. Thero are two cylinders in front of the waggon, each containing} about 35 gallons of a stnurated solution of bicarbonate of soda. At the top of each cylinder is a chamber, carrying a leaden, bottle containing sulphuric acid, which oa the machine arriving at the fire is inverted, and tho contents, mixing with tho alkaline solution, at once generates carbonic acid gUS. A pressure of 140 to 160 lb. to the squaro inch is obtained, and the chemicallycharged water can be thrown 50 feet and over beyond tho 200 feet rf 1 inch hose carried on the waggon. Tb.o cylinders arc kept constantly loaded, and the engine is ready for actio-n the moment it reaches the fire, ("nc cylinder can bo reloaded while tbe other one is in use, so that a continuous, stream can be kept on Un* fire. Spare chemical charges aro carried on the waggon, and the cylinklers are so constructed that the regular Are hose can be connected to them from the hydrant should chemicnl charges give out, thus keeping a stream on tho fire. In addition two small chemical hand engines of three, gallons capacity are carried, to Tj_ used in the event of tho largo cylinders not bevng required. One thousand feet of 2_-inch delivery hose, with hydrants, branches and all neeessary tools, are carried ; also a small extension ladder of 20 feet, and a hook ladder for climbing: \ip roofs of building&. Eight men arc sent to a firo in this machine, which is a complete fire department in itself. The waggon, when loaded, weighs about three tons, and being fitted with' solid rubber tyres and roller bearings is easily; drawn by two horses. The efficiency of the new apparatus was tested wncn an alarm called the brigade to a lane off Latrobe f treet, whero a wooden shed in a yard attached to the premi-ies of a Chinese laundry was in flames. Tlie shed was blazing fiercly when the engino arrived, but la a few seconds after the chemical was turned on there was not a solitary spark alight <