Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-09-11
A Satisfactory Trial Test.

A large concourse of citizens, and among
witnessed at o'clock yesterday afternoon
test trial of the j. L. Cowles stand pipe
and fire escape, just placed upon the block
of Lindekes, Warner 81 Schumacher, corner
of Fourth and Sibley streets and one of
the finest as well as the highest business
blocks in st. Paul.
The escape consists Of an iron stand
pipe resembling a gutter spout, conductor
extending a few feet from above the side
walk to the roof of the building, having
two hose couplings at the base branching
into the main pipe in the form of an in
verified letter Y, with hose couplings
at an iron landing at each story
of the building, as also one on
the roof. Running up beside of
this pipe and attached thereto is an iron
ladder which reaches to the roof, iron
landings being attached thereto at each
story.
Trout Brook steamer was fred up at the
corner of Third and Sibley streets under
the direction of Chief Black and hose laid
therefrom to the iron stand pipe to which
coupling was quickly made, hose having
been carried into the third story and upon
the roof by the fremen who ran up the
iron ladder as nimbly as squirrels.
The first trial was the throwing of water
from the hose nozzle in the third story and
on the roof at the same time, to show the
power of the streams at that height and
how they could be successfully used in
hopping out fire in case of actual con
fagration. This was followed by throwing
single stream from both points with full
power of the steamer concentrated on one
outlet.
The result in both instances was cor
roborative of the efficiency to drown out
any common fire in any situation In the
building, in each trial the water being
thrown quite distance up Sibley street
across Fourth in soaking streams as also
upon buildings on either side Of the
streets.
The advantages seem to be in this COM
bined hose appliance and fire escape that
a commanding position can be taken with
no delay when fires break out in high
buildings, and fire fought as readily in the
roof as in the lower story, while the in
mates of the building are afforded safe
exit at the same time. The only misad-
venture in the trial which was thorough
complete and satisfactory, was the burst
ing of length of hose, which was speed
ly replaced with section which effectual-
ly stood the racket.
This latter event gave an additional
pointfin favoc of this successful invention
to fight fire on high premises, by showing
that it would be complete hose tester
for the fire department, and would be the
means of its being able to promptly throw
| out all defective and rotten stock of that
kind instead of having to wait for seri-
GUS confsgration to prove detective, as
is too often, unwittingly the case.
Our personal observations on the occa-
sion convinced Us of the sterling merit OF
this new patent, while frequent inquiries
of property owners of the fire insurance
representatives of the city as to how much
they were going to lower rates on build
ings provided with this apparatus was
suggestive that the general public thought
the throwing of water just where it might
be needed in the skyward business estab-
lishments of the present day was bril-
liant success, though the medium was
nothing but an iron gutter ripe and lad
der in alliance.
The appliance is also constructed to be
placed on the G. Gotzian & Co.'s. the
Drake block and several other structures
in st. Paul.