, 1885-09-15
FOR FIGHTING FLAMES
Improved Methods for -ExtinEuishing Con-
dRgratIons- Modern Appliances

80 49, ~ 11-
hRgratIons- Modern Appliances.
Philadelphia Bulletin
II am always very particular about
taking proper caro- OF matches in my
house, " says one man to another "for ]
don't know anything more disagreeable
b a fire. In the first place. the police
officers run recklessly through your house.
and then. when the fire companies arrive.
long sections OF dirty hose are dragged
through The Railways, and. even II the lire
be but u slight one. the place Is deluged
with enough water TO float a man OF war. -
such Is the current opinion that exists
regarding fires and iiremen. There is
some basis for It, to be sure, but in the
main 1t is wrong. There are many things
more pleasant to have about the house
than u fire. When the ames once get a
Roadway it is hight between water aud
tire and while both are quite damaging to
property, the first Is less so thai the lat
ter. Water Injuries to a great extent. fire.
II left alone, dcyours eutirc y. But the
most general mistake people make Is con-
corning small fires. They believe that a
heavy stream Of water is turned upon the
tiuiest anne. Just as il Is thrown upon a
rigging irr that has more thnn gained con.
lrol Of n big building This is not the
case. and ,he false idea is due 10 the want
OF knowledge rs to the proper equipment
OF the tire companies
In the first place the nozzles of tho hose
now In use are so arranged that any sized
stream Of water can be thrown aud con-
troiled by u thumb. screw at The side,
which wOras at the slig itest pressure of
the unger. y this the full force Of the
water ana be allowed free vent, OF The
81. c OF the strram may lie reduced 10 a
very tiny tow. even smaller than that
auNa.l 800. Fr... IL. -.
sprinkling hose. The purpose of this Is
obvious. When n ire alarm comes in aud
the engines arrive al their proper destina.
ton lhe nrst thing TO DO done is to get a
line Of hose out aud attach it 10 the en-
CINE. Unless the fire be a large one the
u z lie is closed tightly. aud the hremen
drug the hose along until the fire Is found
aid then urn the water upon 1t. regu' at.
ing the size of the stream by the size of
the lire,
The nozzle spoken of serves still another
purpose There are times when a smolder.
ing tire 80 tills a room with smoke that II
is I'm ossible for the bremen to enter. 1t
does not take a big fire To c'oud a room
with smoke. and often when the smoke Is
denscst the fire Is smallest How to enter
such u place Is then tho question which
the fireman has to answer. To 90 In
bodily with his hose In hand would mean
almost instant sutfocation. and to turn on
a heavy stream OF water and throw 1t into
the room would mean reckless damage TO
property. To obvinte both these oh
ectionable features the nozzle of the hose
is SO arranged that by the proper applica
ton Of a slight pressure OF the hand the
water can lie sent forth in n spray. and
this clears the atmosphere enough
and drives the smoke way SUM
GENTLY to allow the men TO enter There
Is a joint In the pipe a few inches Glow
the end, which. when loosened. allows
the water to escape on all sides. throwing
II forward in a shape somewhat similar TO
mn umbrella. This drives the smoke be-
fore the men and makes the entrance com
paratively easy.
Cnce at the origin of the fire, the water
can be turned directly upon IL In many
of the smaller fires engines are not brought
into play at al The Insurance patrol an
swers all alarms. and the light apparatus
they carry is especially adapted to small
fires. and they e%xiingulsh them with little
or no damage 10 surrounding property.
TIE impro, ed nozzle has been used by
the fire department for several years. but,
strange to say. It's many advantages are
either unknown or not appreciated by
the people