Los Angeles herald. [volume] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1890-1893, 1891-11-11

Work to Charm-Their Desirabls
Features.
The Champion chemical fire engines,
manufactured by the Chicago Fire Ex-
tinguisher company, two specimens OF
which have recently been acquired by
he city, were tested yesterday saiter-
noon at the plaza, before theAmayor,
Chief Moore. the members ofs!council,
all other CITY officials and vast multi
tude of citizens. These engines COM
bine all the latest Improvements in this
class of fire apparatus, ares simple,
strong and durable, and beyond all else,
are very light, and consequently han
died with ease. They are quickly
charged and operated, and are instanta-
neous in their operation. The discharge
pipes on the tanks are very short and
without bends, allowing the free and
uninterrupted passage of the chemical
solution from the tank to the hose. The
double-tank engines, such as those
experimented with, are arranged to give
a continuous stream without moving
the hose. While one tank is being
discharged the other is being replen-
ished, and so on, or both tanks can be
discharged simultaneously, thus playing
two streams.
Chemical engines are coming into use
largely in all first-class fire departments,
their great efficiency being praised by
all intelligent fremen. The great ad-
vantage in their use is promptness and
in getting to work quicker; no delay of
attaching to the hydrant, laying Off four
or five hundred feet of heavy hose, and
delay in getting up steam, as in the case
of steam fire engines. They can be
placed Immediately in front of a fire;
one man can ascend to the fifth or sixth
story of building with the hose ready
to go to work, and no danger OF damag-
ing the goods on the lower floors of the
building; whereas OH the arrival OF
steam fire engine it has to be attached
to the hydrant, hose carriage lays off
the hose to the fire, half dozen men
are required to drag it up to the fifth or
sixth story, and they play an inch or an
inch and quarter stream of water and
damage as much or more property on
the lower floors bv water than the fire
does alone, making the loss by water
triple that OF the fire. The style OF
building chemical engines adapts them
to continuous stream for an indefinite
time; as soon as one tank or reservoir is
discharged the second one can be turned
on and the other replenished.
The test yesterday was most thorough
success. A little hut OF dry timber had
been built, and filled with tar barrels
and other inflammable material. In
order further to make it burn, the struc-
ture was thoroughly saturated with ben
zine, so that when the heap was ignited
it burst into flame with almost an ex-
plosion. The heat was so great that
the spectators were obliged to retreat
fifty yards before they could face the
hot radiations. The manipulation OF the
hose, however, with the confidence ac-
quired by experience, approached the
burning pile to within few feet.
Wherever the stream touched the fam
ing material, the fire died. and in fifteen
minutes there was no sign OF spark.
OF course, the fire experimental with
would rarely, if ever, be equalled in
heat by an actual conflagration. The
test, therefore, was thoroughly satisfac-
tory.
The new water tower rece ntly pur-
chased by the city govern
test, and its value was thoroughly dem
onstrated. This tower is the invention
of William T.. Stoermer, engineer and
member of No. engine house. 1t was
gotten up for large fires, and to throw
large streams of water Its capacity is
1900 gallons minute when worked to
its full capacity. The nozzle is con-
troilsd by man On the turn-table OF
the ladder, and the stream may be d.
fected to any story or at any horizontal
angle. The tower consists OF the regular
Hayes truck, on extension ladder, with
the Stoermer attachments, the nozzle
being thereby elevated 80 feet from the
ground. The ladder at the same time
can bc used for all the purposes for
which it was originally intended. The
Stoermer system, therefore, combines all
the Hale tower with the extension lad
der principle, and representatives OF the
fire departments of Pasadena, Riverside,
Santa Monica and other towns OF the
neigh borhood witnessed the experiments
and were greatly pleased with the
results One OF the chief features Of the
tower, which was commented upon, was
the peculiar nozzle used. This is an ar
raugement of an eigEt-inch brass ball
loose in a chamber at the end of the
hose. When the stream OF water is
turned on, this ball consequently acts as.
a governor, and prevents the stream
from being thrown out in jets. The
nozzle itself has a diameter of two
inches, and is choke-bored at the end,
thus combining the water into one solid
stream. The chamber and nozzle were
manufactured by the Wagner Electric
Manufacturing company of this city.
CommendRble.
All claims not consistent with the high char