Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-31
The Ingenious Devices Which Save
Time When Flames Threaten.
MAGIC OF A MODERN ENGINE HOUSE
Only Few Seconds Needed After
the Alarm is Sounded.
P r o p Z RTY AND LIFE

million Of dolars-but to the owners of
priceless value-has gene I'D in smoke:
several large buildings have been RACED
| with disastrous results; brute animals have
perished, and, more than all, human life
has been sacrificed. The best efforts of the
fire fighters have awaited only in combining
the flames to the buildings in which they
| were discovered; to save the burning prop
| erty Itself has been impossible. These de-
| structive blazes have noticeably agitated
| the community. No one who has any
| knowledge Of the matter imputes to the fire
| ladies want of courage ability, but
| the latter acknowledge the necessity for
| more men and additional equipments in or
| der to do battle successfully with the de-
vouring flames
1t is Of vital Importance that the DEPART
ment should be at the scene of fire as soon
after Its discovery as possible and before
| the flames have gained any Roadway, and
American brains and ingenuity have been
| so successfully employed for the accom-
plishment of this desirable end that should
an alarm Of fire be turned In from any point
| within the city limits, two or more engines
| would be on the spot, ready for work, with
In five minutes a remarkable record when
| 1t is remembered that horses must be hitch
| ed, steam generated and a run of a quarter
| or half mile made. How is II done?
Tmc-Snving Facilities.
A visit to engine house is full Of in
swells to enthusiasm he sees on every
side the appliances which enable the fire.
| men to respond instantly to an alarm and
begin at once their beneficent labors At
tention is first attracted to the harness
suspended from the ceiling and hanging
Just over where the horses are hitched on
each SIDE OF the tongue or pole of the
engine and hose carriage This harness is
light and simple, yet very strong and sup
piled with every means for Immediately
fl -Ta AMI inc
not put on the animals neck by a series OF
tugs and twists, but, hinged at the top, IL
fastens at the throat with a strong spring
catch, just as the bracelets, which were so
extensively worn by the ladies a few years
ago, were clasped around the wrist
The bride is always worn, and, except
when feeding, the bit is kept constantly in
the animals mouth; the traces are never
unlocked from the whiffietrees and there are
no breechen straps TO be fastened; conse-
quently, the process of Harvesting Is an
extremely simple one. Ii Is only necessary
to let the harness fall upon the horses
backs, snap the collar together clasp the
lines to the bride and hook the belly strap
Whenever two parts of harness have to be
fastened together, the use of the time-delay-
ing buckle is carefully avoided snap hooks
and spring clasps being substituted 10 eff
feet the saving of even a few seconds. The
harness Is suspended from the ceiling by
ropes and weights, much the same as win
dows are hung in houses. When the horses
are In position beside the pole II is arranged
ny d NitNcT utNlCt lfat Wnen driver on
his seat lifts the reins which lie loosely on
the dashboard, the weights are released and
the harness falls directly on the horses
backs.
The knowing Horses.
In the rear of the apparatus are the
stalls, the front end of which is hung on
hinges aud fastened to a powerful spring
80 that when the pin in the hasp is re-
leased this door is Immediately thrown
open and the sagac!ous animal of his own
accord runs at once to his place In front
of the engine
The striking of the large brass gong,
which Is prominent feature in every
CINE house, accomplishes much more than
merely calling the men and horses to their
stations. The electric current In its cir
cult TO the gong passes through a magnet
which is fastened high up on the wall back
of the stalls, and thereby releases a
weight to which wires are attached leading
to the halter ropes. and to the brass pins
which fasten the stall doors. AS soon as
this weight drops, the pin is jerked out OF
the hesp on the door, which is Immediately
thrown open by the spring before de-
scribed; at the same instant, the halter
rope is unclasped and the animal has no
difficulty in making his way out of his
stall.
By Unseen Hands.
Then ensues the process of hitching up,
after which the men take their positions
on the engine and reel But suppose the
four large doors to the house are closed;
they must be unlocked and opened. Not,
however, by the slow process of unbolt-
ing each door and swinging IL wide sepa-
rately. more instantaneous method is
adopted. AS the driver on his box let's
the harness fall upon the horses by the
simple act of lifting the reins, so also he
has at hand easy means for throwing open
the heavy entrance doors. Just beside his
seat, to the right, depending from the cell
ing, is rope, one pull of which unbolts
the doors and releases the heavy weights
hung in the wall, which are attached to
them. so that the doors swing apart as IL
of their own volition.
Twenty pounds of steam is kept always
in the engine although the fire in the CRATE
itself is not lighted. The fuel is prepared
and IN order ready to light at moments
notice, and this is done while on the way
to the scene of the conlagration, but the
water in the boiler is heated from APP
paratus situated in the cellar by means Of
pipes which project through the floor and
fit closely to the fixtures of the engine.
These pipes are not screwed or in any way
fastened to the engine-if they were they
could not be detached without loss OF val
liable time-but fit snugly and when call
ed out in service the engine simply pulls
away from them.
The Mems Quarters.
The second floor is the home of the men.
The front room is the sleeping apartment
where single iron bedsteads are placed in
rows alongside of the side walls, leaving
and rear of this room two brass poles pro-
iect from the engine room below ana
hole Is cut in the floor of sufficient SIZE
to allow plenty of room for a man TO slice
down one of them TO the first Eoor, Tor lt
any of the men are in the upper room
they cannot spare time TO run down by the
stairs at the sounding of the alarm, but
adopt the seconds-saving method of vertical
descent
Ordinarily the opening through the floor
around each of the poles is closed 10y two
doors bolted to the ceiling OF
the APPARATUS room, but the same device
which Ioosens the halter ropes and pulls
the pins out OF the hasps of the stall doors
also releases the fastenings of these cover
ings and they fall open of their own
weight. Many of the engine houses are
fitted up with n gymnasium, library and
reading rooms, the furnishings of which
are presented by appreciative citizens as
of their interest in the welfare
Of the brave men who are ever ready to
face danger and even risk their lives to
protect persons and property in peril. The
rooms as we'll as rything else around
are models Of neatness-good order must
and does prevail in an engine house. There
Is n place for everything and everything
ran always be found in its accustomed
place.