The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-05-23
AN UP TO DATE FIREMAN.
Chief Hale, Of Kansas City, and His
Record.

ing-The Bay Street Main to Be Put
TO the Test-Chief Hale Says Savan-
nah Needs Heavier Engines and
More Men-The W ater Pressure All
Right.
Chief Fireman George c. Hale, of
Kansas City, arrived yesterday morning
by the Central railroad to make the in
spection of the Savannah fire depart
ment. He was met at the depot by Chief
Puder and Alderman Bohan of the fire
committee and escorted to the DeSoto,
where he will be the guest of the city
during his stay.
After breakfast, in company with Chief
Puder and Alderman Bohan, he visited
the fremen's headquarters at South
Broad and Abercorn streets, where a
short stop was made. The party then
went out to the new waterworzs, which
were thoroughly inspected. Chief Hale
was delighted with the appearance of
things there. The pumping machinery,
he said, is as fine as he had ever seen any
where, and the capacity of the works and
the available pressure are all that could
be desired.
A VISIT TO QUARANTINE.
The party arrived at the city exchange
at noon, where Chief Hale was intro
duced TO the mayor and several of the
aldermen, who were present. The mayor
and a committee of council were just pre-
pairing TO go down to quarantine to in
spect the machinery there, preparatory
to making report to council at the meet
ing tonight, and Chief Hale was invited
to accompany them. AS he had already
decided not to enter upon the work of in
spection until this morning, he readily
agreed to do 50. The party consisted of
Mayor McDonough, Aldermen Wells,
Bohan, Folliard and Mcmillan. City En-
gineer VIM, Chief Hale, Chief Puder,
Mr.. John Il. Young and DR.. l. n Wells.
A pleasant trip was made, the party re-
turning TO the city about dark.
CHIEF HALE's RECORD.
A MORNING NEWS reporter saw
Chief Hale at the De Soto last
night 1t only requires few
minutes conversation with him on
the topic Of fire-hghting to demonstrate
that he Is one of the best posted men in
his particular line to be found In fact,
he Is an expert in the fullest sense of the
term. 1t is a fact not generally
known in Savannah that Chief
Hale is a firehghter of even more than
national reputation. he is the inventor
of the Hale water tower, which is now in
use in Boston, New York, Philadelphia
and nearly all the large cities of the
country. He is also the inventor of the
swinging harness, which has been in use
in the Savannah fire department for some
time and is in general use all over the
country. He has been a fireman for
twenty-four years, and has been chief of
the Kansas City fire department fourteen
years.
HIS GREATEST INVENTION
The water tower he regards as his prin-
cipal achievement. This tower is con-
structed something upon the order of an
aerial ladder. IT. is transported upon a
truck in the same manner 1t is a long
tlume in telescope sections and is run up
into position by the power of carbonic
acid gas. The hight of the towers in use
in New York and Chicago is sixty-five
feet. The funnel is inclined sideways and
the tower is used TO pour horizontal
stream into the windows of burning
buildings. Two or three engines aresat-
tached to the tower and furnish the
pumping apparatus and in this
way stream of tremendous
force can be secured In an
exhibition In Washington city last year
five and half tons of water a minute
were thrown upon the dome of the capt.
toll according TO the estimate Of the gov
eminent engineer.
Chief. Hale took picked fire company
to the international fire congress at Lon
don last year. He carried ten men, a
water tower, a team of trained horses
with the swinging harness and a Pompier
corps The latter gave exhibitions in the
use of the Pompier ladders for life saw
ing purposes. These ladders are for use
along the sides of walls and catch with
hooks upon the projections Of windows
and cornices.
| This company won the medals and di-
plomas for the finest drill and the best
| display of fire apparatus. 1t made the
fastest time on record in response to a
call, the men getting out of bed, down
the poles, hitched up the horses and were
out in the street in eight and half Sec
onds.
TO BEGIN INSPECTION TODAY.
Chief Hale will begin the inspection of
| the ire department some time this morn
ing. Tests will be made of the time it
/ takes the men to reach the nearest
| hydrant to the engine house and throw a
stream of water from the hose. After all
| the companies have been put through this
test the engines will be taken down on
| Bay street to test the six-inch main on
that street, which has been complained
| OF as being too small. Three engines will
| be put to work all at once upon the main.
A water gauge will be placed in one of
| the MIGRANTS not in use between two by
drants where engines are at work to de-
termine If the pressure is sufficiently di-
minished by tie demand upon the main to
show that it is incapable of furnishing the
proper supply of water.
AsIX-INCH MAIN LARGE ENOUGH,
with the high water pressure that
you have here and with good steamer
| power | see no reason why slx-inch
main should not be fully adequate to the
demand made upon it, said Mr.. Hale.
II have only visited the headquarters as
yet. You have good horses and good ma
chimes there and everything was in good
| order The trouble is that the engines
are too light. You are using engines
with only $50 gallons capacity TO the
minute, when you should have engines
with capacity of 800 gallons to the
minute. With the large commercial
buildings which you have here, engines
capable of throwing a powerful stream
are needed. Unless a stream is OF SUN
cient power, it is of but little use at q
large ire. You have perhaps noticed
streams break into spray before
reaching the flames. This is because of
lack of sufficient power. The stream
which an engine can throw against the
size of blank wall and the sire. m
which the same engine can throw into a
burning building at exactly the same hight
are two entirely different things. There