The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-10
4 NOVEL FIRE NOZZLE.
It's Main Feature IL Paradox to
Hydraulic Engineers.
w. e. Curtis,
Acting Secretary.
From the New York Sun.


Hydraulic Engineers.
From the New York Sun.
new nozzle for fire hose. which the
inventors claim will so spread a stream
of water that it will be twice as effective
as a solid stream, was exhibited at No.
s37 Broadway yesterday to thousand
persons, among them being many fire
department officials from this and neigh
borning cities. The invention is known as
the ball nozzle, and is based on a dis
covery made by Vice President Pollock,
of the Ball Nozzle Company. 1t is a re-
markable contrlvance, and the officers of
the company say that they have sub
mitted 1t to men of science, but have never
obtained any explanation of the way in
which the ball in the nozzle acts
Briefly, the nozzle is almost exactly
the same in construction as the ordinary
one now in use in our fire department
The only difference is that the end is
shaped like a bell, and in this bell is
placed a bah of polished, solid rubber.
The ball Is loose. and there is nothing to
hold 1t in position except a loop of brass
over the front of the bell to prevent it
from rolling out when the hose is not
in use. When the stream is on fun force
the guard is unnecessary, although one
would imagine that the force Of water
would drive the ball out of the bell like a
shot from a cannon. On the contrary,
however it holds 1t in and the more pres
sure turned on the more secure is the
ball in the bell. The ball does not stick
tightly against the outlet, but Is held at
a distance from 1t of about a quarter
of an inch. The flow is not in any way
retarded by the presence of the ball, bur
the stream is spread to a remarkable ex-
tent, and therein lies the efficacy of the
nozzle, says the inventor. A second noz-
zle for a solid stream is attached to the
hose, so that the man who is manipu-
lating it can have either sort Of a stream.
Several weeks ago the company re-
solved to hold the exhibition which was
given yesterday, and they rented the en-
tire ground floor, covering a full acre, of
the new Roosevelt building, a Broadway
and Thirteenth streets. They fitted the
place up in sumptuous fashion, and yes
terday it was crowded with firemen, in
surance men, business men, property
owners and others interested in an i'm
proved fire eXtinguisher One-half of the
floor had been transformed into minia-
ture village, with lawns and other &C
compartments, while a huge section has
been given over to a fountain, with the
ball nozzle attachment. for the idea is to
use the invention as a lawn sprinkler and
fountain attachment as well as for a
fire eXtinguisher
The exhibition with the fire hose was
given in a huge glass case in the center
of the room, and despite the fact that the
pressure of water was rather weak, it
was a success The flow of water didn't
seem to be in the least retarded by the
pressure of the ball, which spread it at
an angle Of about forty-fve degrees. The
greatest surprise was manifest ted by the
firernen over the way in which the ball
remained in the bell. Even when the
stream was turned on full force the ball
did not come nearer than quarter of an
inch of the brass guard. It kept re-
Volving rapidly, which mystihed the fire.
Der of hydraulic engineers who were
present and who made a careful examina-
ton of the conuiyance.
A better opportunity of studying the
principle of the thing was given to the
visitors by means of number of little
tubes which lined the walls of the room.
The tubes projected some inches from
the wall, and a tremendous force of wind
was kept circulating through them. A
piece of paper put within an inch OF the
tube would be blown half across the room
by the force of the wind; yet il placed
fiat against the tube it would remain
there as snugly as though there was noc
a perfect gale of wind blowing against IT,
The same result was obtained from the
use of a small ball The ball, if placed
against the hole remained there as though
there was suction instead Of an outpour