The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-03-15
NEW Chemical ENGINE
1t Arrived Yesterday and Was
Installed in Rescue No. 2.
A Test Given Last Night Which
Proved Highly SatisfaCtory-Was
Placed in Commission,

rived yesterday, was duly installed
in Rescue Engine House No. 2, thor.
oughly tested, and finally accepted by
the committee on fire and water and
placed in commission.
The engine arrived yesterday after
noon ON the steamer Bailey Gatzert,
and had President Cleveland been on
the boat a larger and more expectant
crowd could not have met the
steamer as she tied up to the dock
Even before the passengers were al
ashore, the new fire extinguisher, its
polished brass, copper and nickel glist-
ening in the afternoon sunlight, was
triumphantly wheeled onto the wharf
and Immediately surrounded by large
crowd eager to get a good view of the
engine that has been the chief topic of
conversation among the fire laddies
ever since the council ordered 1t two
months ago. Shortly after the arrival
of the steamer the peair of beautiful
white horses belonging to Rescue No.
2 were brought down and hitched tc
the new fire fighter, and followed by a
hundred people, was taken to the en-.
gine house, where during the afternoon
many people called and gave it a care,
full inspection.
By the courtesy of Chief Buchtel, of
the Portland Fire Department, Captain
Geo. Wemple, of Chemical Engine No.
1, accompanied Mr.. "a. G. Long, the
Pacific Coast agent of the Fire Extln-
guisher Company, of whom the en-,
gine was purchased. These gentlemen
were present for the purpose of in
structi!tg the members of the fire de-
partment In handling the chemical en-
gtne, though it can be said for the
machine, that its mechanism is so sim.
pie that anyone or ordinary intelligence
can work it with but little study.
During the day a shack, 16 feet
square, made of old and dry boards,
was erected on the vacant lot at the
rear oof Foard & Stokes store, inside
the building being placed all sorts Of
iuflamable material, such as tar bar.
rels, resin, pitch blocks, etc.. At 8
o'clock last evening was the hour set
for testing the machine, and as early
as o'clock people began to congregate
about the place, though it soon grew
so dark that 1t was impossible to esti.
mate their numbers. Promptly at S
O'Clock the engine, with lights aglow.
turned the corner from Commercial
street and was soon drawn up in readi-
ness about 100 feet from the structure
to be fired A moment later twenty.
five gallons of coal oil was poured over
the building and contents and lighted
match applied. AS If by magic the
whole nighborhood was brilliantly
Illuminated by a great roaring mas.
of flames that leaped high into tn,
air. 1t seemed that thousands of peo.
pile were present, for by the light of
the burning building a densely packed
mass of humanity could be seen on
every side of the block Chief Foster.
Assistant Chief Stockton, in fact all
the members Of the fire department
who could be spared from their place
of duty were on hand, as we'll as mem.
bers of the city council. Mr.. Long
waited until the fire had got under full.
headway, when at a signal, CAPTAIN
Wemple, who had the nozzle, turned
on the stream, and like the dropping
of q theatre curtain, the bright light
of the fiercely burning shack faded
away and only few smoking embers
were visible. The flames had been ex.
tinSuished in less than five seconds
time, Again the fire was started, and
the same result followed the applica-
ton of the chemicals.
1t was so thorough a test, and with
so successful a result, that the men,
bers of the fire and water committee,
who witnessed the whole proceeding,
ordered that 1t be Immediately placed
in commission. OF course 1t is not ex-
pected that a large burning building,
difficult OF access, can ,be controlled
as easily as the shack last night, but
taking the record of those chemical en-
glnes in other cities where they have
been in use for several years, it is safe
to say that Rescue's new fire extin,
guisher will take prominent part in
future fires in this city-especially
when Chief Foster hands in his annual
report
The engine has two cylinders of 60
gallons capacity each. These are filled
with water, into which is put the chem
icals which generate within the cly-
inders carbonic gas, producing a pres
sure of about 100 pounds per square
inch, and which expels the contents
of the cylinders through the hose, of
which the engine carries 200 feet, hav-
ing on the end of 1t a controlling noz-
zle, by means of which the stream can
be used or shut off as desired. The
water merely serves as a vehicle for
conducting the carbonic gas to the
fire. As is well known, fire cannot
exist an instant in air containing 81
per cent of carbonic gas. This is a nat
ural law well understood and explains
the wonderfully rapid and efficient
work done by chemical fire engines.
At the exhibition last night only one
cylinder was put into service. and dur
ing the few seconds 1t required to ex-
tlngulsh the fierce fire. probably less
than one quarter of its contents was
used.
Lou Cordes, driver. and Geo. Gooden. |
pipeman, are very proud of their new
engine and propose to be in the front
ranks at every fire. The engine is the
same size as the three engines now In
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