The San Francisco call., 1895-11-18
"L|TTLE GIANT" TOWER
A Valuable New Adjunct to the
Fire Department of This
City.
AS Effective as a Big Water Tower
Though It Weighs Less Than
Seven Hundred Pounds.

The San Francisco Fire Department can
now claim that it has the smallest, lightest
and at the same time the most effective
piece of fire-extinguishing apparatus in
the United States, il not in the world.
1t is the result of an idea suggested by
Chief Engineer Sullivan and worked out
by H. II. Gorter, machinist; John Riley,
superintendent of engines, and John
Kenny, all employees at the Corporation
Yard on Sacramento street. 1t is called
"The Little Giant"
Chief Sullivan, who for many years was
in charge of the department of hydrants
and made Il close study of hydrostatics, is
thoroughly conversant with water pres
sure. The Chief, who is a strong advocate
of plenty of water at a fire when there Is a
necessity for it, having by practical tests
discovered the value of water-towers and
battery streams, found one objection to
towers and that Is their weight, some
seven and a half tons, which prevents
their use in the bill districts, in which
at this time there are many tall buildings,
such as the Plesanton, the Colonial, the
Buena Vista and the Berkshire. For a
long time he thought of some way OF get
ting a siX-way stream in the hill district
and at last he called the mechanics named
together and suggested that if a battery
was placed on a light frame it might be
run up hill. The result Of this cOnsulta-
tion was the production of the Little
Giant which was successfully tested near
section2 of the seawall yesterday morning.
The apparatus, which is exactly the
same as the battery connected with a
water-tower. is affixed to the rear end of q
buggy-running gear, built of well-seasoned
oak. The six openings to the battery, to
\ ~,
hose, are at the rear of the running gear,
and easy of access to the tiremen when
they desire to make connections. The
ball Joint nozzle is elevated about three
feet a bove the body OF the running gear,
and the nozzle is about five feet long. The
whole apparatus weighs, with driver, less
than 700 pounds, and, drawn by one horse,
can be rushed to fire as rapidly as horse
flesh can 60. 1t has this further and great
advantage, that it can be taken in any
place that will admit of the passage of a
buggy, and in case of necessity can be
moved from one place to another with
little loss of time and with very little
trouble and force. The body of the car
riage, like the engines in the department,
rests on springs, which can be manipu-
lated at a moments notice, so that the
weight is taken from the springs in order
to give more solidity to the structure; (;
then, as preventive against possibility of
overturnlng, movable bar seven feet long
on each side of the battery, with set
screws, steady it,
Yesterday a large number of people as
sembled at the water front to witness the
test. There were among the number Fire
Commissioners Edwards and Bohen, ex-
Superintendent of Engines Sam Rainey,
Supervisor bunker. Rudolph Harold, a
number of insurance men, District Engi-
neers Wills, Shaughnessy and Wilson,
the Chief, who watched closely the work
ings of the new machine, and the three
mechanics who put the apparatus together.
Engines i, II, II and one from the Corpora
ton Yard lined up against the stringpiece
and took suction from the bay, and three of
them forcing water through 50-feet lengths
and one through 100 feet poured six
streams into tho battery. Gorter alone
handled the nozzle, turning 1t in all dlrec-
tions of three-quarters of a circle and rails
ing it TO all elevations, from a downward
stream that would food cellar to horizon
tai and then to an elevation of 85 deg, al
most perpendicular. A moment after the
water was turned in the hand on the water
gauge moved steadily around until it
indicated 120 pounds of pressure, and then
during the test it moved between 120 and
125 pounds.
The stream that came out through
two and half inch opening was
across the wind it reached distance of
215 feet solid water, ten feet more of spray.
Then the same power was applied with
two and a quarter opening and that stream
with the wind went distance of 276 feet
solid, with the spray carried twenty-five
feet beyond.
The downward pressure when the flow
of water was passing through the battery
was 1900 pounds, but the force of water
did not disturb the buggy gear, fact that
the makers OF the apparatus consider
very great achievement The test was a
most successful one and it Will not be long
before several Little Giants" will be built
and put into service. They can be built
at a cost of $500 each. This one will be
placed in engine-house No. 3. on Califor-
nia-street hill, between Leavenworth and
Hyde.
The Chief and the mechanics whose
name have already been mentioned were
heartily congratulated on the success of
the new apparatus, which will prove an
important factor in the handling of fires
in the future.