The San Francisco call., 1896-02-03
ANOTHER F|RE-F|GHTER.
Testing of an Improved Battery
Built on the Big Water.
Tower Plan.
Streams That Are Strong Enough to
0verturn a House-Three Good
Inventions.

Last November the officers of the Fire
Department tested new piece of appa-
ratus, the production of HI. II. Gorter, ma
chinist, John Riley, superintendent of en-
gines, and John Kenney, employees at the
Corporation Yard on Sacramento street
who acted upon suggestion from Chief
Engineer Sullivan.
This, as was announced in THE CALL al
the time the machine was tested. is little
giant water-tower, built on the same prin-
clple as the large ones. but having this ad-
vantage: 1t is light, rests on a buggy
frame and can be taken to places where a
dozen horses could not drag the heavi er
piece of apparatus. 1t can be fed wi tn
from one to six streams from engines and
this combination of water, which finds its
outlet through two and quarter or two
and hall inch nozzle, forms stream suf-
ficlently strong to overturn medium sized
dwelling.
Since the test alluded to, Gorter came to
the conclusion that he could improve on the
tower, or battery" as it has been off :
cially designated, and he set to work to
build one on different lines. In the first
one built, the water is forced into a cham
Der that has back wall against which the
flow OF water strikes before it reaches the
outlet, but the new one is built so that the
no obstruction on its way to the nozzle.
By that method great deal of friction is
avoided and an increase of the force of the
stream with less pressure. 1t is also sup
piled with an air cham ber that adds ma
terially to the force OF the stream
Yesterday morning the new battery was
tested alongside of the older one at Mar
ket and Beale streess, in the presence of
the Chief Engineer, number of the Off
cials of the Fire Department, Supervisors,
insurance men and citizens. Three steam
engines supplied the water and four
streams were led into each battery. sup
piled with 2L-1nch nozzle. The stream
were turned in the direction of Mission
street and at given signal the engines
commenced to supply the batteries.
In few moments two powerful streams
were deluging Beale street for a distance
of nearly 300 feet, but neither outdis-
tanced the other. The play was kept up
for some time, until it was discovered that
more water was being poured on the street
than the cesspools could carry off and that
there was danger OF cellars being flooded
The Chief then gave the order to take
up" and the test was not as complete as it
was intended it should be; still is was suf-
fcient to discover the merits of the i'm
proved battery and to let those present see
that either could throw stream far
above the roof of the Holbrook block, four
stories in height.
The new machine produced the same
result as the older one with fifteen pounds
less water pressure, demonstrating that
there is much less friction in the new one !:
but while this was shown 1t was also an
parent that the older battery's stream did
not spray as soon as did the newer one.
Gorter, the designer, stated that if he were
permitted to substitute a two and a half
inch nozzle for the smaller one, he would
demonstrate that the new one would
throw more solid stream. He will have
a chance to show that at future test,
That's world-beater," said Fire Mar
shal Towe. eff there is plenty of water,
streams like those we have just seen will
stop any confagration; but mind you,
there must be good supply of water. No
matter how good a machine is, without a
sufficient supply of water it is useless. /
am satisfied that these little batteries are
the future fire-stoppers. That makes
three big inventions for San Francisco-the
Hayes truck, the swinging harness and
the little water-tower. That's something
to be proud off,