The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-03
HORSELESS TO FIRES.
Monster Engine Which VIII Race to-
Fires Under Steam.

Monster Engine which VIII Race to
Fires Under Steam.
Engine No. SO, which has been re-
Gently purchased for the Boston
fire department, otherwise known
as the horSeless," Is undergoing a
series of tests in the thoroughfares of
the city, preparatory to putting it
INTO active service as regular feature
of the fire fighting apparatus.
The experiments made with the new
propeller are so satisfactory that they
foreshadow a revolution in the equip
ment of the department, and it begins
to look as though the days of galloping
horses and their exciting rushes to fires
are nearing the end, in great cities, at
least. Much care is exercised in the ex-
perimental trips that are made, and
nothing like the speed that it is said to
be capable Of attaining has been at
tempted with 1t. Most of the tests are
made at night and the appearance of
the engine, which bowls along like a
specter, save for the noise occasioned
by the passing of so heavy a machine,
attracts great deal Of attention wher-
ever it goes.
THROWS 1900 GALLONS A MINUTE.
The engine was built in Manchester,
N. III. It's makers claim for 1t the great
est water capacity Of any steam fire
morse engines now in use in the depart
ment have a capacity Of nearly 1000
gallons minute, but this one is built
to throw 1900 gallons in that time, and
tests made since the machine was fin
tshed indicate that ], 800 gallons may be
reached. Yet it can get over the ground
more rapidly than will a lighter engine
drawn by horses.
The pattern is a marked improve
ment upon previous horseless engines
Hartford, Conn, has three in use which
answer the purpose for that city very
satisfactorily, but they are smaller ma
chimes and lack certain features which
make the Boston engine an up-to-date
pl OductiOn, far ahead of it's predeces-
sors in efficiency. A peculiar construc-
ton of the tire obviates a difficulty met
with in the tendency of horseless vehi-
Giles to run to the gutter in travelling
over crowded roadbeds. If the machine
works. as it is expected to work in Bos-
tons narrow and crooked streets, 1t
opens new era in fire department APP
paratuS.
The height of the engine over all is
feet inches; extreme length, Is feet
6 inches; extreme width, Z feet 8 inches.
It's weight when in service will be about
1900 pounds. Through fifty feet Of
hose, with a tWo-inch nozzle a contin-
uous horizontal stream of 319 feet or
each side are for siX-inch suction hose.
with outlets for two or more lines of
three and one-half-inch leading hose.
LITTLE CUMBERSOME MACHIN
cry.
Very little machinery in addition to
the ordinary mechanism of q fire en-
CINE is required to operate these self
propellers. An extra water tank is car
ried at the rear to supply the boiler
until connections can be made with
hydrant. The driving power is applied
from one end of the main crank shaft
through an equalizing compound and
two endless chains, which pass around
the inner rim of the hubs of the rear
wheels. These hub rims are fitted with
eggs, which make them, in fact,
sprocket wheels; this arrangement al
lows the wheels to be driven at vary
ing speed when turning corners.
When it is not necessary to use the
power of the engine for driving pur-
poses by the single removal Of a key
the driving power is disconnected from
the road-driving gear and the entire
power of the engine may be devoted to
the pumps. The new machine will be
particularly helpful in fighting fires III
the tops of tall buildings, which now
cannot be very we'll handled by the or
binary methods.