Rocky Ford enterprise., 1897-05-27
HORsELEss TO FIRES.
sosroM's NEW EXPERIMENT.
Monster Engine Which VIII Race to Fires
Under Its Own steam-Afost Powerful
Machine of Its Kind Ever Buiit-Its
Mechanism.


Engine No. 3s, the new acquisition
to the Boston Fire Department, other
wise known as "the horseless," Is un-
dergoing a series of tests in the thor
oughfares Of the city, preparatory to
putting 1t into active service as regl-
lar feature of the fire fighting appara-
tus.
The experiments made with the new
propeller are so satisfactory that they
fOreshadow a revolution in the equip
ment of the department, and 1t begins
to look as though the days of gallop-
ing horses and their exciting rushes to
fires are nearing the end. in great
cities, at least. Much care is exercised
in the experimental trips that are
made, and nothing like the speed that
it is said to be capable of attaining has
been attempted with 1t. Most Of the
tests are made at night and the appear
ance Of the engine, which bowls along
like a specter, save for the noise occa-
stoned by the passing Of SO heavy a
machine, attracts a great deal Of at
tention wherever 1t goes.
The engine was built at Manchester,
New Hampshire. Its makers claim for
1t the greatest water capacity Of any
steam fire engine ever constructed. The
big three-horse engines now In use In
nearly 1000 gallons minute, but this
one is built to thrown 1900 gallons In
that time, and tests made since the ma
chine was finished indicate that 1,SOO
gallons may be reached. Yet It can get
over the ground more rapidly than will
lighter engine drawn by horses.
The pattern is marked improve
ment upon previous horseless engines.
Hartford, Connecticut, has three In use
which answer the purpose for that city
very satisfactorily, hut they are small
er machines and lack certain features
which make the Boston engine an up
to-date production, far ahead Of Its
predecessors In efficiency. A peculiar
construction OF the tire obviates n diff
ficuity met with in the tendency of
horseless vehicles to run In the gutter
in travelling over crowded roadbeds. II
the machine works, as 1t is expected to
work in Boston's narrow and crooked
streets, 1t opens a new era In fire de-
partment apparatus.
The height of the engine over all is
nine feet nine inches; extreme length.
sixteen feet six inches; extreme width,
seven feet three inches. Its weight
when in service will be about 1900
pounds. Through fifty feet Of hose,
with q two-inch nozzle. continuous
horizontal stream of $40 feet or more
is obtained. The inlet pipes on each
side are for six-inch suction hose, with
outlets Of two or more lines OF three
and one-half inch leading hose.
Very little machinery In addition to
the ordinary mechanism of n nre en-
gine 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 ap-
piled 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 cogs, which make them, In
fact. sprocket wheels; this arrange
ment allows the wheels to be driven at
varying speed when turning corners.
When 1t is necessary to use the pow
er Of the engine for driving purposes,
by the single removal of n key the driv
ing 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 par
ticulnrly helpful In fighting fires in tops
of tall buildings. which now cannot be
very well handled by the ordinary
methods.