The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-10-29
FLOATING FIRE ENGINES.
The Powerful and Effective Equipment OF
New York's Fireboats.

\
Mr.. Ctacles T. Hill, writing in st.
Nicholas Of New Yorl's fire depart
ment, thus describes the pumps of the
fireboat New Yorker:
These pumps have throwing capaci-
ty of fully 10, 900 gallons of water every
minute, and under the best conditions
they have been known to reach ~, 900
gallons minute-over 5000 gallons
more than any other fireboat afioat.
The water is drawn in through the sides
of the boat, below the water line, into
what is known rs the suction bay max
ing an inner reservoir from which the
| pumps are fed.
! There are about 10, 900 little holes,
three-eighths Of an inch in diameter,
bored in the sides of the boat just out
side these suction bays and through
| these holes the water is drawn in and
filtered so that no foreign substance
may get into the pumps. From the
| pumps il is forced into an air chamber,
thus equalizing the pressure all around,
and then into veritable water main
IL inches in diameter, which runs all
around the boat between decks and
supplies the various outlets. There are
az of these outlets, including the four
standpipes or monitor MOBILES, and they
vary in size from inches in diameter
down to 2 p inches, the size of the reg
ulation fire hose Two of the monitor
nozzles are mounted aft, ON top of the
cabin, and big and small one on top
of the wheelhouse. The two standpipes
aft have 2 p inch MOBILES, the big one
on the wheelhouse having 80 inch
opening. From the latter q solid 80
inch stream can be thrown distance
of $50 feet, and if necessary this can be
increased to 3 = inch opening, and
mighty stream of water having that
width can be sent laundering out into
space over 200 feet. If you could hear
this immense stream as it pours into
the bay, like miniature cataract, you
could better appreciate the power of
this remarkable boat
No body of fire could very long with
stand deluge like this, and it requires
only a few dashes of this massive stream
to effectively quench fire in the rig
ging or in the upper works of ship.
The small monitor nozzle, mounted on
the other side of the wheelhouse, has
l "a inch opening, and powerful stream
can also be thrown from this and of
course to much greater distance, for
as the stream is reduced in diameter it
can go great deal farther.
To the outlets along the side of the
deckhouse and at the bow and stern are
al oh % G,.l.
fire at close range. The pumps of the
New Yorker are so powerful and the
pressure of these outlets is so great that
it would be impossible for men to han
die these lines if there were not some
sort of machinery to aid them, and
therefore an appliance known as rail
pipe" is brought into play. This is
something like a big rowlock and is set
in the gunwale in the same manner that
rowlock is set in the rail of row.
boat. 1t is fastened beneath the rail
with pin, and between the forks is
swung an iron connection, oar fashion,
pivoted at the sides. The short length of
hose is attached to one end of this con-
nection and "a nozzle to the other, and
with this device one man is able to con-
troll and direct the heaviest stream with
ease. The monitor nozzles also can be
managed by one man each.
The 1ireproof construction of the New
Yorker makes it possible to get very
near fire and deliver the powerful side
streams at short range, and should the
heat become so intense that the men are
not able to stand by the rail pipes pro-
tecting shields are brought into use, be-
hind which they can direct the streams
with comfort. These shields slide along
inside the rail on kind of railway, so |
they can be placed at any part of the |
boat, and there is one on each side. |
They are made of two thicknesses of COR
rugated iron, with an air space between,
thus preventing the inner lining from |
becoming heated. They are arche6 at |
the top and in shape are somewhat like |
the shields used to protect the gunners !
while working at the rapid firing guns
on our modern men-of-war.
There is an opening at the bottom of |
these shields for the MOBILES of the rail |
pipes to project through and an oblong |
slot above for the fireman to look through |
and direct the water. With the aid of |
this protection for the men, and because |
of her own salamanderlike construction,
the New Yorker is able to sail up close |
to burning vessel or pier and deliver
a broadside of powerful streams where
the ordinary wooden fire tug could not |
come with fighting distance, and her
ability to do this and her immense
pumps make her without doubt the
most complete and effective marine fire
engine ever built.