The Saint Paul globe., 1898-08-14

mas a PumphOuse OF It's Own-TwO
Tanks Aboard Each, With n Ca
pacity of $500 GalIons-Three
nections-Any Available Engine
Can Operate the Pump.
Correspondence The st. Paul Globe
BUFFALO, N. Y, Aug. ia method
of fighting fire that is distinctly novel
and practical is in operation in the
yards of the New York Central at East
Buffalo. 1t comprises a car thirty-four
feet long, pump, two water tanks, and
all the apparatus necessary to eXtin-
guish flames. The pump is operated by
an ordinary railroad engine attached to
the car, and thus the force which the
streams that are thrown receive is
greater or less according to the power
+ of the engine
The capacity for each of the two
water tanks is 500 gallons, and as they
are kept constantly filled, reservoir
of 1000 gallons of water is thus at hand
at all times ready for emergencies. The
pump which forces the water from the
tanks into the lines of hose is located
in the center of the car directly be-
tween the two tanks Over this pump
IS what the railroad men call cab but
. III reality II Is uOlHlHS IloIe iloT leSS
than a miniature pump house. The
pump is of the duplex fire variety, with
12X1e-inch steam cylinders, and SKIP
inch water cylinders. The water dis
charge is arranged for three 2kinch
hose connections, so that three streams
can be used at one time.
For its motive power, the car de-
pends upon an ordinary locomotive, any
sort This locomotive is coupled onto
the car and the steam connection form
ed just as it is for heating the ordinary
passenger car. This gives the necessary
power to the pump and the water can
be forced through the hose at as great
a pressure as the strength of the hose
will permit. This steam hose copnec-
tion with the engine is of the standard
sort, and thus any engine of the New
York Central may be utilized as pow
er=gI2Eroducer for the fire-fghting car
y STRONG STREAMS USED.
The hose, of which there is always
400 feet on hand IS two and a half
inches in size and constructed OF linen,
the strongest kind Of hose tfat is made.
The nozzle attached to thee ends of the
hose, and through which the water
passes directly upon the fire, has an
opening at the forward end of one inch
in Gil cumference. This gives oppor-
tunity for the passage of q strong
forceful stream that would drown al
most any ordinary fire. In fact, with
an ordinary pressure through this noZ-
gle, stream can be thrown over the
highest building in and about the east
Buffalo yards.
One hundred feet of this hose is kept
on q rack in the car close to the water
connection, and is thus in readiness at
all times for use. 1t is SO arranged
that it can be transferred from the rack
In the twinlling Of an eye and so care
fully have details been looked after
that there Is no chance for slip of any
kind. When it is only necessary to
use this amount of hose, the line is
run through the window on either side
of the car and the stream thrown upon
whatever is ablaZe. With a locomotive
attached to the train. owing to the
multiplicity of tracks in the yard, the
fire fighting car can be under ordinary
circumstances switched in moment as
close as safety will Permit to whatever
may be afire, If 1t Is in the yards them
selves or on the borders thereof.
If it should happen, however, that
the fire is at some place near which it
is impossible to switch the car, then
two hose reels, which are in the car at
all times, are called into requisition.
Each of these reels has wound upon
its drum $50 feet Of hose. If it is neces-
sary all this hose can be coupled to
the 100 feet originally attached to the
GLu InuS give a line
OF 400 feet. If, on the other hand, 1t is
desired to throw more than one stream
upon whatever is on fire, the lines of
hose are detached from the reels, screw
ed upon the other connections, and thus
three streams are, In a very short space
of time, playing upon the blaze. Not
since the fire fighting car has been in
operation, has the equipment proved in
sufficient tc fight any fire that has oc-
CURED, and the advantage gained by
not being obliged to wait for or act un-
der the orders of the local fire depart
ment is inestimable.
ITS RESERVE POWER.
A fair idea Of the power which this
apparatus has constantly in reserve
can be gained from consideration of the
fact that with a pressure of eighty
pounds of steam throwing water
through 100 feet of hose and the one
inch nozzle, a stream can be thrown
straight UP in the air a distance of
from $50 to 10 feet. With one such
stream as this working, the capacity OF
the tanks, which is 1000 gallons, would
admit of being drawn upon on an aver
age from fifty minutes to an hour.
Rare, indeed, is 1t that a fire in a rail-
road yard would demand more than
this. Even if the tanks were to give
out the car is so constructed that the
nary water tank in the yards, in an in
credibly short space of time.
The fires in railroad yards have az
ways been the bane of fire depart
ments. The flremen themselves, total
ly unaccuStomed to railroad matters,
are all at sea in the yards, and thus
work under tremendous disadvantage.
The crew which operates the re car
ais composed entirely of railroad men.
to whom the modus operandi of yard
affairs Is as familiar as the alphabet.
Therefore, the moment an alarm is
sounded, an engine is coupled on almost
as quickly as a team of horses is snap
ped into the traces in a fire engine
house Of course, locomotive is al
ways kept in readiness
CLOSE TO THE FIRE CAR
There is no waiting for a switchman
to turn the switch, SO that the car may
be pulled onto the right track. The en-
gireer, the fireman or any of the train
crew can perform the task, for all are
thoroughly familiar with the official
method Of the yards, and switch keys
and other necessary instruments are
within reach at all times.
Once upon the network of lines of
rails that form a yard, and also a
m 1stery of complication to the un-
tutored, the car and its crew go almost
as directly to the location Of the fire as
If they were rolling up an asphalt pave
ment. Every man carries a map OF the