The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-06
SENDS 4 SOLID STREAM.
Interesting Test of New Fire AppIi-
ances Yesterday.


ances Yesterday.
very interesting test was made by
abe fire department yesterday afternoon Of
the improved nozzle system invented by
Mr. Cyrus b. Robinson and now being
introduced by him throughout this sec
ton Of the country. Mr.. Robinson arrived
in the city yesterday and after exhibiting
his appliances TO Supt. Mcguire and mem
bers of the Fire Committee of Council
readily obtained their consent 10 give the
appliances trial. Mr. Robinson inform
ed the committeeman beforehand that he
asked them TO take nothing for granted
and that if the appliances did not come
up TO his statements that he would make
them a present Of the entire outfit val
ued at several hundred dollars.
The test took place at Bay and Whita-
ker streets between 4:30 and $50 D. m
the large fire engine from headquarters
being used, and was generally voted to
be the most successful exhibition of its
kind ever witnessed in the city. Usually
the representatives. of new fire apparatus
has some explanation to offer to account
for the shortcomings of his goods. This
was not the case of Mr. Robinson, for the
reason that no explanations were neces-
sary.
Mr.. Robinson began his work of devils
ing improved fire nozzles some years ago,
working on the idea that science had done
a great deal for the pumping end of the
fire apparatus, the engine. but that the
fire noZZles were practically the same as
We're used on the old hand engines of
fifty years ago. He has been uniformly
successful in his work, and has secured
several patents. Some of his improved
nozZ!es are already in use jim the Savan-
nah Fire Department, but the department
has not the latest improvements After
yesterdays exhibition, il Is safe to say
that the department will soon be equipped
with these improvements, the cost being
small when the great increase in efficiency
is considered
The great trouble with the ordinary fire
nozZles Is the tendency Of the stream to
break into spray, and another trouble is
the difticulty which the firemen have in
handling a hose under full pressure as
many as four men being frequently re-
CURED to control and direct single line
OF hose. Mr.. Robinson appears TO have
successfully remedied both defects by his
appliances enabling d solid stream to be
secured from the hose pipe for a much
greater distance than is possible with the
old nozzles, and at the same time en-
abling the hose while under the heaviest
piESSui6 " De EOttIOlleu win Inc greatest
ease.
A majority of the members of the Board
or Aldermen witnessed the Exhibition yes
terday afternoon and to say that they
were surprised is putting it mildly when
they saw four nremen giving their united
efforts to holding a single line of hose in
position, while Mr.. Robinson, with his
patent holder, managed his line Of hose.
under the same pressure and from the
same engine, with one hand, and later
turned his line over to a small boy who
continued the operation without any diff
fculty. With his other Improvement the
patent nozzle line of hose held by Mr.
Robinson was throwing a stream of wa
ter as straight as a pole and sending il
higher in the air than the oppositlon
stream from the same engine, which
broke into spray within a few feet of the
nozzle.
The improvement effected by MIR. Rob
inson in the nozzle consists OF an inner
cylinder, very simple in appearance. but
evidently very effective. The theory upof1
which the Improvement is based is that
the force with which the water is driven
through the hose gives it a twirl or
thrash, which is continued on leaving
the nozzle, causing the stream to break
INTO spray The inner cylinder corrects
this twirl and causes the stream 10 leave
the nozzle without this twist The ad-
vantage IN throwing a solid stream is
"NAA hlACNi ~ lUtlltH, DIS II enables them
10 place the bulk Of the water at the
spot TO which the stream is directed and
Inc force cf The stream is frequently more
valuable in ext nguishing fires than the
direct effect of the water itself The i'm
proved nczzles are Of several sizes. from
an inch and a quarter up. Mr. Robinson
gave exhibitions with 1& and 1s,-inch
nozzles, supplied by two and three hose
lines by means Of the Siamese con-
nectlon. By means of these appliances
tremendous streams Of water were thrown
to height fully twice s great as that ~
the Morning News building The great
value of such appliances in fighting large
connagrauons, especially i'm tall buildings
was at once apparent. 1t would have
been Impossible to control these power
thl streams without The aid of the patent
holder This appliance f. q neat iron
frame work in which the nozzle rrsts
supported by an non rod. which placed
upon the ground, takes alI-of the resist
ance which ordinarily falls 10 the share
OF the fremen. The nozzle resting in a
movable socket can be easily shifted In
any direction. The handlc- by which e.
Is controlled are insulated, so that should
the stream strike live electric wire.as has
happened here on former occasions tbe
current would reach the ground through
me IRON supporting rod without injurine
the iiremen. In addition 10 this. the holder
IS supplied with strong hooks by which
II may be fastened on The inside of a win
noW ana LETT in position without attend
ance. II can also be made use of as n
hfe escape should the dremen be cut off
on the roof of q building This was don,
recently in New York, when ten hremen.
caught on the roof Of a burning buUlins
n simply hooked the nozzle in the wall and
SID down the hose
Mr Robinson stated that the nozzles md
SS,,"sI Appliances are already in use i'm
new York Boston and "a number of Other
hAlifHt AS the prices a