The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1900-08-04
WONDERS OF A FIRE TRUCK.
scores of Handy LIfe-savInE Appli-
aness on the Modern Up-tO-
Date Machine

The modern fire truck, besides car
rying longer ladders and a greater
variety Of them than the old-time fire
truck, has a far more elaborate equip,
ment Of contrivances of one sort and
another for use in getting at and
fighting fire. Improvements are con-
stantly making in all these appliances,
and new things are being added all
the time.
On one Of the Chicago trucks there
are l2 ladders, the longest Of them an
extension ladder that can be raised
20 feet. This ladder is of the kind
that is raised on the truck, to which
its foot is secured. By means Of
crsnks and the mechanical appliances
attached to it, eight men, four Of
them standing on the truck and four
on the ground, can raise this ladder,
extended and in position for use, In
80 seconds. Besides the eO-foot eN-
tension, there Is carried on this truck
a 5O-foot extension, which is taken of
the truck when used, and raised from
the ground. There Is also a l5-foot
extension ladder, called a junior ex-
tension, which is used when there Is
occasion to carry a ladder inside Of
q building where II would be impos-
sible TO carry a l6-foot ladder with
solid side pieces. Folded, a man can
carry this ladder on his shoulder al
most anywhere.
Besides the three extension ladders
described, there are on this truck two
35-foot ladders, one 2%5-foot, one 20
foot, and one ten-foot ladder, and four
16foot scaling ladders, OF the kind
with which firemen climb the front OF
a building, those having each a single
shaft Of wood, with handles running
through IL TO hold on by, and with
q long, beak-llke hook at one end, at
right angles to the shaft. which is
thrust through a window to rest upon
the sill. There are carried on the
truck four scaling belts that are used
with the scaling ladders.
There are carried on this truck four
axes, ten crowbars, and two picks,
hammer-headed on one side and pick
pointed on the other, which are used
for picking holes through walls into
an adjoining building. There are two
tin-cutters, l%ong-handled implements
for cutting holes in tin roofs and rip
ping up the tin. There are two win
dow-breakers, iron balls attached to
q length Of cord. A man on the roof
threws this iron ball over the edge,
TO break the windows with which IL
comes in contact on its backward
swing, and so let out the smoke and
ventilate the building. Under the
ladders, away down at the real end
OF the truck, is a hosereel upon which
there is M length Of hose, which, by
means Of reduction couplings, can be
coupled on to the fire hose Of any
size. There are also a lot Of n~ozzles,
one Of which Is called the distributor.
This has an attachment which whirls
rapidly under pressure of water pass
ing through it. The distributor is
used in cellar fires. A hole is cut in
the floor and the distributor is thrust
through.
Another curious sort OF pipe carried
Is the cellar pipe. The cellar pipe is
suspended from a holder standing on
the ground, thus making It possible
to swing the pipe and point in differ
emit directions; the bends in the pipe
enable the throwing Of waterto points
that could not be reached with a
straight pipe.
There are two fire extingulshers,
with which to put out small fires or
to keep, II the truck should get there
first. q fire in check until an engine
arrives; there Is a portable fire es.
cape, one end Of which can be attached
to a window sill by means Of which
a fireman can lower anybody from a
building, or a person can lower him.
self. There are two life line guns
that will throw a slug with a light line
attached 800 feet up over a building;
q jumping net, two smoke masks, and
signal flags and red lanterns to nag
trains on the elevated railroad. For
other uses there are two white lamps.
Failed to Recognize the Fire Truck.