The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-27
WONDERS OF A FIRE TRUCK
THERE ARE HUNDEEDS or THEN ON
the tP-TO-DATE MACHINE.

The modern fire truck besides carrying longer
ladders and n greater variety OF them than the
old time fire truck, has n far more elaborate
equipment OF contrivances of one sort and
another for use in getting AZ and fighting fire.
In the old times hooks and axes and shovels 4.
and pick and some few other things filed the
bill, now the inventory Of an up-to-date truck
would comprise many items, II might seem.
everything that could be made useful. but "a .
matter Of fact improvements are constantly
making in all Nh ese appliances, and new things
are being added all the time. While not the
newest the biggest fire truck in the city and one
in every way up TO date, is one Of the two, this
being a double company, operated by Hook
and Ladder Company 20, at 1877 Mercer street,
Capt. Thomas Iarkin.
On this great truck there are twelve ladders
the longest Of them an extension ladder that
can be raised ninety feet. The truck OF the
other section Of this company carries an eighty.
hre-foot extension ladder, and there are in the
Department three other trucks carrying eighty.
f~ve-foot ladders, but the longest ladder OF the
big truck Of Hook and Ladder 20 tops all the
rest by five feet. This ladder is OF the kind
that is raised on the truck. 10 which its foot 10
secured BY means Of cranks and the mechan-
ical appliances attached 10 II, eight men, four
Of them standing on the truck and four on tho
ground, can raise this ladder, extended and In
position for Use, in thirty-siS seconds. Be-
sides the ninety-foot extension. there Is carried
on this truck n flfty-foot extension which 10
taken on the truck when used, and raised from
the ground There is also n ffteen-foot ex.
tension ladder, called a junior extension. which
Is used when there IL occasion to carry q ladder
inside Of a building where the stairwaysm might
be narrow. and where II would be impossible
70 carry n ffteen-foot ladder with solid side
pieces. Folded, a man can carry this ladder
on his shoulder almost anywhere. One use to
which II might be put would he 10 enable a man
10 get through n scuttle. and from the roof,
M the outer wall Of an adjoining building to
the roof Simple a thing as the Junior extern
sion ladder is. and now considered an indispen.
sable article Of FIRE truck equipment, il is vir-
tually annv thing having been in use only about
five years.
Besides the three extension ladders described
there are on tins truck two thtrty-fve-foot
ladders, one twenty-fve-foot, one twenty-foot
and one ten-foot ladder, and four sixteen-foot
scaling ladders, OF the kind with which firemen
climb the front ct a building, these having
ming through II To hold on by, and with a long
beaki Ike hook AT one end, at night angles to
the shaft, which l. thrust through a window
the truck -four scaling belts. that are used
with the sealing ladders. All OF the longer
ladders of This truck have trIssed sidepieces.
10 give greater strength with the least weight.
There are carried on this truck four axes,
ten crow bars and two picks, hammer-headed
which are used for pickinC holes through walls.
to get into an adjoining building. There are
two tin cutters, lonS-handled implements
n I%T 'T ny ! ihe N9 iIH. r u" are r"o two AND Window s1D-
breakers, an iron balls attached to a length of
cord A man on the roof throws this iron
ball over the edge. TO break the window with
which it come IN contact n IT, ba, kward swing,
and 80 let ont the smoke and ventilate the
building II Is a familiar fact that tremen are
breaker Is not used now SO much as II once
was, in notwithstanding danger Under tho
ladders, away down n the rear end Of the truck
Is a hose reel upon which there is one length
of hose, which, be- means Of reduction coup
lings can by coupled on TO fire hose Of any
size. Ther"are also a lot Of %noz2les, one of which
meut that whirls rapidly under pressure Of
water passing through II, somewhat like a
lawn sprinkler, but throwing a much larger
fires. A hole is cut in the floor, and the dis
tributor i thrust through II throws water
in good volume all around for twenty-five feet
Another curious sort ~ pipe carried is the cell
lar pipe This is a rather long pipe with two
a holder standing on the pround, thus making
II po--itlrt 10 swing the pip" and point in different
directions the bends in the pipe enable the
throwing Of water TO points that could not be-
reached with "A straight pipe. Another odd
pipe il the ~ub-cellar pipe. II Is twenty-five
feet long and made In two sections, which are
screwed together when the PIPE i used. Al the
delivery end this pipe has a great curve. bring
INK the direction of the nozzle into right angles
with the long. straight length of pipe, Theirs
are handles on the straight end. and when tho
pipe, curved end downward, has been put down
through the area uthe sub-Cellar II can be man
ipllat-d and the stream pointed in any dircc-
J ~ 90 tln haVIla 90 tha aS .n
above something as the great stream from
the pipe of a water tower high above ground, is
| directed horizontally through the window Of
some upper story.
Going on with the enumeration Of the big
| trucks equipment, there are two fire extin-
guisherS. with which 10 put ON small fires
| or TO keep, II the truck should get there first,
a fire IN check until an engine arrives. there
i a portable fire escape. one end Of which can be
| attached Ia a window sill by means OF
which a fireman can lower ANYBODY from \
binding or "A person could lower himself.
There are two lifeline guns that viii throw
a slug with n light line attached 900 feet up
masks, and signal ftaH- and red lanterns to
| flag trains ON the elevated railroad. For
| other Uses there are two white lamps.
II is a common thing for a lire 10 burn on
n gas metre in a building, letting the gas es-
cape. 4 gas key, with which the gas can be
cut of from the stree. is a part OF the big trucks
equipment. as IL Is OF every trucks. and there
are few things OF more common use. The
truck carries six cotton hooks that are used
10 handle bales Of rags or other baled goods.
OF the old familiar hooks. as commonly
that gives Ia the npparatns a part or
lis name 81 hook and ladder truck. the big
| truck hl, thirteen These include six six
| foot hooks. tina, T.. hooks with s~iN-foot handles,
| used FOR pulling down burning ceilings or par
,itions or pulling w floors. and for the many
other uses TO which the time honored hook
is put; two teu-foOt hooks, two fifteen foot
hooks two tventy-foot hooks and one twenty.
fve-foot hook. the longer handled hooks for
high ceilings and roof work.
4 part Of the equipment Ia a look-opener,
which might be used In various parts Of . big
building, Another implement Is the door
opener. Years ago there was carried for this
purpose n hattering ram which was what Ii
name would imply, big and heavy and solid.
Four men. two on n side. picked up the bat
frring ram, and with repeated blows battered
in the door The modern door opener 10 Q
s,ou, four-foot steel bar, clawed AZ both ends,
10 make II hold. and carrying. inserted In one
end, a movable, ratcheted bar, that Is worked
by a handle With the door opener once set
In place the lever is worked like O pump handle
and the door il simply pushed In m Its fast.
enings nv n power that Is irresistible. The
modern door opener Is lighter than the old
hattering ram. much easier 10 handle and
quicker in operation and does less damage
10 the door,
MANY Of the things enumerated are carried
bv all the city's fire trucks, some trucks may
have 'hem all but the big truck carries ono
other thing that among them all Is carried
by II alone that being p life car for lowering
people from windows down its long ladder.
The life car looks somev hat like a tobosgan
with the dashboard turned M n foot or so,
and the sides protected by n stout wire net
ting This nfo car is hoisted M On the lad.
der. IA the ladder rises. and is NJ tho top when
Tho lndder ~ In place. ready 10 receive the per-
son who may get into H. me Gsr beins men