The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-05-09
Want TO GET FIRE TUG
MOVEMENT FOR PROTECTION oF
- SHIPPING INTERESTS.
Blaze on Gasoline Schooner Last Night
Demonstrated Imperative Necessity
For such a Boat-May secure Fearless

A movement is on foot among the
shipping interests to secure proper hry
protection to the Water Front and the
vessels which are I'm port. The imPei a
tive necessity for such protection was
demonstrated last night when the gasu-
line schooner Eclipse Causht lire. II
was fully twenty minutes before a line
of hose could be played on the fire ana
had IL not been for the prompt ac,iun
of Captain Campbell putting q crowd Of
men a work with a line Of ire buckets
ii is very likely that the fit would have
gotten beyond control and consi1er-
able portion of the water front in the
vicinity Of Brewers wharf destroyed.
In all cities where an up date and
efficient fire protection to the shipping
| interests is attempted here is Il corps
of specially equipped fire boats. They
are powerful tugs which have number
of lines of hose so that many streams
| of water can be thrown when necessary.
! 1t would probably be too expensive TO
| have such vessel fitted up anC devoted
entirely to such purpose here but cer-
! tainly some measure can be taken. The
tug Fearless is the best boat of the
/ kind that could be secured. In fact so
well equipped is the tug in this respect
! that she would beyond doubt prove en-
! tirely satisfactory.
Captain Brokow has six lines of hose
at his disposal and he could easily bring
necessary. The stream could be thrown
! half the distance of the Pacific Mail
Dock which would be amply sufficient
for fighting fire, either aboard a vessel
or en- the wharves If the proper appli-
ances We're secured a pressure of over
300 pounds could be secured with the
powerful pumps of the Fearless. With
such a tremendous force at work the
lines of water could literally tear away
the woodwork of the cabins of any Of
the island steamers. An idea of the inn
mense force can be gained from the
fact that four men were required to
hold single line of hose on which only
a little over 100 pounds of pressure was
used. Special fire handles would have
to be placed on each line however 50
that the line could be held firmly.
Captain Brokow gave an exhibition
today of the apparatus on his boat for
extinguishing fire. Captain Campbell
and representatives of various shipping
! firms witnessed the experiment and
! were delighted with it. The Fearless is
now equipped with about 800 feet of fire
! hose for her own use but should the
vessel be secured as a fire boat more
appliances would be secured.
The idea which Captain Campbell
favOrs is for the Legislature to appro-
pirate money to pay the Fearless to act
as a fire patrol boat. The vessel would
not of course give up her regular busi-
ness of towing vessels but inasmuch as
she is not absent from the harbor more
than a couple of hours at a time and
never goes out after dark when the real
need of such a vessel is greater, salts
factory arrangements could, no doubt,
be effected. The matter is going to be
discussed by the shipping people and
; Ii is likely that some steps will be taken
p to bring ii before the Legislature.