Evening star., 1901-03-12
WATER TOWER TESTED
NEW APPLIANCE FOR THE BfyfRICT
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
Four Engines Employed in the Ex-
perfment-Descrfpti of
the Apparatus.

The trial test of the water tower, the lat
est piece of apparatus added to the District
fire department, took place yesterday after
noon in the presence of Commissioners
Macfariand and Beach, Chief Paris, As
sistant Chiefs Belt, Kurtz and Wagner. and
quite large throng of spectators, among
them being a number of the members of
the Fire Underwriters Association. Four fire
engines, Nos. 2 and IA and 6 and of the
reserve force, were used in connection with
the tower, and after trial of half an hour
it was decided that it met all requirements.
The trial took place at the corner of Il
and 18th streets at $3.50 o'clock, Messrs.
VIM. A. Goellner and E. ]. Mitchell repre-
senting the Fire Extinguisher Manufactur-
ing Company of Chicago, the builders of
the tower, which is known as the Cham
pion. Mr.. Goellner manipulated the ma
chine and explained it's management. The
apparatus weighs about five and a half
tons but is easily drawn by three horses.
1t is a very handsome piece of mechanism,
and when not in service the tower is about
forty-seven feet long. 1t is constructed en-
tirely of steel and phoSphor bronze, while
the brass fixtures and dark maroon coloring
of the steel work give it very hand some
appearance The tower frame of steel,
while light, is of great strength and when
it is raised a telescope conduit for water
is run up from it to a height of seventy
five feet
The Tower Described.
At this height there is a brass nozzle,
which is worked by operators at the base
of the tower, the nozzle being raised and
lowered to any desired degree. The tower
proper rests upon a revolving table over
the rear wheels of the apparatus, and this
table enables the men to turn the nozzle in
any desired direction. This nozzle when
throwing a two-inch stream, easily covers
a diameter of six hundred feet, and when
several engines are attached to the ap-
paratuS the force of the stream is sufficient
to tear away all ordinary partition walls
of rooms While this stream is pouring
from ] 800 to | 800 gallons of water a min
ute on the flames, two large streams, each
pouring as many more gallons minute, can
be thrown from nozzleS located on the body
of the apparatus, and like that on top Of
the tower, these two nozzles can be turned,
raised and lowered at will. In fact, every
part of the apparatus is worked with the
greatest of ease by the operators, and
crew of six men is quite enough. Indeed,
half that number could manipulate it.
With the three streams turned on from
5000 to 5000 gallons of water can be
thrown every minute into a burning build
ing. Such a volume of water is sufficient.
it Is claimed, to flood out the fiercest of
fires.
Embraces improvements.
The tower tested yesterday is the latest
one built by the Chicago company, and has
several improvements missing from it's pre-
decessors. Its effective work was revela-
tion to the great majority of those witness
ing the trial, and every one agreed that it
is a most valuable and powerful addition
to the strength of the fire department. 1t
will be located at the quarters of Truck &,
18th street and Ohio avenue,-and will prob
ably respond only upon special calls, al
though it may be decided to send it uit
when certain boxes in the business section
of the city are pulled Congress appr1-
priated the sum of $3.50 for it's purchase,
but it WAS secured, through the efforts of
Commissioner Macfarland, for $500.
The placing of the water tower in service
increases the strength of the District fire
department to fourteen steam engines. five
trucks, two chemical engines and a water
tower In about month the house tor
Truck F, Whitney avenue between Eth and
14th streets, Columbia Heights, and the
house for Chemical Engine Company No. 3,
Tenleytown, will be completed. when these
two companies will be placed in service.
The house for Chemical Engine Company
No 4 is in course of construction in Brook
land, and the 1st of July funds will be
available for constructing the house for
Chemical Engine Company No. 5, at Con-
greSs Heights.