Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-10-12
FIRE FIGHTING APPARATUS
RECENT INTERNATIONAL ExHIBr-
TON IN BERLIN.
American Manufacturers Not Well
Represented-oId-Fa
Appliances shown.

SHOWN.
Consul General Mason at Berlin has
made an interesting report TO the State De-
partment In regard to the international ex-
hibition Of fire preventing and extinguishing
appliances, which was held at Berlin during
the past summer having closed on the 18TH
ultimo. He says the exposition was popT-
larry successful and attracted a steady and
fairly numerous attendance. 1t was rem
dered attractive by music, restaurants,
electric illumination and especially by daily
competitions and tests Of various kinds.
Notwithstanding the early official publicity
which was given in the United States to
this enterprise it failed to attract more
than four distinctively American exhibits.
These were made by private manufacturers.
There was no American fire engine, hose
cart or hook and ladder apparatus and no
American fire company or engine squad
competed for the prizes such as were so
decisively won by our firemen at Paris the
year before
American Exhibitors Indifferent.
This Indifference OF American exhib-
itors. who are known TO represent the
highest development OF fire extinguishing
machinery" says the consul general, was
real disappointment to the managers OF
by the fact that many of them had made
large expenditures for exhibition at Paris
last year or were busy this year with the
Pan-American display and did not feel dis
posed to make an additional exhibition at
Berlin. To what extent they have thereby
lost valuable opportunity is a point upon
which expert opinion is somewhat dis
agreed.
Hand Fire Engines Exhibited.
AN American visiting this exposition
without any special antecedent knowledge
of the conditions and methods OF fire ex-
tinguishment in Europe would be likely TO
have brought away certain very distinct
impressions. The first of these would have
been the discovery that hand labor plays
far more important part in the economy
Of fire control in Europe than in the United
States. Here were hand fire engines, not
only of old and primitive patterns as his
torical relics, but new and of handsome
construction, in all the glory OF gliding
paint and polished metal, machines which
have been obsolete in all except remote
country towns of the United States for
more than quarter OF century, but
which still form part Of the equipment OF
large European cities. Hand stretchers.
two-wheeled ambulance couches for pro-
pulsion by hand. and a number Of other
fixtures show that the age of labor-savlng
machinery by horse. steam and electric
power has not yet come in these older
countries.
Secondly all vehicles, hose carts, ladder
wagons, steam and chemical engines are,
IN respect to running gear. far heavier ana
more clumsy than those I'm use in the
United States. The fire engines themselves,
in point of boiler capacity. pump efficiency,
and engine energy. are smaller by half than
those of American types; but the wheels,
aNles and frames on which they run are OF
great weight and solidity. II IS to be said OF
course, that the American engine must run
farther, faster and to a much greater num-
hlr Of mo Ia fires ha ha
ropean, and that they do wear out in a few
years. while the German Austrian or
Russian-built fire engine should last for
generations.
There were in the whole exposition but
two locomobile fire engines, but these were
of excellent model and efficiency, and were
exhibited by German maker.
Finally. the impression is everywhere
enforced that all this paraphernalia is de-
signed for and adapted to the requirements
of cities and towns in which the buildings
are practically freproof, and in which
large majority of such CONGREGATIONS as do
occur are confined to the room. or at worst
to the floor. In which they originate. Tho
wooden-built. shingie-rooted dwelling. the
interurban lumber yard and planning mill,
the frame block with wooden stairways-
all these are unknown in these older coun-
tries, and the peril Of confiagration in cit
les and towns is CORRESPONDENCE decreased
Fire Experts I'm Consultation.
1.-THE chiefly valuable result that has
been accomplished by the exposition has
unquestionably been it's efficiency as q
meeting ground for persons and delegations
especially interested in insurance. ARCHITECT
ture and fire department administration
Nearly every city or large town In con-
tinental Europe sent its chief Of FIRE de-
partment. its mayor or other municipal
official to study the systems and apparatus
employed by other and more advanced
municipalities. Engines ladder equip
9th fv,opr
ratus have been sold many times over
from samples exhibited here, and II Is
notable that these sales reach to the
hottest corners of Russia and the Balkan
states. Fire companies from Rome, Milan,
Vienna and Budapest have shown their eff
f1ciency OF drill and service in competition
with the fremen Of Berlin, Hamburg and
Leipzig Even Japan sent an expert dele
gate, who took an active and interested
part In the proceedings.
Street Cleaning Machinery.
"A highly interesting department was
that devoted to STRENGTHENING machinery,
in which Germany-especially the munici-
pality Of Berlin-holds very advanced po-
sition. Here was display which included
automatic street-sweeping machines Of
many kinds, sprinking carts, dustless ash
and refuse wagons and other paraphernalia
which Americans might have advanta-
geously studied Asbestos, hreproof glass
and cement plates and blocks Of many diff
ferent kinds and materials. and at least q
dozen different methods of rendering wood
practically non-combustible by impregna-
tion-all these contributed to enlarge the
scope and educational interest OF the exc
position.
Government Displays.
Especially noteworthy were the fine dis
plays made by the Russian. italian and
Austrian governments. These included not
only full exhibit of the engines, ladders.
ambulances and other apparatus used In
Vienna. Moscow, st. Petersburg and Rome
but enormous maps showing the whole ter
ritory of a kingdom empire, marked
with the location of each fire district. To
this was added a large and very interesting