Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-08-05

all day Wednesday between the fire
committee of the common council, Fire
A. Burt of Boston, representative of
the Seagrave company OF Columbus,
Ohio. the fire commissioners contract
ed to buy for the city a Seagrave
triple combination motor pumping en-
CINE, chemical and hose carrier, which
Is to be delivered in three months.
The price for the new piece Of fire
apparatus is to be $4,000, just the
amount that was appropriated at the
last annual city meeting for the pur-
pose of purchasing such piece OF fire
apparatus, whose purchase was so
strongly advocated as necessity in
this city, particularly because of the
hills where the hydrant pressure is
low.
When this new piece Of fire. appar-
atus is in service it will be possible
to drive up to any hydrant and raise
the stream delivered there to a high
pressure volume of water practically
instantly by means of the motor
pumping engine If the fire is so small
that no water is needed, the chem
ical line which the apparatus carries
can be used and if that proves inef-
fective because of the spread OF the
fire, the pumping engine will De avail
able for instant service. while the ia
cilities for carrying hose make the
machine practically three pieces Of
apparatus in one.
The fire committee, which consists
Of Alderman Casper K Bailey, Coun-
cilmen Milo r. Waters and William
]. Kramer, met the Seagrave repre-
sentative at 10 a. m. at the office OF
Chief Stanton at the central station
and it was not until $50 p. m. that
the signatures were finally affixed to
the contract of SALE
Throughout the conference the COM
mittee had the expert and practical
advice Of Chief Stanton, whose knowl-
edge of all the requirements to be
looked into in such a piece of fire ap-
paratus resulted in the addition of
some 20 different items which will give
the city such piece of fire fighting
apparatus as is not to be found else
where and Is a step in advance in a
number of particulars of any of this
type that the Seagrave company has
turned out.
The choice of the Seagrave was
made after consideration and COM
parison with two other different types
of motor pumping engines, visits hav-
ing been made to other places to see
all three in operation. In each type
the distinctive difference is in the
pump In the Seagraye this Is four
stage centrifugal pump. In the Amer
lean La France, made in Elmira. N.
Y, 1t is a rotary pump, and in the
Ahrens-Fox, made in Cincinnati, it is
a piston
Both of these types were considered
but the Seagrave type was chosen be-
cause 1t was thought by the commit
tee to At the conditions in this city
better than any of the others.
Norwich will be the second Con-
necticut city to purchase a Seagrave
but New Haven already has four, and
Boston contracted for one on Tuesday
of the same kind as the Norwich ma
chino Cbicaoo has bought two San
Francisco has some, and Birmingham
Ala, has Is pieces of the Seagrave ap-
paratus. Two of the severest tests to
which the Seagrave motor pumping
engine has been put were at New York
at the recent big national convention
where it was one of the two types that
went through a 12-hour continuous
pumping test without breaking down
and the other was at New Orleans
where it delivered water at 400 pounds
pump pressure. which was raised tc
45O pounds and then to 500 pounds, g
worlds record.
Six Cylinder $40 Horse Power.
AS to the hill problem here, the
motor pumper bought for Norwich is
abundantly equipped, for il has a six
cylinder 140 horse power engine, which
will insure plenty of power to climt
any of the hills which increase the
fire hazard in this city. The bore o.
the cylinders is ga inches, the stroke
1-2 inches.
The transmission is selective type
having three speeds forward and on
reverse, direct drive on third speed
The two side chains are driven by in
Interchangeable sprockets which ar
bolted to rear wheels.
There are five brakes. Two are ex
ternal contracting bands operated b!
pedal lever, and when vim operation
brake directly through sprockets and
side chains to rear wheels, taking al
strain off the transmission, bevel driv'
and differential gears. Two are expan
sion cast shoes, bolted to rear wheel!
and operated by emergency hand brak,
lever. There is also clutch BRAKE
automatically operated to proven
clutch from spinning when released
Both emergency and foot brakes ar,
provided with equalizers.
Wheel Base 172 Inches.
The wheel base is 172 inches. tread
81 inches, and the>wheels are of wood
artillery type, with steel bands fol
tires and brass hub caps. Hubs are
fitted with taper roller bearings. The
wheels are of specially compact con-
struction which will not loosen under