The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-02-03
STANDARD hose COUPLINGS
FOR PUBLIC FIRE Service
Great Boston Confagration Of 1879
Showed Impossibility of Fire De-
partments of Adjacent Towns Act
ing in Unison to Fight Blaze

Washington, D. c., Feb. 3.-An ac-
count of the advance toward a national
standard for hose couplings and fittings
for public fire service is contained in
Circular No. so, just issued by the
Bureau of Standards of the Department
of Commerce.
The movement for the adoption of
standard fire hose couplings dates from
the great Boston fire of 1872, which
showed the impossibility of the fire de-
partments of adjacent towns acting in
unison when provided with the diverse
sizes of hose fittings then prevailing.
The matter was taken up at the first
convention of Fire Engineers in 1873,
and was discussed ait various conven-
tions in succeeding years. The resolu-
tions gradually became more definite,
although little was accomplished to-
ward bringing about the desired
changes until the agitation received
new impetus from the Baltimore fire
in 1904, when neither the Washing gton,
Philadelphia nor New York fire engines
on their arrival, could make connec.
ton with the local fire hydrants.
Federal Investigation of Conditions
This condition led the Merchants
and Miners Transportation Company,
in April, 1904, to request the Secre-
tary of the Department of Commerce
and Labor to investigate the subject
of fire hose couplings. The secretary
referred the matter to the Bureau of
Standards, and in the investigation
which followed, it was found that there
was a great diversity in sizes and
threads of couplings throughout the
United States. 1t was evident that con-
siderable expense would be involved in
changing from one standard to another.
and, therefore, at the conference of the
committees of the National Fire Pro-
lection Association and American
Water Works Association, held in New
York City April "a, 1905, the Bureau
of Standards proposed the adoption,
either of the thread which could be
shown TO be most tensively used. or
that thread which possessed the great
est advantages in other respects. Fol
lowing the latter course, tine confer
epce resolved that ~ threads per inch
should be recommended for 2ih inch
iire hose couplings. This thread vas
not regarded as an ideal standard. but
was considered the most practicable
basis for unifcation under prevailing
conditions.
Fast Adopting National Standard
AT the annual convention of the
International Association of Fire En-
gineers at Duluth, in 1905, this stanrd-
ard was adopted after lengthy discus.
sion, and at Dallas, in 1906, the con-
vention reatfirmed the action taken at
Duluth, and made its record complete
by adopting the national standard speci-
lications covering couplings of 9 and
3% inches inside diameter. each to
have six threads to the inch. and Az
inch coupling having four threads to
the ;nch.
Since then dozen large organiza-
TORS have adopted the national stand.
ard. The report of the committee of
the American Society of Mechanical
Engineers, adopted December 8, 1913.
treats its present status in very clear
and comprehensive manner. with sup
gcstlons for converting non standard
couplings for serviceable interchange
with the national standard. Up to 1918
the national standard had been put into
service IN 73 cities or towns. either
as new equipment or by adaptation of
roH. standard couplings to interchange
with the standard.