The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1920-12-10

9A0AACU AOIM IL ancient. Machines
for throwing water from a distance
woro KNOWN, according to our iirst
clear evidence, In the second century
before Christ. Heron OF Alexandra
zoo years before the Christian era,
IN an old manuscript which has "a.
capped destruction, described an nv.
|draulic machine used in Egypt dur
ing the time Of the Pt0lemies. II
was composed Of two brass cylinders
resting on wooden base with pis.
tens fitted into them-in it's princi.
pies practically like our present en-.
CINE. Like most other knowledge.
this was lost in the dark ages which
followed.
/ The Romans had squads Of men
TO carry water in 'Hamae,' or light
vases, to the scene OF an outbreak
where It was projected onto the FIRE
~ those In charge Of the 'siphones'
or hand pumps. The precise nature
OF. this instrument has not been de-
termfned. but from specimens found
In excavations 1t must have been
much like the old-fashioned syringe
used by gardeners. These large or
CARNATIONS Of men gave the Roman
authorities tppuble by their turbu.
lerce. Trajan, the Roman emperor,
and Pliny, at that time one of his
governors, had long and serious cor
respondence over the ACCESSIBILITY of
organizing fire departments in the
cities under Pliny's jurisdiction,
leading to the conclusion that such
groups would attain sufficient
strength to be a menace to the gov
eminent.
Mention is made of the mediae-
val use Of forcing pumps as fire en-
gines at Augsburg in 1913. England
and the countries of the continent
were using hand squirts and syringes
at this time. America took her ideas
from the English. adapting them to
her peculiar needs. At first the COL
onists were content with preventive
but these scarcely had any
effect upon the chimneys, built of
wood, generally used by the early in
ha bitants.
Before the English flag flew over
Manhatta nan old Dutch ordinance
directed the burgomasters to demand
from every house money for the pur-
pose of ordering from the mother
country leather fire buckets. fire
ladders and fire hooks, and once a
year. to demand for every chimney
one guilder for the support and main
OF the same This ordinance
statas in its preamble that in all
we'll regulated cities and corporations
it is customary that fire buckets. lad
ders and hooks. are in readiness at
the corners of the streets. and pub
lie houses for the time of need. I'M
agine the modern Manhattan so
equipped! Buckets hung out on
corners would in number
run close second to the bulbs on
it's electric signs. Boston had the
first regular fire company under mu-
nicipal control in this country in
1878. Before this date. however, the
sturdy Bostonians had buckets and
posed a penalty for their use except
in the case OF fire.
George Braithwaite. an English
man.. first conceived the steam fire
engine. which so definitely marked
the next stage OF progress in fire
fighting. Scoffers jerringly called his
invention steam squirt, and kit
chen stove. but it came to stay. I'M
less such steps as Boston innovation
in installing high pressure water
system drives it into romantic
past"
The above is printed to show the
seriousness of the fire hazard and the
given it by ancient as we'll as
modern peoples. The fire demon is
ever lurking in the distance, ready
for a prey and no one knows when
such calamity will befall a build
ng or group OF buildings. While pre-
caution should be always taken
against fires, they will break out re-
CARELESS and oftentimes at places
bought most secures as instance the
Examiner fire of recent date.
Nearly every community of any
size must go through a fire. whether
)f large or small proportions. With
no adequate fire protection, a fire in
Broadus might prove veritable Ca
amity when proper equipment could
have controlled and subdued it in the
beginning.
While Broadus has considered
some fire fighting machinery no def
Mite action has been taken and the
subject is being relegated to the past
perhaps 10 be revived when it's too