The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1920-11-12
THE EVOLUTION OF
FIRE FIGHTING

THE passing of the fire horses
from Manhattan Island and the in
'tallation of a high pressure water
system in Boston to eliminate evop
the fire engine are further steps +,
the stage of progress from the ro-
mantle days of the picturesque Old
hand-tubs, says a bulletin from the
National Geographic Society.
Some remember when citizens
tricked themselves out in red sfj,.s
and glazed caps and carried torches
in the front of procession or formed
Part Of the bodyguard of the gallant
Old tub as it paraded the streets on -
gala occasion. Then passion for fro
hghting ran to a high pitch and a.
gumentS were waged about the NOR
its OF particular engines. Today the
throbS of a motor-driven engine arc
taking the place of those heart throbg.
he horses that might have clatterad
from their stalls, glided beneath their
harness, and raced gloriouslv tbrourb
the drlzzly, night-darkened streets be-
tore the fire-spitting demon are
drawing farm wagons or blowing the
fields, In those days communities
were depended upon for volunteers
and men from all social ranks gave
valuable time to qualify themselves
for the service.
Fire fighting in some sort of or.
gained form is ancient. Machines
Tor throwing water from distance
were known. according to our first
clear evidence, in the second century
before Christ. Heron of Alexandra
Zo0 years before the Christian era. in
an old manuscript which has escaned
destruction, described an hvdranlic
machine used in Egypt during Tho
time of the Ptolemies. 1t was COM
posed of 2 brass cylinders resting on
wooden base with pistons fitted in
to them-in its principles practically
IKE our present engine. Like most
other knowledge, this was lost in the
dark ages which followed
THE Romans had squad, of mon to
carry water in amaze or light vases
to the scene of an outbreak where If
was projected onto the fire by those
IN charge of the 'sipshones' or hand
pumps. The precise nature of this
instrument has not been determined
but from specimens found in excava-
tons it must have been much like the
old-fashioned syringe used by gard
eners. These large organizations of
men gave the Roman authorities
trouble by their turbulence. Traian
the Roman Emperor. and Plinv. at
that time one of his governors. had
long and serious correspondence over
the advisability of organizing fire de-
partments in the cities under Plinv's
jurisdiction, Hading to the conclusion
that such groups would attain suffici-
ent strength to be a menace to the
government.
Mention is made of the medieval
use of forcing pumps as fire engines
at Augsburg in 1918 England and
the countries of the continent were
using hand squirts and syringes at
this time. America took her ideas
form the English, adapting them TO
her peculiar needs. At first the colon
ISIS were content with preventive
measures, but these scarcely had any
effect upon the chimneys, built OF
wood, generally used by the early in
habitants
Before the English flag flew over
Manhattan an old Dutch ordinance d.
rected the burgomasters to demand
from every house money for the pur
pose Of ordering from the mother
country leather fire buckets, fire lad
ders and fire hooks, and once wear
70 demand for every chimney one
euilder for the support and mainten-
ance Of the same This ordinance
states in its preamble that 'in all well
regulated cities and corporations. it
ISNcuStomary that fire buckets. lad
aers and hooks, are in readiness at
the corners of the streets, and in pub
lie houses for the time of need In
agine modern Manhattan 80 equin-
ped, Buckets hung out on Broadway
corners would in number run close
second to the bulbs on its electric
signs. Boston had the first regular
fire company under municipal control
in this country in 1873 Before this
slate, however, the sturdy Bostonians
had buckets and ladders in the meet
ing house and imposed a penalty for
their use except in the case of fire.
George Braithwaite. an English
man. first conceived the steam fire en-
CINE, which so definitely marked the
next stage of progress in fire fight
ing. Scotfers jeerinely called his in
yention steam squirt and kitchen
stove but it came to stay, unless
such steps as BostOn's innovation in
installing high pressure water sys-
tom drives it into a romantic past"