The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1920-12-24
TEST OF THE FIRE Hose
PUBLIC INTEREST IN b
TON DEMONSTRATION
Ignition of Material While q
Water Was Being Pumped
Through 1t
ASSOCIATED Press Dispatch. /

h~~~SSS&s~SSo
Boston. December 22.-So niue
interest has been aroused by III
phenomenon developed in tests Of frt'
hose here when flames broke throuxH
cotton coating Of the hose throufh:
which water was being forced at high
pressure. that the Fire Commission
er. John R. Murphy. has been receiv-
ing requests for informations from
all over the country.
Ignition of a fire hose while water.
was being pumped through 1t though.
no fire was near, Is something new
to those who consider the fire-fig
ing business as a science. To deter
mine the cause of this peculiar incl
dent and ascertain how to avoid It.
the Boston Fire Department will un
dertake series Of tests and experi-
mentS.
Caused Hose To Burn
Professor Augustus H. Gill, of thu
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
at the request of Commissioner MUIR
phy examined the hose burned and.
without making chemical analysis.
reported his belief that the hose was
lgnited from excessive friction caus-z
ed by vibration between two cotton
jackets. The hose was of the new
standard two and One half inch rub
Der lined double cotton jacket type.
made according to the specifications
OF the Boston Fire Department.
which conform with those of the
National Board of Fire Underwriters.
A 100 gallon pumping engine was
being. tested under the direction OF.
tho NofinroJ ri -
writer's and officials of the Boston:
Fire Department. For four hours the
engine had drawn water from the
Charles River Basin when the order.
for the high pressure test was given.
TWO lines of hose were used, one
from each side of the engine and
each about 300 feet long. Morse
gates were placed between the first
and second length of each line and
about one third capacity, the gates
on the engine outlets being similarly
reduced.
Flames Burst Through
About Is minutes after the engine
was started with pump pressure Of
ESQ pounds, smoke came from the
hose about foot from the coupling
at the engine connection. Iuyestf-
cation showed that the hose was
very hot and in moment flames
burst through the outer coyerine<
Within minute the same thing han
pened to the hose on the other Side
Of the engine. It was decided b.
the chiefs and experts that the.
checking down of the gates had re-.
suited In q tremendous amount 0f
water being forced through small
opening. The water In uSsnin6
through the engine gate inafeo<
filing he hose at the coupliueSVI =
forced in at an angle, striking one
side of the hose with 4 6ne Sham
point, with sufficient force to gener
ate heat. b Z 81.
This point of water, together
with the friction caused by the two
jackets rubbing AGAINST each otl1er
apparently caused the fame. y, -
The flame did not injure the yf6bef
lining, which was not even charred.
the flames working entirely in the
cotton mixture. This was scorched
for several inches around the burned
hole.
The conditions under which the
engine was working when the hose
1gp1ted were said to be such as
would never occur while a fire was
being fought and for that reason the
fire fighters have only keen AGA
demic interest rather than serious
thoughts of their hose burning during
q fire unless it comes In contact with
flames or sparks.