Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1921-02-10

Country
So much public interest has been
aroused by the phenomenon developed
IN tests Of fire hose in Boston when
flames broke through cotton coating
OF the hose through which water was
being forced at high pressure, that the
fire commissioner. John X. Murphy.
has been receiving requests FOR infor'
maton from all oyer the country.
Ignition OF fire hose while water
was being pumped through II though
10 fire was near is something new
TO those who consider the tire-hght'ns
business as science. TO determine
the cause of this peculiar incident and
ascertain how to avoid 1t, the Boston
fire department will undertake ser
les OF tests.
Caused by Friction.
Prof. Augustus II. Gill of the MaSsa-
chusetts Institute of Technology, at
the request of Commissioner Murphy,
examined the hose burned, and, with
out making chemical analysis, re-
ported his belief that the hose was
ignited from excessive friction caused
by vibration between TWO cotton jack
cts. The hose was Of the new standard
Two and onehalf inch rubber-lined.
double cotton jacket type. made ac'
cOrding TO the specifications OF the
Boston fire department. which con
form with those of the National Board
Of Underwriters.
A 75O.gallOn pumping engine was
being tested under the direction OF
engineers OF the National Board OF
Fire Underwriters 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 gwen
Two lines of hose We're used n,it
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 the gates were
choked down to about One-third capac.
ity, the gates on The engine outlets
being similarly reduced.
Hose Bursts Into Flame.
About fifteen minutes after The en-
CINE was started with a pump pres
sure of $50 pounds, smoke came from
the hose about Il foot from the coup
ling at the engine connection. InveSti-
CATION showed that the hose was very
hot and in moment flame burst
through the outer covering. WITHIN
u minute the same thing happened to
the hose on the other side of the en-.
CINE.
1t was decided by the chiefs and
experts that the choking down Of the
gates had resulted in a tremendous
amount of water helng forced through
small opening. The water in passing
through the engine gate instead Of FILL
ing the hose at the coupling was forced
in at an angle, striking one side Of the
hose with Il fine sharp point, with sufti.
cient force to generate heat.
This point Of water together with
the friction caused by the TWO cot
ton jackets rubbing against each 9th
er, apparently caused the flame.
The fire did not injure the rubber
lining. which was not even charred,
the flames working entirely in the cot
ton mixture. This was scorched for
several inches around the burned hole.
The conditions under which the en-
CINE was working when the hose liz.
nlted were declared to be such Hs
would never occur while fire was be-
ing fought, and for that reason the
fire fighters have only keen academic
interest rather than serious thoughts
of their hose burning during u fire
unless il comes in contact with flames
or sparks