The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1921-04-22
Phenomenon Attends Tests Made
Of New Apparatus.
NEW ONE IN FIRE-FIGATIKi
Rubber Tubing Bursts Into Flame as
Water Under High Pressure Is
Forced Through-lncidcnt Arouses
Country wide Interest and Boston
commissi ,ner Is Receiving Requests
for information From all Parts OF
Country.


iD tests Of Are hose Ia Boston when
flames broke through cotton coating
OF the hose through which water was
being forced nj high pressure. that the
fre commissioner. John X. Murphy.
has been receiving requests for infor-
nation from Nil over the country.
Ignition Of fire hose while water
was being pumped through II though
no fire was near. Is something new
Ia those who consider the hre- lighting
business US a science To determine
the cause of this peculiar incident and
ascertain how to avoid II, the Boston
Ore depui llnent viii undertake n str
les OF tests.
Caused by Frictlcn.
Prof Augustus r. Gill Of the Massa
chusetis Institute Of Technology, a,
the request of Commissioner Murphy
examined the hose burned, and, with
ouI making a chemical analysis, re
ported his belief that the hose was
ignited from excessive friction cnuses
by vibration between TWO cotton ZACH
cts. tn. hose was of The new stand1ro
TWO uh,l one-hnlf inch rubber lined,
double GOTTEN Juchet tApe. made ae
cording 10 the Specifications of The
Boston fire department, which CON
form with those OF ihe National Board
Of Underwriters.
A 13O.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 wate- from the
Charles river basin when the order
Tor the high pressure test was given
Two lines Of hose were used one
from each side of the engine, and each
about 800 feet long. Morse gates were
placed between the first and second
length Of each lire 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 pump pres
sure Of $50 lOunds, smoke came from
the hose about foot from the coup
ling at the engine connection. Irvesti-
cation showed that the hose was very
hot and In moment flame burst
through the outer covering. Within
minute the same thing happened t.
the hose on the other side OF the en-
CINE.
1t ives decided by the chiefs and
experts that the choking down OF Il {
gates had resulted In Il tremendou
amount Of water being forced through
small opening. The water In passin.
through the engine gate instead Of Nil
Ing the hose at the coupling was force,
In At an angle, striking one side Of tn
hose with a fine sharp point. with sutfl
Client force to generate heat,
This point Of water. together wit
the friction caused by the Two COZ
ton jackets rubbing against each 9th
er, apparently caused the flame.
The fire did not injure the rubbe
lining. which was not even charret
the flames working entirely In the cot
ton mixture. This was scorched 10
several inches around the burned l,0l,
The conditions under which the er
CINE WAS working when the hose !,
nited were declared Ia be such q
would never occur while fire was b,
ing fought, and for that reason IN
Dire fighters have only a keen academ
interest rather than serious thought
Of their hose burning during n III
unless II comes in contact with flame
Of sparks.