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Wayne's Stuff #25
DO YOU REMEMBER
AS A TRIALMAN, HAVING CENTRAL OR THE CHIEF TELLING YOU TO "PUT THE BOSS ON THE
PHONE AS HE HAD A MESSAGE FOR HIM. WE COULD TAKE A MESSAGE INVOLVING A FIRE BUT
NOT ABOUT SOME DETAILS OR OTHER ORDERS......MAKES YOU WONDER DOESN'T IT.
DO YOU REMEMBER
WHEN THE BOSS HAD TO GET UP WHEN AN EXTRA ALARM CAME IN ( AND WE WEREN'T
RESPONDING) AFTER MIDNIGHT
I THINK HE STAYED UP FOR ONE HOUR, BUT I'M NOT SURE.
DO YOU REMEMBER
HOW YOU USED TO STAND WHEN YOU WERE THE SECOND MAN ON A 2 1/2 LINE AND WERE
BACKING THE FIRST MAN.
SOME GUYS FACED FORWARD BRACING HIM AND OTHERS FACED BACKWARDS AND LET THE FIRST
MAN LEARN INTO YOUR BACK
DO YOU REMEMBER
AS A YOUNG "WHIPPER SNAPPER" YOU DID NOT EVEN GET A BREAK TO TAKE YOUR MASK BACK
TO THE RIG TO WASH DOWN AND OVERHAUL. AN OLDER MEMBER FROM YOUR COMPANY TOOK IT
BACK FOR YOU WHILE YOU HELD "YOUR COMPANIES LINE"
DO YOU REMEMBER
THE SMELL OF ALCOHOL TO CLEAN OFF THE "OFU" GERMS FROM THE MSA SMOKE MASKS
FACEPIECE
DO YOU REMEMBER
HOW YOU SHOULDN'T RUN TO THE FIRE FROM THE RIG DURING THE ERA OF THE OLD MSA
SMOKE MASK. YOU TRIED TO WALK REAL FAST FROM YOUR RIG. IF YOU WERE OUT OF
BREATH AND PUT ON YOUR FACE PIECE IT WAS VERY HARD TO BREATHE. IT WORKED
BETTER IF YOU TRIED TO TAKE SLOW EVEN BREATHS
DO YOU REMEMBER
ON SOME TRUCKS THEY HAD A LEVER IN THE CAB THAT DISPENSED A BLACK GRIT UNDER
THE TRACTORS WHEELS TO PROVIDE FOR BETTER TRACTION ON ICY STREETS. DID YOU
EVER USE IT??? I NEVER DID.
DO YOU REMEMBER
CLEANING THE OIL DRIP PANS UNDER ALL APPARATUSES WITH KEROSENE AND RAGS
DO YOU REMEMBER
HAVING TO DO A PHYSICAL INVENTORY EVERY TIME YOU GOT A NEW CAPTAIN
DO YOU REMEMBER
THAT ONCE YOU TIPPED UPSIDE DOWN THE OLD SODA AND ACID EXTINGUISHER TO CHARGE IT
THERE WAS NO WAY TO TURN IT OFF. THE NOZZLE DIDN'T HAVE A SHUT OFF AND YOU HAD
TO USE IT ALL UP
DO YOU REMEMBER
THE EXPRESSION SURROUND AND DROWN
MAKE SOMEONE SMILE TODAY
WAYNE
DO YOU KNOW
THAT FOR PARADES SOME FIREMEN HAD A
TORCH ATTACHED TO THEIR
HELMETS
DO YOU KNOW
WHILE THE EARLY STEAM ENGINES WERE PULLED
BY HORSES, LATER CAME SOME THAT WERE ALSO
DRIVEN BY STEAM, THEY WERE BIG AND ALSO VERY
HEAVY.
A PROBLEM AROSE, IN SOME COMMUNITIES, WHERE THEIR BRIDGES COULDN'T SUPPORT THE
WEIGHT .
SOME WERE SO HARD TO STEER THAT IT TOOK TWO MEN TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL.
DO YOU KNOW
HOW VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANIES CAME INTO BEING
THE COMMUNITY WOULD PASS AN ORDNANCE THAT ALLOWED THE MEN TO ORGANIZE IN EACH
DISTRICT / WARD.
UPON THE MEN ORGANIZING, THEY SUBMITTED THEIR LIST OF MEN FOR APPROVAL TO THE
COMMUNITIES LEADERS
THEN A CONSTITUTION WAS SET UP WITH RULES AND REGULATIONS, AND BYLAWS.
THEN OFFICERS WERE CHOSEN.
DO YOU KNOW
THAT SOME COMMUNITIES IMPOSED A FINE FOR A FIRE VIOLATION
AND IT WAS THEN DOUBLED IF THAT
VIOLATION WAS NOT CORRECTED WITHIN 48 HOURS.
DO YOU KNOW
THAT PRIOR TO EXTENSION LADDERS, IF A LONGER LADDER
WAS NEEDED AT A FIRE THE MEN JUST
LASHED TWO LADDERS TOGETHER.
DO YOU KNOW
THAT SOME VOLUNTEERS WERE PAID A CERTAIN AMOUNT
JUST FOR RESPONDING TO A FIRE RUN AND
IF IT TURNED OUT TO BE A "WORKING FIRE" AN AMOUNT
PER HOUR.
DO YOU KNOW
IN ONE COMMUNITY THE FIREMEN ALSO HAD THE JOB OF
TRASH PICKUP AND RESPONDED TO FIRES FROM
THOSE DUTIES.
IT'S SORT OF LIKE WE ALSO MAINTAIN HYDRANTS DID
HOUSE INSPECTIONS INSTALL
SMOKE ALARMS,
SURVEY INTERIOR BUSINESS AND
ABANDONED DWELLING, ETC.
FROM A WEB SITE
EXPLAINING A DIFFERENT PUMPING METHOD
" In the event of a
fire , this equipment
was driven to the vicinity of the fire, and after
being blocked under the wheels to keep from
rolling, the right axle was lifted with a
hand jack placed under the axle. This let the
wheel turn freely without the vehicle
being in motion. From a pulley attached to the hub of this wheel , a belt
properly
placed, powered a water pump, that was mounted on
the edge of the truck above the
wheel. A two inch hose about thirty feet long was attached to
carry water to the fire...."
DO YOU REMEMBER
THE OLD FIREMEN'S FIELD DAY TICKET
STAND.
I JUST DREW THIS TO BRING BACK MEMORIES.( I COULDN'T FIND ANY PICTURES OF ONE.
NOTE : THAT TRIANGULAR TABLE TOP WAS ATTACHED BY HINGES ,
I SHOWED IT APART SO YOU COULD SEE THAT SMALL HARD SEAT WE SAT FOR HOURS ON.
MAKE SOMEONE SMILE TODAY.................................UNLESS YOU HAD TO SIT
ON THAT SMALL SEAT FOR HOURS
WAYNE
JUST A COLLECTION OF FIRE DEPARTMENT BUTTONS
NOTICE THE BOTTOM TWO ARE IMPRINTED WITH:
FIRE BUREAU
FROM A WEB SITE
How The Steamer Worked
To put it simply, the steamer was a
large tea kettle, in which the exhausting steam
forced pistons
to turn a pump which increased the water
pressure and propelled it out the hose to the nozzle.
While in the firehouse, the
water in the boiler was kept just below the
boiling point by a gas jet
on an arm which could be swung away.
The fire box under the boiler held
coal, kindling, and
wood shavings. An
acid-filled bottle controlled by a series of chain
and pulleys went to the
drivers seat.
The stalls in the firehouse did not
have doors. The horses were so well
trained that they just
stood in their stalls. Harness for
the horses was suspended over the hitches in front of the
apparatus. When an alarm would come in, the engineer would
ring a bell (now outside the
present alarm room). The horses
would leave their stalls and go to their proper places. When
the horses were in
place, the engineer would pull a rip and the harness
would fall into place
on the horses back. It
would be quickly buckled. The driver would swing the gas
jet clear of the
boiler jump in the seat and pull the chain
which would spill the acid on the wood shavings
starting a fire in the fire box
that ignited the coal. As the rig was being driven
to the fire a draft
would be created and the boiler would have enough pumping
steam pressure in 3-4 minutes. At
the fire, the
steamer would be hooked to the hydrant "steamer fitting" with suction
hose. The
pump would start pumping, and the
horses led away to a safe secure area. A disciplinary note
was given to one of the early Professionals because of his
failure to lead the horses away. It
seems that either a spark from the
steamer or from the fire
landed on the horses rump, the
horse skittered and
pulled the steamer off the hydrant.
MAKE SOMEONE
SMILE TODAY
WAYNE
FROM A WEB SITE
"Ran With the Old Machine"
'Twas old time rocks in the glorious days
When Saxie held the pipe,
With never a thought of pay or praise,
And for fracas or fire was ripe.
What tales that ancient house could tell
Which faced the village green
Where they came at the clang of the fire call
To run with the old machine.
They were strenuous men in the days of yore,
When the ploughman left his farm
And the grocer locked his little store
To get out on the first alarm.
The blacksmith leaves his unfinished job
When the first red gleam is seen,
And the mason drops his trowel and bob
To run with the old machine.
When the winter's nights were long and cold
And the winds blew shrill outside,
What songs "were sung" and stories told
Around the fireplace wide;
And they moistened their whistles now and then
With a swig from the same canteen
As they drank success to the red-shirt men
Who ran with the old machine.
The red-shirt man was a soldier, too,
And risked his life as well
As his comrade who wore the faded Blue
And faced the shot and shell.
When Gabriel's trump awakens them all,
Can you draw the line between
The man who tramped at his country's call
Or ran with the old machine?
MAKE SOMEONE SMILE
TODAY........................ESPECIALLY IF YOU :
WAYNE
"RAN WITH THE OLD MACHINE"
FROM A WEB SITE
NOT DETROIT
The City's first overall pay structure for the Fire Department was
established in 1889 to attract veteran talent from throughout
the country. The City Charter Amendment allowed for the payment of
firemen then known as Foremen and Extramen:
- Foremen received $12.50 per
month
- Extramen were paid $10.00
per month.
- Engine Drivers and Hose Carriage
Driver ($75.00 per month)
- made considerably more because of their
additional responsibilities.
- But top pay was reserved for
Engineers ($100 per month)
- who had the duty of maintaining the fire
steamers. As the fire team left its quarter to respond to an alarm, the
Engineer
- rode on the rear step of the steamer.
His first job was to ignite the boiler.
A change in the work schedule.
Firemen went from working 24 hours a day 28 days in a row
with one day off,
to 12 hour rotating shifts on a 28 consecutive day schedule
with two days off.
DO YOU KNOW
SOME EARLY FIRE TRUCKS WERE CALLED "FIRE ESCAPES"
DO YOU KNOW
IN SOME COMMUNITIES,
THE FIRST MAN TO REACH THE FIREHOUSE UPON AN ALARM
AND UNLOCK THE DOORS, GOT A TOKEN SUM.
THIS WAS TO PROVOKE THE FIREMEN TO RESPOND AS
QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
DO YOU KNOW
IN SOME COMMUNITIES,
ONLY THE DRIVER OF THE HORSE / HORSES
RESPONDED TO THE FIREHOUSE,
THE FIREMEN RESPONDED TO THE
FIRE TO AWAIT HIS ARRIVAL
DO YOU KNOW
IN SOME COMMUNITIES,
THERE WAS A RELUCTANCE TO FORM A VOLUNTEER FIRE
DEPARTMENT AS THE TOWNSFOLK
CONSIDERED FIRE AN ACT OF
NATURE OR "GOD"
DO YOU KNOW
IN SOME COMMUNITIES,
THEY HAD AN ORDER TO STOP THE CONSUMPTION OF WATER
ONCE AN ALARM OF FIRE WAS SOUNDED.
DO YOU KNOW
IN SOME COMMUNITIES,
DURING WORLD WAR TWO, THE FIREMEN WERE ON A
PATROLLING NIGHT WATCH AND
ALSO SOME WERE ISSUED GUNS AND AMMO.
DO YOU KNOW
SOME COMMUNITIES HAD VERY HIGH WATER PRESSURE.
IN SOME, THEY FOUND IT UNNECESSARY TO PURCHASE PUMPERS,
THEY JUST BOUGHT HOSE CARTS.
THEN THEY BUILT HOSE HOUSES
(SHEDS) THROUGHOUT THEIR
TOWN.
DO YOU KNOW
SOME COMMUNITIES STORED THEIR FIRST FIRE HAND PUMPER
/ HOSE CARTS IN THEIR LIVERY STABLE.
DO YOU KNOW
A RECORDED HOSECART RACE:
12 MEN
PULLED A
1345 LB HOSECART
200 YDS
TO A
HYDRANT
AND LAID
100 YDS OF HOSE
AND GOT
WATER
IN
58 SECONDS
THINK ABOUT THAT OLDTIMERS, THAT'S TWO FOOTBALL FIELDS,
MAKE SOMEONE SMILE TODAY
WAYNE
DO YOU KNOW
THERE ARE STORIES OF THE PRE MASKS DAYS
WHERE THE
FIREMEN SPENT MOST OF THE TIMES, AT SOME
FIRES, ON
THEIR STOMACHS FIGHTING THOSE FIRES.
THIS IS WHERE THE AIR WAS THE BETTER THEN WHEN
YOU
STOOD UP.
REMEMBER AND RESPECT THE REAL OLD TIMERS
WHEN ALL
THEY HAD WAS OLD STIFF 2 1/2 " LINE , NO
MASKS, AND
JUST GUTS TO PUT OUT A FIRE.
DO YOU
REALIZE
THAT AN
ENGINEER ,DURING THE HORSE
ERA MAY HAVE BEEN
HIGHLY
SKILLED AT RESPONDING WITH A ONE HORSE ,
TWO
OR EVEN A THREE HORSE TEAM, BUT WAS A NOVICE WHEN
THE
MOTORIZED ERA CAME INTO BEING.
IN MANY
CASES THEY WERE REPLACED BY SOMEONE THAT
WAS AN
EXPERIENCED MOTORIZED VEHICLE DRIVER
DO YOU KNOW
MANY FIRE DEPARTMENTS ARE OLDER THEN THE
CITIES THAT THEY ARE
LOCATED IN.
MANY STARTED IN AREAS THAT WERE JUST WHISTLE STOPS / TRAIN STATIONS
THAT EVENTUALLY EXPANDED INTO COMMUNITIES AND THEN CITIES.
DO YOU KNOW
BESIDE USING AN OLD TRAIN TIRE TO
STRIKE IN SOUNDING
AN ALARM OF FIRE SOME COMMUNITIES USED
THE TRAINS BRAKE SHOE AS THEIR
"GONG"
DO YOU KNOW
IN ONE COMMUNITY
IF YOU WERE A VOLUNTEER FIREMAN YOU
RECEIVED AN
EXEMPT CERTIFICATE THAT NOT ONLY EXEMPTED YOU
FROM JURY DUTY BUT ALSO FROM
"POLL AND ROAD TAXES"
MAKE SOMEONE SMILE TODAY
WAYNE
DO YOU KNOW
MANY EARLY "FIRE BRIGADES" WERE STARTED WITH JUST A
FEW LADDERS, PAILS AND AN
OLD STEEL TIRE FROM A TRAIN. THIS WAS HUNG FROM A
WOODEN FRAME FOR THEIR ALARM.
DO YOU KNOW
IN SOME COMMUNITIES IT WAS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE FIRE
WARDEN TO EXAMINE AND CLEAN
THE CHIMNEYS ONCE A MONTH
DO YOU KNOW
IN SOME COMMUNITIES, THEY HAD WATER RESERVOIRS THAT
FED THE MAINS DURING THE NORMAL
EVERYDAY FUNCTIONS. WHEN THERE WAS A FIRE, A PUMP
STATION WITH A STEAM BOILER PROVIDED
HIGHER WATER PRESSURE.
DO YOU KNOW
DURING THE "BUCKET BRIGADE" ERA BESIDES USING
BUCKETS, THEY USED COAL SCUTTLES,
MILK CANS AND TUBS.
DO YOU KNOW
IN 1825 THERE WAS A MASK OF ASBESTOS THAT WAS WORN
OVER THE HEAD FOLLOWED BY A
WOVEN IRON WIRE MASK.
DO YOU KNOW
ONE OLD TIME MASK HAD AN ATTACHED WHISTLE IN CASE
YOU NEEDED HELP
DO YOU KNOW
IN 1666 THE
FIRE BRIGADE WAS FORMED LONDON, BUT IT TOOK 200
YEARS (1865) BEFORE THE GOVERNMENT
GOT INVOLVED
DO YOU KNOW
WHILE IN THE UNITED STATES, MOST
FIRE DEPARTMENTS ARE
CONTROLLED LOCALLY, WHILE IN
SOME OTHER COUNTRIES THERE ARE CONTROLLED NATIONALLY
DO YOU KNOW
IN ANCIENT ROME, FIREMEN WERE CALLED
"VIGILES"
DO YOU KNOW
ONE REASON THAT THE EARLY FIREHOUSES WERE
JUST SHEDS IS THAT THEY WERE JUST USED
TO STORE THE APPARATUS.
THE VOLUNTEERS HAD THEIR MEETING AT TAVERNS OR
HALLS TO EAT AND DRINK.
ONCE THE FIREMEN WANTED MORE OF A
PRIVATE CLUB ATMOSPHERE THEY WENT TO THE
BUILDING OF A
FIREHOUSE.
MAKE SOMEONE SMILE TODAY
WAYNE
A rendering of the first
fire engine manufactured in the U.S.
- 18th century, from "Ye Olde Fire Laddies" by Herbert Asbury, 1930
NOTE ; THERE WERE OTHER FIRE ENGINES IN THE U.S.
PRIOR TO THIS BUT THEY WERE IMPORTED
AND NOT BUILT HERE.
MAKE SOMEONE SMILE TODAY
WAYNE
DO YOU KNOW
THAT BACK IN THE EARLY TIMES, SOME OPERA HOUSES / PLAY HOUSES, DURING
THEIR PERFORMANCES,
HAD FIREMEN STAND BY AT THE NEAREST FIRE HYDRANT
WITH HOSE AND NOZZLE
DO YOU KNOW
ORIGINALLY, WHEN THE CHURCH BELLS RANG FOR A
FIRE, ALL THE VOLUNTEERS
FIREMEN TURNED OUT. AS
COMMUNITIES GREW , A CODE OF SIGNALS WAS ARRANGED
WHERE ONLY THE FIREMEN IN THAT DISTRICT
RESPONDED. THE FIREMEN CARRIED A CARD WITH
ALL THE CODES ON THEM.
DO YOU KNOW
WHEN THE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT CHANGED TO A
PAID ONE, THE MEN WERE OFFERED
EMPLOYMENT. NATURALLY SOME WERE BUSINESSMEN,
POLITICIANS OR HAD BETTER
JOBS THEN THE ONE
OFFERED. OTHERS ACCEPTED, AS IT WAS A MUCH BETTER OPPORTUNITY THEN WHAT THEY
WERE DOING.
DO YOU KNOW
MANY EARLY VOLUNTEER COMPANIES WERE FORMED THROUGH
A COMMON BOND. THE BOND BEING
THE SAME POLITICAL VIEWS,
BUSINESS ASSOCIATES, ETHIC BACKGROUND, RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION, AND
VARIOUS OTHER INTERESTS.
DO YOU KNOW
THERE WAS A REFERENCE TO A FIRE ENGINE THAT CARRIED
"CHEMICAL EXTINGUISHING MATERIALS" AND
THIS WAS LISTED AS "CARBON TETRACHLORIDE" (WHICH
WAS POISONOUS)
NOTE: THE ONLY CARBON TETRACHLORIDE EXTINGUISHER I
HAVE COME ACROSS IS JUST A SMALL ONE
( ABOUT A ONE TO TWO QUART SIZE)
THERE WASN'T ANY MENTION OF THE QUANTITY OF THE CHEMICAL THAT THIS RIG CARRIED,
TO BE
CLASSIFIED AS HAVING THEIR PRIMARY EXTINGUISHING AGENT
"CARBON TETRACHLORIDE".
DO YOU KNOW
THE OLD TWO WHEEL HOSE CART,
PULLED BY MEN, GRADUALLY CHANGED TO A
FOUR WHEEL HOSE CART, WITH
FOUR MEN RIDING, AND HORSES PULLING.
DO YOU KNOW
IN ONE REFERENCE, I READ OF THE OFFICER OF THE ENGINE
COMPANY, NOT ONLY WAS HE
IN CHARGE OF HIS COMPANY, BUT ALSO OF THE
MEN AND OFFICER OF THEIR ACCOMPANYING HOSE CART.
DO YOU REMEMBER
GOING TO THE TRAINING SCHOOL, WHEN YOU FIRST CAME
ON THE JOB, AND THE CLASSROOM WAS
ON THE SECOND FLOOR.
THE RULE WAS, YOU COULD USE THE STAIRS TO GO UPSTAIRS
BUT THE STAIRS WERE "OFF LIMITS TO GO DOWN.
YOU SLID THE "POLE".
MAKE SOMEONE SMILE TODAY
WAYNE
DO YOU KNOW
THE BELOW, ARE TWO EXAMPLES OF THE STAFF, USED BACK IN THE EARLY TIMES
A WHITE ONE WAS USED BY A "FIRE COMMISSIONER
A RED ONE WAS USED BY A FIRE WARDEN.
THEY WERE USED AS A SYMBOL OF AUTHORITY
AT THE FIRE SCENE AND ALSO, WHEN
NECESSARY ,TO THUMP SOMEONE THAT GOT UNRULY.
MAKE SOMEONE SMILE TODAY..................................................IF WE
HAD ONE OF THESE STAFFS IN OUR TIME WE JUST
WAYNE
MAY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO KEEP THE "OFU" UNDER
CONTROL
DO YOU KNOW
WHAT THIS IS?
IT'S A "MUD PICK"
THIS TOOL WAS USED TO
PICK CLAY FROM HORSES HOOFS.
THE HORSES WERE SHOD THE FIRST OF EVERY MONTH.
DUE TO STANDING ON WOODEN FLOORS,
THEIR HOOFS BECAME DRY AND HAD TO BE PACKED WITH
"WET" CLAY
FOR THREE OR FOUR NIGHTS.
"DRY" CLAY HAD TO BE REMOVED FROM THE
CRACKS IN THE HORSES HOOFS TO PREVENT
SORE FEET
MAKE SOMEONE SMILE TODAY......................UNLESS YOU WERE A HORSE AND THE
"OFU" DIDN'T REMOVE THE DRY CLAY
WAYNE
DO YOU KNOW.
BEFORE WE HAD HEADLIGHTS, THE OLD TIME FIREMEN HAD
LANTERNS TO LIGHT THEIR WAY AND AT THE
FIRE SCENE.
BELOW ARE JUST TWO EXAMPLES OF THE OLD FIRE LANTERNS
THE GLASS IN DIFFERENT LANTERNS , BESIDES BEING CLEAR, WERE ALSO
RED, GREEN AND
BLUE
FROM A WEB SITE
"In the early 80's there were
two volunteer fire companies in the city. They had
several hose and pump buggies that were drawn
by hand and no sooner did the
fire bell ring until the volunteers shedding
their coats as they ran, were whooping it up and
dragging the fire wagon
off in the general direction of the smoke. The city's streets were in pretty
sorry shape in those gone
days, and the boys frequently had a time getting
the wagons through the streets after a heavy rain. Old timers remember that
when the fireman got bogged
up in the mud, cowboys would come by, throw lassos
over the wagon and help drag it, giving San
Antonio the only cowboy
drawn fire department in the world. There were two volunteer
companies, and they hated each other
like rival collegians. They sometimes mixed it
with fists when they met, singly or in groups, on the street, the old timers
say.
They raced each other to the fire, with the good
townspeople laying odds on who got there first. Once at the scene of the fire,
the rival companies would race each other to the
water hydrants and would race to see who
could get a stream playing on the
blaze first. They booed each other, if our
information is correct, and each company had its supporters and gallery.
They didn't
have radios of pennant
play-offs in those days and a good fire was an amusement attraction.
There were even a few occasions
when the boys loyalty got worked up to the point
where they turned their hose streams on each others ranks while, we suppose,
the poor householder sat on the curb figuring how
long it would take him to build another house.
Throughout the years of the volunteer department,
citizens took pride in the fire companies. Whenever
there was a parade, all
the men, dressed in their uniforms and pulling
their sparkling equipment, would march through the streets of the city. Children
idolized them and adult citizens respected their
call to duty. On many Sunday mornings, church goers could walk over to a park
after services and watch the volunteers practice
climbing ropes and performing calisthenics to keep themselves in top physica1
condition. To support their companies, the
volunteers and their wives sponsored picnics during the summer and many grateful
citizens attended.
MAKE SOMEONE SMILE TODAY
WAYNE
DO YOU KNOW
WHAT THIS IS?
FROM A WEB SITE
In the beginning, the original "hydrant"
may have been something like this iron cauldron from
China
Firefighting cauldrons were placed in strategic
locations in ancient China and kept
filled with water --- at the ready ---
in the event of a fire.
MAKE SOMEONE SMILE TODAY
WAYNE
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