Hose (firefighting)

“ The water is conducted from the engines or hydrants in hose-pipes, which are made either of leather fastened with brass or copper rivets, or of canvas (woven from flax) which has the merit of lightness but is liable to rot, or of rubber jacketed with canvas (or in America with cotton) . For directing the water on the fire, nozzles of various forms are employed, some throwing a plain solid jet, others producing spray, and others again combining jet and spray, the spray being useful to drive away smoke and protect the firemen. ”

“ The threads in the fuel-valve body will be damaged by frequent screwing and unscrewing of the hose because the body is a lightweight aluminum casting. Fuel hose is replaced as a unit and is not disassembled in the second echelon. To disconnect from tank group, see Paragraph 70 b.
c. Installation of fuel-hose assembly.
(1) To install in tank group, see Paragraph 70 c.
(2) To install in gun, apply anti-seize compound (from service kit) lightly to threads and screw hose in fuel-valve body by hand. Use wrench only enough to make a secure connection.
d. Maintenance of fuel-hose assembly. ”

“ For a man who may suddenly have to get down on his stomach and crawl, the apparatus is much more compact and better fitting to the body than the original type, but it has no advantage over the older varieties as regards range or duration.
The flexible hose which carries the lighting nozzle is made of canvas and rubber, and enemy documents which have been captured show that only one tube is provided for each three reservoirs. After the discharge of one apparatus the long tube is supposed to be fitted with a new nozzle and handed on to the others in succession. ”

“ In order that the hose undergoing the operation of greasing may not be disturbed or used till in a fit state, it is better to have a double set, and in this way, while one set is in grease the other is in the engine ready and fit for service. More time can also be taken for any repairs which may be necessary, and they will in consequence be more carefully done, and at fires where a great length of hose is required the spare set will always be available. ”

“ Fuel hose, which conveys fuel from the tank group to the gun. The fuel hose may be requisitioned as hose, fuel, portable flame thrower, M1, assembly B81-1-498.
(2) Gun, which ignites the fuel and directs it to the target. The gun may be identified as gun, portable flame thrower, M2, assembly D81-1-405. It consists of:
(a) Fuel valve, which discharges fuel through the barrel. The valve is operated by squeezing the valve lever and the grip safety, which are on opposite sides of the valve grip. The valve also includes a barrel from which the fuel is ejected. ”

“ The hose is doubled in its length of 100 ft., and then it drains dry, for the moisture is apt to conceal itself in the rubber lining, and in the nozzles and head-screws of the hoses.
No precaution is neglected, no point is missed. Vigilant eyes are everywhere; bright responsive faces and ready hands are continually in evidence, but unobtrusively.
Turning from the repairing shops we proceed to the stables, where we find things in the normal condition of preparedness. "Be ready" is evidently the watchword of the Brigade. ”

“ Do not permit flames, sparks, or ignition from the flame thrower or other source to touch hose.
j. Blowing out dust. Immediately before coupling an attachment to the pressure tank or cylinder valve, open it for an instant to blow out any dust or dirt. Never stand where gas or dirt may be blown into the eyes or face. If the valve is difficult to open, apply more force gradually. ”

“ But even when a hose has been carried up the interior of a common-stair, the risk of damage from the people carrying out their furniture is so great, that [Pg 104] the hose is not unfrequently burst, almost as soon as the engine has begun to play. If the hose be carried up to the floor on fire by the outside, the risk of damage is comparatively small, the hose in that case being only exposed for a short distance in crossing the stair. ”

“ When the hose is attached and the engine filled with water, the man who holds the branch-pipe, accompanied by another, should get so near the fire, inside the house, that the water from the branch may strike the burning materials. If he cannot accomplish this standing, he must get down on his hands and knees and creep forward, those behind handing up the hose. A stratum of fresh air is almost always to be depended on from six to twelve inches from the floor, so that if the air be not respirable to a person standing upright, he should instantly get down. ”

“ Some one shouted "Fire, boys!" and all hands rushed for their stations—some to the hose-reel, some below to the gun deck to close the ports, and some to the berth deck to receive the hose when it came down. We did not know whether it was drill or actual fire, but the skipper's talk of the night before gave us unusual energy, and the preparations were made in record time. The canvas hose was pulled along the deck with a swish, the nozzle grasped by the waiting hands below and carried with a run away aft on the berth deck. ”

“ With 40 feet of leather hose and a 7/8 inch jet, the pressure is 30 lb. on the square inch; this gives 10.4 lbs. to each man to move a distance of 226 feet in one minute. The friction increases the labour 2-1/2 per cent. for every additional 40 feet of hose, which shows the necessity of having the engine, and of course the supply of water, as close to the fire as is consistent with the safety of the men at the levers. ”

“ After a study of the pictures of the liquid fire gun in operation, it is evident that the men could not be blamed for this retirement. One has only to imagine being faced by a spread of flame similar to that used for the oil burners under the largest boiler, but with a jet nearly 60 feet in length and capable of being sprayed round as one might spray water with a fire hose. ”

“ Running the engine close upon the fire serves no good purpose, except to shorten the quantity of hose that would otherwise be required. The addition of twenty or thirty feet of hose makes very little difference in the working of the engine, and, when compared with the disadvantage of the men becoming unsteady from the idea of personal danger, is not even to be named. Indeed, if the engine be brought too near the fire, there is danger of the men quitting the levers altogether. ”

“ In five cases out of six, the hose is pushed into a water-plug, and the water thrown upon a building on fire, for the average pressure of water in this town is 146 feet; by this means our fires are generally extinguished even before the heavy engine arrives at the spot. The hose is much preferred to the engine, on account of the speed with which it is applied, and the readiness with which it is used, for one man can manage a hose, and throw as much water on the building on fire as an engine worked by many men. ”

“ The worst mode of supplying engines with water is by covered sunk tanks; they are generally too small, and unless very numerous, confine the engines to one or two particular spots, obliging the firemen to increase the length of the hose which materially diminishes the effect of the fire-engine. If the tank is supplied by mains from a reservoir, it would be much better to save the expense of the tank, and to place plugs or firecocks on the water-pipe. ”

“ The heavy panting of the engines, the firemen’s hoarse commands, and the running to and fro of people who were pouring from the tenements of the court, made a most terrific din.
Here and there great fiery eyes stared out of the darkness, causing those who passed in front of them to look like shadowy giants, while the network of hose extending in every direction, and from which tiny streams of water were spurting, formed for the country boy a picture which was not less alarming than bewildering. ”

“ He can breathe where a candle goes out for want of oxygen. By holding his mouth close to the nozzle, he gets what little air the stream of water brings with it and sets free; and within a few inches of the floor there is nearly always a current of air. In the last emergency, there is the hose that he can follow out. The smoke always is his worst enemy. It lays ambushes for him which he can suspect, but not ward off. He tries to, by opening vents in the roof as soon as the pipemen are in place and ready; but in spite of all precautions, he is often surprised by the dreaded back-draught. ”

“ And, for the most part, the firemen on the ground were at a great disadvantage.
They had run in lines as near as they could get to the center of the blaze, and had also attached hose to the standpipes inside the building. But this last effort was wasted, as developed later, for there was no one in the building to direct the nozzle ends of the hose attached to the standpipes on the different floors. Also the fierce heat fairly melted the pipes themselves in the vicinity of the elevator shafts, and there was no automatic sprinkling system in the building. ”

“ This globe is attached to the end of a line of hose, and the force of the stream causes it to revolve and distribute a number of small powerful streams in every direction. This is especially efficient when hung in a subbasement that is filled with smoke. There are also small sprinkling nozzles used to clear a smoky room.
The enormous force of a fire stream renders it a difficult matter to retain control, and many are the accidents reported of firemen who have been disabled by failing to hold the nozzle. ”

“ If, however, from the nature of the ground, from the want of hose, or from other causes, it is found impracticable to convey the water by either of the above methods, the next best is, to conduct the water in hose as far as can be accomplished, and carry it the remainder of the distance in carts, buckets, or whatever else may be most convenient.
When carried in buckets it is of advantage to form a line of men from the water to the engine, each man covering five or six feet of ground. ”

“ We were making ready to pipe water into our ship, when Mr. Kiley, our bosun, always a forehanded chap, thought it all a pity to have to use a brand-new hose for that kind of work. You all know how hose gets lying chafing around, with people stepping on it, carts and wagons running over it, coal-dust grinding into it, and so on. A pity, our bosun thought, to subject our nice new hose to that kind of abuse, when in the condemned heap on the dock there was a length of hose that would do the work, and he put it up to Mr. Renner, the officer of the deck at the time. ”

“ All fire hose should be tested every six months. A leak may have caused the hose to become worthless. All hose should be attached to the fire plug at all times and the little wrench for turning on the water should be tied to the rack where the hose is kept. All these essentials should be examined and carefully scrutinized by every housekeeper and chambermaid. A fire can make great progress while some inexperienced person is fumbling [Pg 102] with and trying to attach the hose and turn on the water. There should be a red light in the hall in front of the fire escape window ”

“ The paint, ready for application, is poured into the tank; and the compressed air line leads to the tank with a branch line for air and paint from the tank to the nozzle of the gun type of machine; while only the air line is required with the attached-container type.
The air hose used is 5/16" in diameter while the paint or fluid hose is the same size. The paint hose is made of a special compound to resist the action of the thinners, solvents, etc., used in the paint; and it is important to have this correct, so that the lining will not disintegrate and clog the air brush or gun. ”

“ One man can safely direct a stream that ordinarily would require two or three to hold it.
Breaks in hose are mended by strapping a prepared sleeve to the injured part, or inserting a convex brass plate under the break and clamping to it a corresponding concave plate from the outside. To facilitate pulling hose up a ladder, through a window, or over the edge of a roof, a simple hook-shaped frame, provided with rollers, called the Bresnan hose hoist, is used. ”

“ At length the fire-engine was got to work; lengths of leather hose were stretched down to the burning hold; buckets were rapidly passed from hand to hand; and the splashing of water was followed by the hissing of the flames. ”

“ They’ll only be too glad of a chance to use the new hose. Besides Cooney Humpville hasn’t used his new trumpet yet. Say, it’s getting warm all right!”
“Yes, but it won’t be any hotter. It’s at the worst of the blaze now. Why don’t the firemen come?”
“Here they are!” cried Spider.
From down the highway came a confused sound—shouts and yells mingled with the galloping of horses and the rumble of the hose wagon.
Up dashed the Freeport fire department, glorious in red shirts and red helmets, with the red hose wagon in their midst. ”

“ A pressure of 100 to 200 lbs. per square foot can easily be obtained, and the force of the jet is so great that it will kill a man on the spot. The hose should be of heavy duck, double if necessary, rivetted and strengthened by metal bands or rings—in fact, the crinoline-hose of Australia. Leather would be better, but hard to repair in case of accidents by rats; guttapercha would be expensive, and perhaps thin metal tubes with flexible joints may serve best. The largest hose carried by iron-clads measures 19 to 20 inches in diameter, and is worked by 30 to 40 horse-power. ”