Late 1800s Hand-Drawn Hose Reel Cart

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Terence Lloyd
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1 Late 1800s Hand-Drawn Hose Reel Cart Hoses were bulky and heavy so transport to the fire was difficult. The use of large reels of hose on wheeled carriages and pulled by hand were a genuine improvement. Hose carts used wheels of different widths, depending on the surface they were used on: narrow wheels for hard surfaces like city streets; wide wheels for soft surfaces like dirt or grass. Hose carts like this one were small enough that they could be pulled to a fire by a group of men. Horse-drawn carts came into greater use as the amounts of hose and other equipment needed required a larger firefighting vehicle. The most basic problem in firefighting has always been the difficulty in transporting water to the location of a fire. Hand-carried leather buckets were commonly used in colonial times. But by the mid-1800s, hoses improved the situation as pumping devices became more common and allowed greater and more consistent water supply. Some of the more sophisticated hose carts had mounted bells that were struck as the wheels rotated, thereby providing an audible warning to people and vehicles on the street to move out of the way - an early siren!

2 1875 Hand-Pulled Ladder Truck Numerous communities in the 1800s were destroyed by fire and residents became determined to provide additional fire fighting to help protect their homes and businesses. Ladder trucks usually carried other equipment besides ladders, such as buckets for water or sand, hooks on poles to pull down burning material, and other tools to fight the fire. Concerned citizens were encouraged to serve as volunteer firefighters. Unfortunately, the cost of dedicated fire fighting apparatus was a challenge for many smaller towns and villages. Small, hand-pulled ladder trucks such as this one were often the first step many communities could Fire has always been a threat but this was especially true as communities became denser in the 19th century, but used wood construction and open fires for cooking and heating. Oil lamps and candles added to the potential threat of fire as well. take. With residents living in relatively close proximity, news of a fire could be passed quickly and volunteers would gather to pull a ladder truck to the fire.

3 1895 Hand-Drawn Ladder Wagon Built by W.T.Y. Schenck of San Francisco, this wagon carried the longer ladders needed to fight fires in taller buildings. In the days before underground water supplies and fire hydrants on almost every block, getting Most communities had wells throughout the area or sometimes cisterns for water storage. A cistern is a tank, often similar to a wood barrel, sunk into the ground. Water would be obtained either by dipping buckets or using a hose attached to a pump. water to the fire was a challenge. Since pumping units were expensive, it was common for firefighting equipment to have a supply of buckets - such as on this wagon - to bring water to the fire. In the late 1800s, many fire fighting vehicles were hand-drawn by the firefighters themselves rather than by horses. For communities with volunteer firefighters, it was simply faster to pull the wagon to the fire instead of taking time to get horses and hitch them to the wagon. The firefighters and other citizens would form a bucket brigade where a line of people would pass buckets of water toward the fire and send empty buckets back to be refilled.

4 1901 Seagrave Horse-Drawn Hose Wagon Wagons of this type carried some 800 feet of fire hose, usually a woven cloth sleeve with a rubberized interior lining that was more flexible and able to handle more pressure than earlier types. The Gold Rush Fire Brigade As cities grew with taller buildings, the need for more hose to fight fires was apparent. Larger horse-drawn wagons quickly replaced the smaller hand-drawn hose carts. The hose wagons would work with a separate pumping engine (a hand-operated or steam-powered pump) to draw water from a nearby source and then deliver the water to the site of the fire. While some communities had full-time paid firefighters and stations, many still depended on volunteer fire companies. And when On the sides of this wagon are long poles with a curved hook at one end. Those poles were used to pull down burning material to allow better access for the firefighters. horses were not on standby, it was common for the firefighters to commandeer the nearest horse to pull the hose wagon to the fire.

5 1921 American LaFrance Pumper Truck American LaFrance was probably one of the best known and well-respected builders of fire trucks from This particular truck was purchased in 1921 by the city of Dixon as their first motorized pumper truck. American LaFrance built a wide variety of trucks, including pumpers, ladder trucks, and other emergency vehicles utilizing a number of engines from other suppliers. A disastrous 1920 hotel fire proved that the pressure from the hydrants were insufficient to battle the blaze. The community rallied together to raise funds to purchase the truck. Pumper trucks are probably the type of fire truck that most people think of. Pumper trucks are properly referred to as fire engines since they can carry and pump water onto a fire PLUS carry other fire fighting equipment such as ladders, hose, and other tools. The truck gained the nickname of the C.P. Huntington. That was the most powerful locomotive at the time and the people of Dixon hoped that the truck would be a powerful pumper as well.

6 1921 Graham Mason Chemical Truck Wally Clark of Roseville Shriners Chemical fire fighting dates to the 1800s, with tanks containing bicarbonate of soda and sulfuric acid. When combined, the reaction generates pressure and a foamy liquid that can be sprayed onto a fire. The Graham brothers built trucks from 1916 to 1928 when they signed an agreement with Dodge Brothers to build Graham trucks sold through Dodge dealers. By 1929, Graham had been totally taken over by Dodge. Chemical engines began as hand-drawn carts, then horse-drawn, and, by the early 1900s, motorized vehicles such as this 1921 Graham. This particular Graham chemical fire truck was originally in service in Watkins Glen, New York. Purchased in 1955 by famed collector William Harrah, the truck was sold in 1966 to the Roseville Shriners. Restored locally, the truck is a well-known participant in many local events and parades. Chemical engines were often kept at smaller, residential stations and used against fires until larger trucks with pumps and hoses arrived.

7 1924 REO Chemical Truck Different from the typical fire engine that most people think of, a chemical truck had tanks in the back where soda-acid could be added to water to suppress the fire. This truck was originally housed in downtown in a residential area. The original fire house building on C Street still exists today. Chemical trucks were common in the more suburban or residential areas of California in the first few decades of the 20th century. The REO Motor Car Company was founded in 1905 by Ransom E. Olds. Previous to This truck, as well as that, he also founded others in the display, had a frame-off Oldsmobile. During the Great restoration by the Depression, REO ended Pioneer Mutual Hook production on automobiles to and Ladder Society, which operates the focus on producing trucks only. Fire REO produced their last trucks Museum. in the 1970s.

8 1924 Seagrave Pumping Truck This 1924 Seagrave was originally configured as a chemical engine, but was rebuilt as a motorized pumper after a severe accident that required a total rebuild. The engine saw service for many years here in. One of the most respected builders of fire apparatus was the Seagrave Company, founded by Frederick S. Seagrave in 1881 in Michigan. Seagrave moved to Columbus, Ohio in 1891 and was soon building aerial ladders and firefighting vehicles by The truck is powered by a six-cylinder, T-head engine producing 130 horsepower. The truck carries 1000 feet of fire hose, a 40 gallon chemical tank, and 400 feet of chemical hose. An engine of this type would have cost over $11,000 in 1924, a very expensive vehicle! Note the truck has right-hand drive and the pump controls are on the right side as well. The mechanical pump can provide some 500+ gallons per minute of water, drawn through the large diameter hoses carried on the sides of the engine.

9 1931 Ford Model AA Rail Fire Truck The Ford Model AA truck was the heavy-duty version of the Model A truck. Sold with the same standard 40 HP four-cylinder engine, the Model AA was available with just a cab and chassis allowing for custom rear bodywork. California State Railroad Museum After almost a half century of service, the fire truck was retired and, in 1980, was donated to the California State Railroad Museum by the Southern Pacific Railroad, owners of the San Diego & Arizona Eastern Railway. In 1933, this vehicle was modified to have railroad wheels, allowing it to travel along the San Diego & Arizona Eastern Railway. A group of dedicated volunteers at the California State Railroad Museum restored the Model AA fire truck, where it is displayed as part of their wonderful collection, in fully operational condition. Based near the Mexican border, the truck fought fires that threatened the railroad s wooden trestles and timber-lined tunnels. Refilling from trackside water tanks, the truck was able to quickly respond to fires in isolated areas of the tracks.

10 1940 GMC / Van Pelt CDF Crew Truck Jim & Don Dobbas In 1940, the State of California s Division of Forestry ordered 24 eight-man fire crew trucks from the P.E. Van Pelt Company of Oakdale, California. In 1940, pickup and other trucks were not available with the extended cab seating found in modern trucks, so benches were built into the rear bodywork to carry some of the eight-man crew. Van Pelt s fire equipment was built on 1940 GMC 1 1/2 ton pickup trucks with dual rear wheels. The six-cylinder engine provided 90 horsepower, and was fitted with a four-speed transmission and two-speed rear axle. The equipment carried by this truck included: A front-mounted Barton pump with a 250 gallons/minute capacity; a steel water tank carrying 280 gallons; 150 feet of reel hose; 500 feet of cotton hose; 24 feet of 3-inch suction hose; and hand tools to equip eight men. Trucks like this one often had to operate in remote areas so needed to carry a variety of equipment.

11 1948 White / Van Pelt Pumper Truck In service in West until the early 1970s, this fire truck has a typical combination of chassis and engine from one company (White) and bodywork and fire-fighting equipment from another (Van Pelt). The body and firefighting equipment on this truck was made by the P.E.Van Pelt company of nearby Oakdale, CA. They were a major manufacturer of fire-fighting apparatus from the 1920s through the 1990s. Van Pelt built a wide variety of truck types using the chassis from several manufacturers. This pumper truck carries a wide variety of fire-fighting equipment including hoses, ladders, and its own water supply. The powerful front-mounted pump and large, rigid hoses allowed the truck to draw water from nearby sources. The truck chassis is a 1948 White powered by their six-cylinder, L-head, 125 HP engine. During their heyday, approximately 10% of all commercial trucks in the U.S. were White trucks. Front-mounted pumps were less expensive and more popular with smaller communities than built-in pumps. The hand controls on the radiator shell allowed control of the main engine while using the pump.

12 1953 Pontiac Ambulance Early ambulances were often built on modified car chassis. Makes such as Packard, Lincoln, Pontiac, Buick, and Ford were the basis for ambulance use. Several companies built dedicated ambulance bodies for car chassis, Technical Specs - Engine: I-8, OHV, 268 cu. in. 122 HP. Transmission: Three-speed manual with the option of a four-speed Hydramatic. Brakes: Servo-assisted hydraulic drums. but were usually quite expensive. It was common for ambulances to be modified station wagons instead, taking advantage of their extra space. Ambulances are vehicles designed to transport people with illness or injury to a hospital or location where they can receive medical care. Generally designed to transport one or two patients, ambulances have equipment and supplies to provide initial medical care while enroute. This vehicle is one of those modified station wagons, with an addition of emergency lights, removal of the second seat, and other modifications. This vehicle served for many years in Citrus Heights, CA.

13 WANT TO SIT ON A FIRE ENGINE? Ask any docent in the Museum! They can help you climb on this 1921 Graham. Thank you Wally Clark and the Shriners for letting our visitors experience this! Please do not go on it by yourself.

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