A Fire Pump with Portable Auxiliary.
Page 20
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A BRITISH motor-manufacturing concern which has 1-1 paid much attention to the cultivation of the market which exists in overseas countries for fire-fighting appliances is Dennis Bros., Ltd., of Guildford, and quite a number of the fire brigades in the chief cities of the world rely upon machines produced by this concern for the protection of life and property.
One of these important cities is Alexandria, Egypt, the authorities in which have recently taken delivery of their twelfth Dennis fire-engine. Basically, this machine is similar to those already in service in the city, that is to say. it is one of the makers' 300-400-gallon models which is capable of delivering the higher output mentioned at 120-lb. pressure, although 500 gallons per minute can be supplied at a lower pressure. A telescopic ladder, which can be extended to a maximum of 35 ft., is carried on the usual form of supports.
From a view of the near side there is nothing which strikes the eye as being unusual in the equipment and appearance of this machine, unless it be the inscription in gold, "Municipality of Alexandria," written in Arabic on the side of the body and in English on the other.
On the off side, however, one finds that a small Dennis portable pumping set has been neatly accommodated on the running board. This appliance can be quickly lifted from the position in which it is normally carried end, as it weighs only 21 cwt., two or three men can carry it with ease to any position where its service is required. As there is no difficulty in transporting this set through doorways of ordinary width, it is obvious that it can quickly be brought into use from a water supply which might not be possible of approach by a larger appliance.
This handy little outfit is entirely self-contained. The unit, comprising a single-cylindered, water-cooled engine coupled direct to a Denuis multi-stage, high-pressure tur
)336 blue pump, is mounted in a tubular frame which stands OD four feet, a tank which holds about three-quarters of a gallon of petrol and a quart of oil being located overhead. In spite of its small size, the portable set is a remarkably effective unit. With a short length of hose a good fin, jet of water can be thrown, whilst, when the water has to be carried over longer distances, the most satisfactory results are given by a fin. nozzle, or two of fin.
The provision of a first-aid apparatus as an integral part of a fire-engine is, of course, usual procedure and many brigades own tenders which carry small portable sets similar to that described. So far as we are aware, however, the combination appliance
just added to Alexandria's fire fighting fleet is the first of its kind to be put into service.
One of the accompanying illustrations clearly shows the compact nature of the portable pumping plant.