FIRE EXTINGUISHING WITH A WATERING WAGON.
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THERE are many local authorities which have all too little money to spend upon municipal vehicles. Road mending and maintenance call for the acquisition of water-carts, refuse wagons, and lorries for tip wagons for road material. Many a council would liketo add a fire-engine, but fire calls are so few that there seems Small justification for the outlay, yet it. seems unwise and improvident not to provide for the emergency.
A very good expedient is to employ the appliance manufactured by the Eagle Engineering Co., Ltd., of Eagle Works,
Warwick. This is a road sprinkling outfit, to 'which has been added a centrifugal pump which is capable of filling the tank or or being used for fire extinguishing or for drainage purposes.
On to any .chassis, according to the wishes of the purchasers, is fitted a 750 gallons cylindrical steel tank, 10 ft. long by 4 ft. In diameter. It has two internal baffle plates to prevent surging of water, and a square manhole, with cover, on the top, being strapped to wood cradles on the chassis frame: Tt has two Warwick sprinkler heads, each capable of operating independently both as to width of spread and 'volume; these sprinklers are gravity fed and give a normal spread a about 25 ft. They
• can be put under pressure if required.
The centrifugal pump, when Ui4ed at a fire, is capable of developing 30 lb. pressure or pumping against a 70 ft. head. It is driven by roller chain from the engine, with a.coupling on. the rounterahait to disengage the drive when . not in use. To fill the tank by means of the pump occupies from eight to nine minutes, and to empty it with the fire pump 23 minutes. The pressure obtained at the jet is 46 lb. per square inch ; under pressure the total width of the spray for road watering can be increased to 75 ft.
The particular make of chassis to which the outfit described has been fitted is a Dennis, and it will be seen from our illustrations that the vehicle, as a watering cart, in no way suffers from the addl.. tion of the gear necessary to make it a double-purpose machine. We hear that the appliance has given complete satisfaction to the purchasers These outfits should have a very .promising future, and they can be obtained through any chassis manufacturer, wild, will experience no trouble in fitting.