APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRES. 



607 



introduction of steam fire engines two and four wheeled reels, drawn 

 by horses, were used as tenders. These have been replaced to a 

 great extent by the modern hose wagon. It is claimed that hose 

 can be drawn from flat coils in a wagon with greater rapidity than 

 from a reel, and when once the hose is out the wagon can be used 

 as an ambulance or to bring supplies. It will be impossible to 

 give the names of the manufacturers of hose reels and wagons, 

 for not only are innumerable firms engaged in the business, but 

 often the apparatus is furnished by local carriage builders. All 

 the makers of steam and hand fire engines and ladder trucks 

 manufacture hose wagons and carriages of every variety. 



For many years the only hose generally used was made of 

 leather, but to-day this has been practically replaced by either 



Fig. 16. Hand Hose Carriage. 



rubber or fabric. Samuel Eastman & Company, East Concord, 

 N. H., make a specially tanned leather hose that is riveted to- 

 gether in such a manner that the friction is reduced to a mini- 

 mum. The nature of the material makes it possible to place per- 

 manent leather straps at frequent intervals, thereby aiding the 

 firemen in handling. 



Rubber hose is made by combining fabric with solid rubber. 

 In heavy hose an inner lining of rubber is combined with light 

 cotton, and an outside lining is combined with heavier cotton. 

 These two are firmly cemented together with the laps on opposite 

 sides. It has been seen that fabric hose was invented in Holland 

 in 1672, but generally discarded as being impracticable. The 

 early canvas hose of this century was made of sail cloth riveted 

 together, and was never very successful. The jacket hose of to- 

 day is woven seamless and lined with rubber. Another seamless 



