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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



jacket is pulled over this, and as many more as may be desired, 

 the heaviest hose being four or five ply. The fabric is treated 

 with chemicals that it may be rot-proof, and the rubber lining is 

 either made by cementing in a sheet of rubber, thereby making 

 one long seam the length of the hose, or by a patented process, in 

 making a seamless lining from melted rubber. The number of 

 companies in the United States engaged either wholly or partly 

 in the manufacture of rubber or fabric fire hose is too numerous 

 to mention. 



Fire hose must not only stand the heavy pressure of the pow- 

 erful streams, but it must not be affected by the wear and tear of 

 being drawn over rough pavements and around various corners 

 while the heavy pressure is on. It must not absorb so much water 



Fig. 17. Hose Wagon. 



from the outside that it becomes too heavy to handle, nor should 

 it be of a nature to allow mud to adhere to its surface. The in- 

 terior lining must be absolutely smooth, as the slightest friction 

 materially affects the force of the stream. Fire hose has to be 

 washed in a washing machine, and then dried by hanging in hose 

 towers, after every fire, otherwise the length of its life would be 

 greatly lessened. 



Suction hose is of large diameter. It is made of heavy rubber, 

 and wound either inside or out with round or flat wire to give it 

 strength. When water is drawn from a hydrant the suction hose 

 is coupled to an opening of its size, but a large strainer is always 

 carried to use when taking water from the harbor, lakes, etc. 



There are a great many different hose couplings in use, both 

 screw and snap. The Rhode Island Coupling Company, of Provi- 

 dence, and many other firms engaged in the manufacture of other 

 apparatus, furnish the screw couplings. The National Coupling 

 Company, of Pomona, Cal., has introduced a very serviceable 



