February i, 1908.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



141 



The Quality of New York City's Fire Hose. 



THE extent of llie supplies of fire liose at the command 

 of the New York city fire department, and the condition 

 of the hose, h'lve received no little attention of late from 

 the New York Board of Fire Underwriters, which has com- 

 miniicated on the subject with the city authorities. The under- 

 writers do not hesitate to assert that the supply is deficient anci 

 the quality of much of the hose very poor, and some remedial 

 action by the city is demanded. 



A special investigation, extending to the hose in every engine 

 liouse in the city and the fire department repair shop, was made 

 by the engineers of the National Board of Fire Underwriters, 

 the results of which are detailed in a report signed by Henry W. 

 Eatoti, chairman of the committee on water supply and fire de- 

 partment of the New York board of underwriters, with accom- 

 panying papers, which have been placed before Francis J. Lan- 

 try, commissioner of the fire department, with the request that 

 they be transmitted to the mayor. 



The Short.\ce of Hose. 

 At the end of November, 1907, according to the reports under 

 review, many of the companies were equipped with an insufficient 

 amount of hose. The deficit in the boroughs of Manhattan and 

 the Bronx was estimated at 40,150 feet — 548 lengths of 2% inch, 

 192 of 3 inch, and (>}, of zVz inch hose — which amount was likely 

 to be increased before new supplies could be obtained. To sup- 

 ply this deficiency, however. 35,000 feet of 23/2 inch hose had been 

 • ordered, for delivery in February, to be distributed over the 

 five boroughs of the city. No other sizes had been ordered, 

 except for the fire boats. The new hose is to be paid for out of 

 the city's IQ08 appropriation. No hose was paid for out of the 

 1907 appropriation, though some hose was delivered to the city 

 during the last year which was ordered before the beginning 

 of the year and paid for out of the 1906 appropriation. 



Poor Qu.\litv Alleged. 

 The remarks on tlie condition of tlic hose are prefaced by 

 the remark : 



"Testing of the hose under pressure [by the underwriters' 

 engineers] was not permitted, as the department officials 

 were apprehensive lest a large amount would burst when 

 subjected to a suitable testing pressure, nor has the depart- 

 ment made its regular yearly test (at 180 pounds pressure) 

 for the past two years for the same reason." 

 It is stated in the report that hose for the New York fire de- 

 partment is purchased by competitive bidding from the different 

 manufacturers, the successful bidders being required to give 

 bonds to fulfill certain guarantees. Specifications for the pur- 

 chase of fire hose were first adopted in 1902, and previous to 

 1905 they agreed closely with the makers' standard practice. In 

 190S new specifications were adopted by the fire department, con- 

 taining many variations from those previously in use, and vari- 

 ous changes have been made since that time, so that the present 

 specifications dififer materially from the standard practice of the 

 manufacturers ; indeed to such an extent that while the depart- 

 ment's specifications call for a lining of a superior quality of 

 rubber, the hose is not so durable as that regularly made by some 

 manufacturers. 



The result of this situation, the report says, is that the few 

 manufacturers who tender for fire hose for New York under pres- 

 ent conditions give the three year guarantee required un- 

 willingly, although they stand ready to guarantee their regular 

 brands made under their own specifications for five years. New 

 York specifications for rubber hose are worded in a general 

 manner, those for cotton rubber lined hose are so worded as 

 to allow only certain manufacturers to bid on a given specifi- 

 cation. 



It is asserted that hose of all kinds purchased under the later 

 specifications is giving unsatisfactory service, much of it bursting 

 before the three year guarantee expires, and at a much lower 

 pressure than is guaranteed by the maker. Of 1,837 lengths of 

 2>i inch on hand January i, 1907, purchased in 1904, 1905, and 

 1906, 351 lengths, or 19 per cent., burst during 1907, while of 

 1,597 lengths purchased between 1893 and 1902. only 281 lengths, 

 or I7"4 per cent., burst, although the latter was older hose and 

 had already done hard service. 



In 40 large fires in the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx, 

 from January to November inclusive, 1907, no less than 460 

 lengths of hose, or 23,000 feet, burst and were rendered useless. 

 .\t 22 of these fires hose was burst in excess of 10 lengths each. 

 "More important still," says the report, "is the fact that in quite 

 a large number of cases hose burst at a pressure of not exceed- 

 ing 200 pounds, and even in some instances at as low a pressure 

 as 60 pounds !"' 



Reference is made to the fact that 75,300 feet of hose owned 

 by the New York department has been in use for over seven 

 years, and, while this fact in itself is not a condemnation, the 

 engineers cannot feel but that great risk is run by the city in 

 continuing to use hose which in the nature of things is subject 

 to deterioration from age and use. It is recommended that all 

 such hose ought to be put to suitable test without delay. 



The Underwriters' Suggestions. 

 Based upon the facts elicited by the investigation referred to in 

 these reports, certain recommendations have emanated from the 

 office of the National Board of Fire Underwriters, which are 

 printed here in full as follows: 



NATIONAL BOARD OF FIRE UNDERWRITERS. 



New York, December 20, 1907. 

 George W. Hoyt, Esq., Chairman Committee on Fire Prevention New 

 York Citv: 



De.\r Sir : In conformity with a resolution adopted at the 

 meeting of the committee on fire prevention, held on the 19th 

 instant, a number of recommendations are submitted herewith 

 supplemental to report on the condition of hose in the New 

 York fire department. 



This, you will recall, is done at the special request of Mr. 

 George W. Babb, as president of the New York Board of Fire 

 Underwriters, in order that the subject of bringing about im- 

 provements may be brought to the attention of the proper city 

 authorities. 



These recommendations apply to conditions in the boroughs 

 of Manhattan and the Bronx only, and are as follows : 



1. That the department purchase (in addition to amount re- 

 cently ordered) 20,000 feet of 2jl-inch, 20,000 feet of 3-inch and 

 5,000 feet of 3J^-inch hose, to be distributed in Manhattan, 

 especially below Fifty-ninth street ; this hose to be delivered at 

 the earliest possible date. 



2. That this hose be purchased under a 300-pound, four year 

 guarantee, with specifications worded in a general way so as to 

 permit makers of either rubber hose or cotton, rubber lined hose 

 to bid. 



3. That rubber lining be of not less than 3 calenders and not 

 less than 1-16 inch thick, no maximum limits being set. 



4. That every section purchased be subjected to a pressure 

 of 200 pounds per square inch at the factory, in the presence of 

 a representative of the New York fire department. 



5. That on delivery one length in each lot of 5, taken at ran- 

 dom, be subjected to the guaranteed pressure of 300 pounds, 

 any failure to be cause of rejecting entire lot of five lengths. 



6. That the stretching test for rubber lining be from 2 inches 

 to to inches (instead of 12 inches), with a permanent set of Y^ 

 inch. 



