Canadian Forestry Journal, January, ipi6. 



i61 



be guarded against causes of 

 fire and conditions favorable to 

 its spread, must be equipped 

 with means for discovering, re- 

 porting and reaching fires and 

 must be manned with a reliable 

 body of fire fighters, stationed 

 at the points of greatest need." 

 In my opinion, to this should also 

 be added modern mechanical fight- 

 ing apparatus with which to fight 

 forest fires. 



Many forest fire fighters have 

 placed their views on record in this 

 particular direction and in the words 

 of one of them : "It was found that 

 merely the quick and accurate lo- 

 cating and reporting of fires in con- 

 junction with the old methods of 

 fire-fighting with pine tops, wet 

 gunny sacks, shovels, etc., did not by 

 any means suffice for fire control." 

 Again I quote the utterances of an- 

 other: "It was found that the most 

 energetic use of the old ordinary 

 methods of fire fighting was entirely 

 inadequate." 



Need of Better Apparatus. 



The question of supplementing the 

 old fashioned fire fighting equip- 

 ment, namely, the pine top, gunny 

 sack, axe, shovel, mattock and water 

 pail — for old-fashioned they are in 

 these days of modern trend toward 

 mechanical devices, has been one of 

 the problems under consideration by 

 the officers of the Dominion Parks 

 Branch, Department of the Interior 

 of Canada, for some considerable 

 time. It was conceded there was a 

 need for some mechanical device 

 that would place in the hands of for- 

 est fire fighters a means whereby 

 water could be taken from a natural 

 or artificial source of supply to the 

 scene of a fire in sufficient quantities 

 that would make the use and adop- 

 tion of such mechanical devices prac- 

 ticable. 



The aim was to devise some me- 

 chanical method of transporting 

 water from the nearest source of 

 supply to the fire. This meant the 



adoption of a suitable type of en- 

 gine and pump with water line. Af- 

 ter studying various types and 

 arrangements of engines and pumps 

 and keeping in mind the vital ques- 

 tion of weight, portability and easy 

 manipulation, a marine type two- 

 cylinder gasoline motor was decided 

 upon to supply power. This was 

 coupled to a special rotary pump and 

 the whole and necessary attach- 

 ments were mounted on a single 

 base. The principle worked out is 

 based somewhat on city fire fighting 

 methods, that of engine, pump and 

 hose ; in practice, the placing of the 

 engine and pump at a source of 

 water supply and forcing water 

 through a line of hose to the scene 

 of a fire. There were, however, 

 many factors that had to be taken 

 into consideration, principally that 

 of portability, which governed 

 weight. Three other features, to 

 which much attention was given 

 were quantity of water per given 

 time, distance, and height water 

 could be delivered. These features 

 combined were in turn governed by 

 the amount of power it was found 

 possible to develop, which in turn 

 was governed b y the greatest 

 amount of horse power it was pos- 

 sible to get out of the assembled 

 parts without exceeding a fixed 

 weight. Ultimately a gasoline port- 

 able pumping unit No. 1 was built. 

 This outfit will pump approximately 

 20 gallons of water per minute, and 

 has actually in tests lifted water 172 

 feet, vertical height. In a capacity 

 test, water was pumped through 

 1,500 feet of 1^ inch hose to a 

 height of approximately 85 feet. A 

 description of the outfit in detail fol- 

 lows : 



Base of Aluminum. 

 Engine, marine type 2 cylinder, 2 

 cycle, water-cooled, rated 4 to 5 

 H. P. Exhaust manifolds of copper, 

 Ignition, Bosch magneto, driven 

 from fly-wheel shaft. Circulating 

 water is taken from delivery side of 

 pump and regulated by a small valve. 



