64 BULLETIN . 801, V. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Hose houses have been standardizecl fully by the insurance boards, 

 from whom complete drawings and specification may be obtained. 

 The general requirements are that each hydrant should be equipped 

 with 100 feet of hose attached to hydrant and nozzle and an addi- 

 tional 100 feet coiled on the shelf; there should be one additional 

 play pipe holder, four spanner wrenches, and one heavy mill lantern 

 and two axes ; unless the hydrant is controlled by a large hand wheel, 

 there should be a wrench always attached and a spare wrench at 

 hand. Hj^drants should be frost proof and two or three way — ^that is, 

 they should have two or three outlets. It is desirable that the out- 

 lets be equipped with gate valves. If the warehouse is located in or 

 near a city the hose couplings should have the same thread as that 

 used by the city fire department or else adapters — coupling with 

 threads to fit the city connection on one end and the. regular thread 

 on the other end — should be provided. The play pipe referred to 

 should be a smooth copper or brass tapered tube, 30 inches long, 

 wound and painted. It should terminate with a 1^-inch nozzle. The 

 hose should be 2|-inch cotton, rubber lined. Its durability is im- 

 proved by running water through it several times a year. When this 

 is done care should be taken to see that the cotton fabric is well dried 

 before the hose is put away, . 



The subject of standardization of hydrant and hose threads is of 

 great importance and lack of standardization has caused serious fire 

 losses. Notable among such cases is that of the cotton fire of Au- 

 gusta, Ga., in 1916, when fire forces with hose were sent from 

 Waynesboro, (32 miles), from Macon (125 miles), and from At- 

 lanta (171 miles), all to find themselves unable to use any of their 

 hose because the threads did not fit the hydrants at Augusta. The 

 estimated property loss was over $4,000,000. It is sometimes the 

 case that city threads are not standard and therefore should be 

 changed. In such instances it will be well for the new warehouse 

 equipment to conform to the "National Standard" and be equipped 

 with " adapters " during the time the city equipment is not standard. 



The hydrants should be on mains of not less than 6-inch diameter 

 with supply connection of equal size, or greater as the size of the 

 plant demands. The mains should be arranged to form a loop 

 system divided into sections so that the forced abandonment of a 

 flowing hydrant would not dissipate the pressure or supply of 

 water. This also allows repairs to be made with a minimum of 

 interference to the system. Hydrants and valves should not be 

 located nearer the building than 50 feet as the heat from fire 

 might otherwise make their use impossible. If the court between 

 buildings has to be less than 100 feet (a deplorable condition) or 



