The Franklin Times
Pwbi'* ' !??'? Tu?vd?y A Thur?d?y S*>?m? All Of Prank Im C*vnty
Page 9 Thursday, August 8, 1968 99th Year-Number 50
-The History Of Fire Fighting ~
New York (NAPS)-- Next
time you hear the shrill sound
of a fire engine racing along
to a local blaze, give a
thought to the early days of
American fire fighting with
its colorful engines and coura
geous volunteers.
An entire town during Co
lonial times would turn out
for a fire, everyone shouting
the alarm to his neighbor
who, likely as not, was al
ready shouting the news to
the next house; the heavy
engine was dragged through
the streets; men appeared
with axes, chains, ropes, buc
kets, saws and other tools
which might be handy;
animals squealed and bel
lowed, while impossible num
bers of boys scurried about
vying with one another to be
most in the way. Despite such
feverish activity, however, the
fire was often not extinguish
ed-particuiarly if it had made
any headway at all.
Surprisingly enough, the
fire engines used at this time
go back to the second cen
tury B.C. -and are based on a
Greek mechanic's invention
of the force pump. The appa
ratus is lavishly described in
several books of the time, and
seems to have met all the
needs of the people, except
one; it had a tendency to fall
apart!
During the Middle Ages
there was at least variety in
the methods of fire fighting,
if not much practicality; men
alternated between an old
standby, the bucket brigade,
and the latest innovations:
hand squirts and syringes.
A complete set of fire
fighting equipment of the
16th century consisted of a
squirt, three buckets, a sledge
hammer and two firehooks.
The hooks were used for pull
ing down burning roofing,
and one still hangs ready on a
wall in the main street of
West Lavington, in England.
In the late 16th century,
however, a sturdier fire-pump
was introduced with moder
ate success. An engine of the
time consisted of a pump
mounted in a tub of water on
a sledge. The pump handle
was worked by two men; a
third directed the feeble
stream of water issuing from
a tube, while the fourth mem
ber of the team replenished
the water in the tub-with a
bucket!
The Great Fire of London
in 1966, which demolished
90 churches and more than
13,000 houses, naturally
stimulated a concern (or fire
engines and better fire fight
ing methods. It also prompt
ed the organization of in
surance underwriting com
panies -which issued destinc
tive metal fire marks to the
owner of buildings that were
to be insured.
The largest collection of
British and American fire
marks-as well as fire fighting
equipment through the ages
is located in The Firefighting
Museum of The Home In
surance Company, in New
York City. Founded by Har
old V. Smith, an untiring
collector and for many years
the President of Home Insur
ance. the museum also has on
display models of early hand
pump engines, toy fire equip
ment of yesterday, and doz
ens of fine prints and wood
cuts.
Other museum features in
clude ornate silver and brass
trumpets, helmets, hat fronts,
watchman's alarms, buckets,
salvage bags, ancient syringes,
and extinguishers-in fact,
practically every item pertain
ing to early American fire
fighting days and the insur
ance industry.
The museum is open to
the public by appointment
SAVE ON ALL FLAVORS
HALF GALLON
Mello Ice Cream
79
Creamy good Mello Ice Cream
Half Gallons are now on
special. Try a half gallon today
and you will be back for
more!
Take Enough For The Whole Family To Enjoy
ICE CREAM 0^ 0^ b
FREEZER PAK 4 - 2.95
TERRIFIC FOR DIETERS OR NON DIETERS
GRANNY'S FAVORITE
DESSERT '?
All Flavors MILK
Half Gallon
59*
ENJOY A DELICIOUS GIANT
TRIPLE DIPPER OQa
CONE "V
Available At
Your Mello
Ice Cream
Dealer
only. Tours can be secured by
written permission. The mu
seum is particularly successful
in keeping alive the romance
and adventure of early fire
fighting in this country, parti
cularly in the case of the
colorful and daring volunteer
firemen of New York. These
men, who served without
pay, did so out of devotion
and a sense of pride. They
loved their pumpers, painting
them in bright colors and gay
designs, and worked the hand
bars furiously to outpump
rival volunteer companies.
As an individual, the vol
unteer fireman was expected
to stop whatever he was do
ing. whether at work or at
play, and hasten to his fire
station when the alarm
sounded. If he failed to fol
low the strict rules, he was
fined. In the minute book of
Engine 13, the following en
try was made on January 15,
1807: "Harris Sages' excuse is
received. He says at the time
of fire he was locked in some
one's arms and could not hear
the alarm "-but there is no
comment as to whether he
was fined or "pardoned."
Because of the lack of
dependable water supply, it
was often necessary for the
hand-pumped engines to form
a line, one pumping into
another. At a fire in a food
store at Eldridge and Riving
ton Streets, New York, in the
1860's 23 engines with six
thousand feet of hose were
connected in line to produce
one stream of water.
To the beloved hand-pum
per, time added the steam
pumper, drawn by horses,
which could throw 750 gal
lons of water a minute and
finally the efficient gasoline
or diesel engines and pumps
that we are familiar with to
day.
Fire fighting has qome a
long way from the primitive
bucket brigade, and for that
we can be thankful.
Attend Conference
Mrs. Ialeen Mode, Rolene
Collins and Mrs. Marjorie G.
Leonard are attending the an
nual conference for Vocation
al Home Economics Teachers
at U.N.C.G. from Wednesday
Aug 7th through August
10th.
Dr. Catherine T. Dennis,
recently retired State Supervi
sor of Home Economics, will
be honored at a luncheon on
Wednesday by the Home Eco
nomics Division of the North
Carolina Vocational Associa
tion.
The theme for the con
ference is "Perceiving, Be
coming, Behaving. A Focus
for Home Economics Educa
tion." Dr. Bruce McQuigg,
Education Department, Indi
Masonic Notice
Louisburg Lodge 413 A.F.
& A.M. will hold a stated
communication on Tuesday
evening August 13 at 7:30 in
the Masonic Temple on Jolly
Street. All Master Masons are
fraternally invited.
ana University and Dr. Rebec
ca Smith, UNC-G will high
light the theme by participat
ing on the program.
Mrs. Ernestine Frazier is
State Supervisor of Home
Economics Education and is
also district supervisor for the
Franklin County area.
STYLISH COMBO? Dots and
checks make a happy mixture
in this smart three piece en
semble. Houndstooth checked
cotton corduroy shapes the
vest and skirt with a deep in
verted front pleat. The pin
dotted blouse has a removable
ascot. By Glen of Michigan.
Decoupage
Exhibit
Planned
The final Decoupage class
will meet Monday August 12,
at 8 P.M. in the Home Econo
mics Cottage of the Franklin
ton High School. Please bring
your finished and unfinished
pieces. Those who missed the
series are invited to attend
and enjoy the showing. Direc
tions for the decoupage are
still available and since much
of the work is done at home
you may like to work on
your own.
Also Mrs. Mode will have
directions and samples of sev
eral other handicrafts for
your Christmas projects.
The time for a vacation is
when you can get it. Don't
worry about the work you
leave behind, it will be there
when you return.
Clean up with the Unbeatables
? Great year-end buys from those unbeatable guys ? Newports, Newport Customs, Chrysler 300s, New Yorkers
? Everything goes to wind up a great selling year!
? Act now while there's a good model and color selection
Newport 2-Door Hardtop
FOR YEAR END CLEARANCE BARGAINS ON
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LOUISBURG MOTORS
609 North Bickett Blvd. Louisburg, N. C. D.aier L,cenSe No 2721