HISTORY
FIRE ENGINE DEVELOPMENT EARLY FIRE APPLIANCES RELIED ON EFFORT RATHER THAN EFFECTIVENESS. HERE WE TAKE A PICTORAL LOOK AT THE DEVELOPMENT OF FIREFIGHTING APPLIANCES, FROM THE HAND POWERED PUMPS OF THE 18TH CENTURY UP UNTIL THE AGE OF STEAM, WHICH REVOLUTIONISED THE CAPABILITY OF WHEELED MANUAL PUMPS LIKE THIS ONE WERE DEVELOPED IN THE LATE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY.
Manual Pumps
The latter part of the seventeenth century was a landmark time for the development of the early manually pumped, wheeled fire engine. Prior to this time, pumps were carried to the scene of the fire by firemen, but regular occurrence of serious fires at that time added purpose to the quest for more powerful and efficient fire engines as well as for ancillary equipment to assist in the battle against flames.
RICHARD MASON OF PHILADELPHIA BUILT THIS WHEELED MANUAL PUMP C.1792.
DATING FROM AROUND 1800, THIS MANUAL FIRE ENGINE SAW SERVICE AT THE WOOLWICH ARSENAL ORDNANCE MILITARY DEPOT, IN SOUTH-EAST LONDON.
FIREFIGHTING SERVICES. Horse Power A further improvement in firefighting came when manual pumps were mounted on horse-drawn chassis. Apart from increased mobility and response speed, this development also meant that manufacturers could produce heavier and more powerful pumping units. Better design, stronger metal components and more robust pumping mechanisms combined to keep manual fire engine development moving forward at a steady pace.
HORSE-DRAWN VEHICLES, CARRYING PUMPS AND MEN, SPEEDED UP RESPONSE TO A FIRE.
IN THE LATE NINETEENTH CENTURY, BUSY FIRE BRIGADES BRED AND KEPT THEIR OWN HORSES AT BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS.
THIS MODEL 1881 MERRYWEATHER MANUAL FIRE ENGINE CARRIED A TOOLBOX ON WHICH THE FIREMEN SAT AS THEY WERE TRANSPORTED AT SPEED TO THE FIRE.
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