,the ,steam ,,fire ,,engine and the old-time fire bell ,illustration3 ,the steam fire engine on display in ,carillon ,park represents the third1 and perhaps most colorful1 phase of man's long battle against fire4 ,during the time of the bucket brigade1 fire-fighting was carried on without the help of machinery4 ,a great step forward occurred with development of hand-operated pumping machines in the early #ahth ,century4 ,later1 the steam fire engine replaced human muscle in the operation of the pumps4 ,the modern era of fire-fighting began with use of the internal combustion engine for both motive and pumping power4 ,various photographs and drawings in this booklet were reproduced through the courtesy of the following3 ,the ,h4 ,v4 ,smith ,museum of ,the ,home ,insurance ,company granted permission to reproduce drawings and pictures appearing on ,pages #c1 #f1 #g1 #i1 #aa1 #ad and #ae2 ,the ,dayton ,daily ,news1 the ,dayton ,journal-,herald and the ,american-,la,france-,foamite ,corporation also contributed photographs4 ,illustration3 ,horse-drawn ,fire ,engine ,the steam fire engine--like the ,conestoga wagon1 the ,concord coach and the canal boat--has faded from the ,american scene4 ,but as long as man thrills to the battle against fire1 as long as he is intrigued by intricate machinery and stirred by bold actions1 this wondrous vehicle is not likely to be forgotten4 ,this booklet summarizes the story of the steam fire engine--its birth amid derision1 its growth in utility and popularity1 its golden era of service and its final decline in the face of relentless technical progress4 ,humor and pathos1 heroics and rowdyism1 brilliant inventiveness and indomitable ,yankee spirit comprise the bright pattern of steam fire engine history4 ,these gaudy machines are perhaps as symbolic of life in ,america during the latter half of the #aith ,century as any other mechanical memento left behind by preceding generations4 ,england deserves the credit for invention of the steam fire engine1 but to ,america goes the distinction of having perfected it4 ,nowhere was the steam fire engine more widely used than in the ,united ,states1 with its preponderance of highly inflammable wooden buildings4 ,certainly nowhere else were the caretakers of the glittering engines so zealous in exhibiting their machines' amazing qualities at every opportunity4 ,most of those who knew and admired the steam fire engine during its heyday have departed1 and few of the machines themselves have escaped the final oblivion of the scrap heap4 ,those engines that have been preserved1 however1 attest to the craftsmanship of their makers4 ,in symmetry of design1 sound construction and elegant finish they constitute a classic example of fine ,american manufacture4 ,the cities and hamlets of ,america will not witness again the drama of plunging horses speeding to a fire with a heavy1 smoke-belching engine clattering behind2 the piercing alarm of the steam fire whistle has been stilled4 ,the era to which these things belonged lives now only in memory1 pictures and words4 ,this booklet has been prepared to help recapture for present-day readers at least a segment of that vanished world4 ,leather ,buckets and 8,musheens0 ,illustration3 ,a ,fire ,brigade ,although fire is one of man's most useful servants1 it has also been one of his deadliest enemies4 ,most of the great cities of the world at one time or another have been totally destroyed or badly damaged by fire4 ,the number of lives lost to flames down through history will never be known1 but it has been of staggering proportions4 ,early attempts in ,america at doing something about this constant peril consisted mainly of making the best of a bad situation1 since technical knowledge was so limited that development of efficient fire-fighting machines was slow4 ,thus1 in the first fire society1 organized in #agah1 members were charged with salvaging what they could when a neighbor's house caught fire4 ,each man in the society carried a large bag1 into which he stuffed the householder's personal effects before they were consumed by the flames4 ,other equipment included a bed key with which to dismantle the family bed1 usually the most valuable piece of furniture the colonist owned4 ,benjamin ,franklin's broad genius was to make itself felt in the field of fire-fighting as in others4 ,the inventor-statesman was a co-founder of the first fire-fighting company in ,philadelphia1 in #agcf1 and also co-founder of the first successful fire insurance company in the ,united ,states1 in #ageb4 ,the development of fire-fighting machines cannot be claimed exclusively by recent generations4 ,as early as the reign of the ,ptolemies in ,egypt1 some #bjj years before the ,christian era1 a hand-pump fire engine was constructed which was similar to those later used in the #aith ,century4 ,this first known fire engine was described by the ,greek writer ,heron1 who reported that the machine operated through a pump and air-chamber mechanism which forced water out of a spout by means of compressed air4 ,as has frequently happened in the up-and-down course of history1 the techniques involved in the manufacture of this early engine were lost4 ,richard ,newsham of ,london is generally credited with invention of the first successful fire engine of more recent times4 ,one of his hand-pump machines1 an early model in a long line of 8musheens0 7machines71 was imported by the ,city of ,new ,york in #agca and was the first fire engine to be used in that city4 ,in #agdc1 the first successful ,american hand pumper was built by ,thomas ,lote4 ,for the most part1 however1 fire-fighting in colonial ,america was accomplished largely through the centuries-old 8bucket brigade40 ,illustration3 ,the first fire engine used in ,new ,york was this machine imported from ,london in #agca4 ,water was pumped from the 8tub0 at the bottom of the engine out through the 8gooseneck0 hose4 ,power was supplied by sturdy colonists who pumped the handles1 called 8brakes40 ,the engine's water reservoir was filled with buckets4 ,the buckets1 made of leather1 were customarily hung at the front of houses4 ,when an alarm was sounded1 citizens racing to the fire would seize the nearest bucket available4 ,once on the scene of the blaze1 they would locate a source of water and then form two lines between it and the fire4 ,one line1 usually composed of men1 passed the full buckets from hand to hand4 ,the other line1 made up of women and children1 would pass back the empty buckets for refilling4 ,anyone who attempted to break through these lines during the course of a fire was subject to a more complete dousing by the fire-fighters than was the blaze itself4 ,after the fire was extinguished--or when it had burned itself out--the buckets were placed in a central public location and messengers sent throughout the city shouting 8,claim your buckets40 ,this seldom presented a problem1 since most householders labeled their buckets by name1 and some even emblazoned them with brilliant colors and family coats-of-arms4 ,as late as #ahbd fire buckets were the sole means of combating flames in ,dayton4 ,the importance attached to their availability is indicated by an old ordinance which required each citizen to keep two buckets in an easily accessible place on his premises4 ,many cities found1 however1 that their residents were not as dependable in the maintenance of their fire buckets as was desirable4 ,one ,new ,yorker1 it is reported1 used his fire bucket as a container for beans4 ,rushing to a fire one night1 he forgot about the beans and emptied the contents of the bucket into the water reservoir of an old hand-pump fire engine4 ,the bean soup which resulted clogged up the pump and put the apparatus out of commission for the rest of the night4 ,although the largest cities1 and many smaller ones also1 had fire engines in the #ahth ,century1 it was not until #ahbf that ,dayton acquired its first hand pumper4 ,this followed a particularly disastrous fire which destroyed two stores on ,main ,street4 ,meanwhile a volunteer fire company had been organized to replace the old system in which every man served as his own fire department--with whatever help he could get from his neighbors4 ,the new ,dayton fire engine was hardly a model of efficiency2 yet compared with bucket-brigade methods it represented a big step forward4 ,typical of fire engines of that day1 it contained a water reservoir and a pump which operated by means of a crank1 water being forced through a leather hose at the fire or at least in its general direction4 ,fire buckets were still essential1 however1 since they were used to fill the pumper's water reservoir4 ,illustration3 ,the ,dayton hand pumper shown in an old photograph above1 ,niagara ,no4 #a1 once held the ,united ,states record for the highest 8throw0 of water4 ,on ,august #e1 #aheh1 at the canal at ,library ,park it sent a one-inch stream of water through #fjj feet of hose and #bje feet into the air4 ,the engine1 built in ,rhode ,island1 was an 8end-stroke0 type4 ,its suction hose did away with the need to fill the reservoir with buckets1 provided a water source was available4 ,in #ahcj another small engine was purchased by ,dayton for #cjj and a second volunteer fire company of thirty-two men was organized4 ,but the often-singed ,daytonians apparently were still not satisfied with the protection offered4 ,acting on 8a very large and respectable petition of the citizens for a good engine for the use of the town10 the ,council authorized purchase of a bigger machine4 ,called the 8,independent10 the new pumper had two sets of handles1 called brakes1 and was manned by twenty volunteers on each side4 ,pumping it was back-breaking work1 necessitating 8spelling0 of the volunteers from time to time1 but results were much improved4 ,to house the ,independent1 the city erected a building at ,third and ,main ,streets1 which became headquarters for the new company of #ajj volunteers which was formed to handle the engine4 ,it was about this time that reliance on nearby wells or the ,miami-,erie ,canal as sources of water was abandoned4 ,cisterns were built at ,first and ,main1 ,third and ,main and ,fifth and ,main for use of the fire-fighters4 ,the first successful fire hydrant had been developed about #ahbj1 but was not adopted in ,dayton until many years later4 ,from a wooden plug inserted to stop up the opening in the early hydrants1 the term fireplug originated4 ,illustration3 ,shown above is a famous ,new ,york hand pumper1 the 8,old ,maid40 ,one of the most powerful and ornate engines of its day1 this 8musheen0 even had a keg for spirituous liquors attached to the tongue4 ,when their water supply was distant1 firemen often pumped water from one engine to the next4 ,rival companies then tried to 8wash0 the engine ahead by overflowing its reservoir4 ,a 8washed0 engine was said to be no longer a maiden4 ,the 8,old ,maid0 received its unusual name because for a long time no rival engine managed to 8wash0 it4 ,illustration3 ,called 8,mankiller0 because it was difficult to pump1 this engine was one of the most powerful hand-operated machines ever built4 ,it reportedly could throw a stream of water higher and farther than many steam fire engines built years later4 ,this type of hand pumper was known as a 8haywagon0 because of its rack-like brakes4 ,in #ahce the ,dayton ,city ,council agreed to pay 8fifty cents to each of the sextons of the several churches1 as well as to the sheriff1 for ringing their respective bells at each fire to give the alarm more generally to the citizens40 ,it was not until ten years later1 in ,boston1 that the first telegraphic fire alarm was developed4 ,the new system employed fire-alarm boxes1 similar to those in use today1 which sent the alarm to a central point1 from which alarm bells were struck electrically1 replacing the old church bell method4 ,illustration3 ,old-time volunteer firemen often wore flamboyant uniforms1 although their habitual attire at fires was the clothing they happened to be wearing when the alarm sounded4 ,the 8vamps0 bought their own uniforms and took great pride in the appearance of their companies at such public events as parades4 ,between #ahcj and #ahej1 hand pumpers were being improved in many ways4 ,the old 8tub0 engines with water reservoirs which had to be filled with buckets eventually gave way to suction pumpers4 ,these machines still employed a water reservoir but the tank was filled--provided a dependable water source was available--through a heavy hose which drew water into the engine4 ,unfortunately1 a good water supply was not always close at hand4 ,when the water supply was distant1 the engines would be formed in line and water pumped from one engine to the reservoir of the next4 ,at one ,new ,york fire1 more than thirty engines were lined up for a mile and a half in order to produce a single small stream of water4 ,when operating in a line1 the companies usually engaged in one of their most popular contests--that of trying to 8wash0 the engine ahead of them4 ,an engine was said to be washed when its reservoir was filled to overflowing by the superior pumping power of the engine behind4 ,to allow this to happen was considered a great disgrace4 ,handicapped by an inefficient engine1 men in danger of being washed would often speed up their pumping to the rate of #abj strokes a minute1 a pace that could be maintained for only a few minutes even by the most rugged4 ,when thoroughly fatigued1 a volunteer would drop off the pump handles and another man would rush in to take his place4 ,during high operating speeds1 this could be dangerous1 with cuts1 broken fingers and fractured arms resulting4 ,an unfortunate counterpart of the technical gains achieved in fire-fighting during the hand-pump period was the sharp increase in rivalry among different volunteer companies4 ,in many cases this spirit of competition spilled over into acts of violence4 ,not content to use fair means of reaching a fire first1 some rival volunteer companies put obstructions in front of their competitors' engines1 chopped hose to ribbons and broke into fisticuffs at every opportunity2 one famous battle in ,manhattan lasted for several hours4 ,many companies found the sidewalks smoother than the streets2 whenever possible they pulled their engines at full speed down the sidewalk1 scattering hapless pedestrians aside like ten pin's4 ,the spirit of the day was 8,go as you please0 and 8,hit a head wherever you see one40 ,if fists wouldn't do the job1 wrenches and axes were called upon4 ,if they were insufficient1 even firearms were sometimes employed4 ,such behaviour was not confined only to the largest cities4 ,dayton historian ,charlotte ,reeve ,conover reported that 8,sometime during the fifties the fire companies changed in personnel4 ,the solid citizens took to lying abed and letting the boys about town fight fires1 with the result that demoralization set in which put an end to the volunteer system4 ,it was competition which ruined them40 ,she adds1 8,it will not be found surprising that in time there came to be something that ,daytonians dreaded worse than a fire1 and that was the ,fire ,department40 ,the extent of the inter-company rivalry was dramatized by a memorable street battle which occurred in #ahef in ,dayton4 ,while fire was destroying a carpentry shop1 the 8,vigilance0 and the 8,deluge0 fire companies began arguing over which should take the more advantageous position for battling the flames4 ,eventually the fire was forgotten as the volunteers engaged in a free-for-all4 ,one fireman during the course of the fight was mortally injured when hit on the head with a brick4 ,this incident was only one of several which led to the disbandment of ,dayton's volunteer fire companies in #ahfc and the setting up of a regular paid fire department4 ,it was during the pre-,civil ,war period of strife1 and only forty miles southwest of ,dayton1 that an unknown mechanical genius named ,moses ,latta was perfecting the steam fire engine4 ,although the ,cincinnatian's development would one day make the old hand pumpers as obsolete as the fire buckets which preceded them1 it would still be some time yet before the full significance of his work was realized4 ,illustration3 ,intense rivalry among volunteer companies in the era of the hand pumpers frequently resulted in street fights4 ,one battle began when two companies argued over use of a fire hydrant4 ,the so-called hydrant later turned out to be only a half-buried cannon used as a hitching post4 8,uncle ,joe ,ross0 ,arrives ,moses ,latta was not the first man to harness steam as a replacement for muscles in fire-fighting4 ,the earliest steam fire engine had been fashioned in #ahbi in ,london by ,george ,braithwaite1 a noted engineer4 ,his assistant on the project was ,john ,ericsson1 who more than three decades later was to win recognition in this country as the designer of the ironclad 8,monitor0 of ,civil ,war fame4 ,appropriately dubbed the 8,novelty10 ,braithwaite's steam fire engine never captured the public's fancy1 although a few were sold on the ,continent1 one purchaser being the ,king of ,prussia4 ,in #ahcc ,braithwaite gave up his project4 ,the idea would not die quite so easily1 however4 ,in #ahdj another ,english engineer1 ,paul ,hodge1 built a steam fire engine for several ,new ,york insurance companies which were finding the fire-fighting inefficiency of that day extremely costly4 ,hodge's engine never had a fair chance4 ,for a long time not a single volunteer company in ,new ,york would undertake to man the cumbersome machine1 fearing it would replace the volunteers' beloved hand-pump engines and spoil what had become their favorite pastime--fighting fires in the rough and tumble old-fashioned way4 ,after a little pressure1 however1 one fire company agreed to operate the machine1 and a trial period of several months followed4 ,almost immediately1 the firemen began grumbling about the engine's awkwardness4 ,they also claimed it didn't produce enough steam4 ,the constant derision that had greeted their innovation finally discouraged the sponsoring insurance companies4 ,concluding that the loss in the volunteers' morale more than outweighed any advantages offered by steam1 they dropped their short-lived crusade1 and sold ,hodge's engine to a manufacturing firm4 ,there it served the remainder of its days in the unglamorous role of a stationary engine4 ,the same ,john ,ericsson who in #ahbi worked with ,george ,braithwaite on the world's first steam fire engine1 designed one of his own in #ahda4 ,but even though the engine looked good on paper1 it was never actually built4 ,the old aversion to progress by firemen of the day was responsible4 ,not only ,new ,york but other cities as well were guilty of similar heel-dragging4 ,in #ahea1 a ,philadelphian named ,william ,lay came up with another engine design4 ,but again1 antipathy1 on the part of firemen prevented the engine from ever emerging beyond the drawing board4 ,fearful--and rightly so--that the advent of steam would spoil their 8sport0 and excitement1 the firemen would not budge4 ,such was the setting when1 in #aheb1 ,moses ,latta of ,cincinnati developed his first steam fire engine4 ,this earliest ,latta engine was only an experimental model1 but it was good enough to prompt the ,cincinnati city fathers in #ahec to loosen their municipal purse strings to the extent of #e1jjj for construction of the world's first successful steam fire engine1 the 8,uncle ,joe ,ross40 ,a colorful account of ,latta and his engine appears in ,william ,t4 ,king's 8,the ,american ,steam ,fire ,engine40 ,describing ,latta in his workshop1 ,king wrote3 8,it was a long1 high room1 the walls on the east side being hung with drawings of the engine4 ,beneath the drawings ran a long workbench1 and at this stood a man2 a very diminutive specimen of humanity1 short and spare1 stoop-shouldered1 even to deformity4 8,he had a square1 white-paper hat on his head1 and was busy measuring something4 ,while looking at him1 the stranger saw that his head redeemed his poor body2 for it was massive1 and the eyes had in them the light of genius44440 ,illustration3 ,one of the most noted of the early steamers was 8,manhattan ,no4 #h40 ,in #ahfc it was shipped from ,new ,york to ,london with a crew of men to compete in an international water-throwing contest4 ,after explaining the wonders of his invention1 ,latta is said to have told a visitor3 8,the trouble is that there is no certainty that this1 or any other steam fire engine1 will ever be allowed to work at a fire4 ,you are probably not aware how bitter is the feeling of the volunteer firemen against this engine4 ,they say it shall never throw a stream of water on a fire in this city2 and ,i sometimes fear that ,i shall never live to see this grand idea brought into the service of the world4 ,the recent riots here show what a mob can do in our city4 ,my steps are dogged4 ,spies are continually on my track 444 threatening me with all sorts of ills and evils unless ,i drop work on this engine and pronounce it a failure4 8,i'll never give up6 ,i'll build it1 and there are enough men in this city to see that it has a fair trial2 and it shall have it4 ,when it is finished1 it will be heard from at the first fire1 and woe to those who stand in its way40 ,as the date of the trial approached1 the ,cincinnati firemen were in ferment4 ,it would never do to destroy the engine before the trial1 they reasoned4 ,on the other hand1 if the trial proved successful1 it would be equally risky to destroy the engine then4 ,consequently1 a plan was formulated3 make no demonstration of any kind at the trial1 but--if the engine was a success--wait for its first appearance at the scene of a real blaze4 ,then wreck the engine and render equally useless anyone who contributed to its operation4 ,illustration3 ,in this photograph taken in #aiji1 a steamer is pulled past old ,steele ,high ,school4 ,the occasion was a parade which honored the ,wright brothers4 ,the trial was a great success1 exceeding even ,latta's highest hopes1 and now the whole city waited for the first fire on which the 8,uncle ,joe ,ross0 would be used4 ,they did not have to wait long4 ,a few nights after the trial1 a large warehouse broke into flames in the middle of the night4 ,historian ,king describes what followed3 8,down came the great steam fire engine1 four mammoth gray horses in front of it at a gallop2 the smoke streaming from its stack1 the fire flashing from its grates4 ,its ponderous wheels ground the cobblestones into powder as they struck them2 and as the great monster went down the hill1 people woke as out of a trance and started after it 444 the time had come40 ,the engine had just started to 8play0 water on the flames when a cry rang out3 8,the hose is cut40 ,the volunteer firemen had taken the first step in carrying out their plan4 ,then occurred one of the most critical of all the melees that characterized fire-fighting of that time--a pitched battle between ordinary citizens and the irate volunteer firemen4 ,fortunately for the engine1 for ,latta and for the public in general1 the citizens proved the stronger4 ,thoroughly whipped1 the firemen gave up the struggle and the big steamer soon had drowned out the fire4 ,the next day ,latta found himself the hero of ,cincinnati4 ,although few were aware of it at the time1 the era of the steam fire engine had finally arrived4 8,we ,do ,save0 444 ,through ,steam ,illustration3 ,this view of the ,dayton firehouse at ,main and ,monument shows a steamer and a ladder wagon1 with their crews4 ,the year is #aiaj4 ,the advent of steam in the age-old field of fire-fighting soon swept aside most of the old hand-operated engines4 ,it also cleared away many of the impediments to fire-fighting efficiency inherent in the old volunteer system4 ,operating a steam fire engine required something more than sheer brute power and the ability to 8knock in0 sundry heads4 ,thus it was not coincidence that saw most volunteer fire companies being replaced by professional fire fighters about the same time hand pumpers were succeeded by steamers4 ,cincinnati had pioneered the first successful steam fire engine1 and it was ,cincinnati that established the first paid fire department in #ahec--the same year that marked the triumph of ,moses ,latta's ponderous 8,uncle ,joe ,ross40 ,the ,queen ,city was also the first to have an all-steam fire department4 ,dayton followed her neighbor's example a decade later when three steamers were purchased following the burning of the old ,dayton ,journal by a mob incensed over ,civil ,war issues4 ,this famous blaze proved to be the last stand of the old volunteers and also the final time that hand pumpers were operated in ,dayton without the assistance of steam fire engines4 ,early in #ahfd the ,dayton ,city ,council resolved that 8an appropriation be made in favor of fire department for the sum of #cjj1 payable to the chief of said department for the payment of employed men1 purchase of feed1 etc40 ,it was also decided that 8compensation of engineers of steam fire engines shall be #ej per month and the firemen1 drivers and pipemen shall be #cf per month until further ordered by ,council40 ,at the same time a paid fire department was established in ,dayton1 the ,council summarily disbanded all the volunteer organizations as of ,march #a1 #ahfd4 ,the reputation of the volunteers at the time of disbandment must have been at an all-time low4 ,nowhere in its various resolutions did the ,council extend a single word of thanks for the colorful vamps' 7volunteers'7 four decades of service without pay4 ,the rowdy behavior of the old-time volunteers is in sharp contrast to the efficient community service performed by today's volunteer firemen4 ,illustration3 ,fire marks1 which were usually metal plaques1 first appeared in the #agth ,century4 ,they were issued by insurance companies which maintained their own fire brigades4 ,if a burning house bore the fire mark of a company1 that company's fire-fighters would lend assistance4 ,if not1 they customarily refused to help4 ,after fire-fighting became a community effort1 however1 fire marks were simply a form of advertising4 ,shown above are the fire marks of three ,dayton insurance companies4 ,the ,cooper mark was issued in #ahfg4 ,illustration3 ,the ,columbia mark's issuance date is unknown4 ,illustration3 ,the ,dayton ,insurance ,company mark was issued in #ahea4 ,by now1 conversion to steam was taking place throughout the ,united ,states4 ,the steam fire engine1 often called a 8bulljine10 could run for hours without tiring4 ,it made its debut in cities large and small1 and firehouses began to assume some of the aspects of livery barns1 since the steamers were usually too heavy to be pulled by men4 ,hay and oats soon came to be as much a part of fire department supplies as hose and axes1 although just as firemen had opposed steamers as an insult to their strength1 so they opposed at first the use of horses to pull equipment to the fires4 ,in some cases horses were obtained1 after an alarm was sounded1 at nearby livery barns1 but the delay inherent in this procedure proved prohibitive4 ,as the trend to steam fire engines grew to landslide proportions1 manufacturers of the new machines mushroomed all over the eastern ,united ,states4 ,almost every heavy machine shop which had had any experience with steam brought out an engine4 ,some erstwhile manufacturers never built more than one machine2 others produced hundreds4 ,moses ,latta1 the pioneer in the field1 enjoyed only a few brief years with minor competition1 eventually selling his business4 ,the city or town which wanted to replace its old hand-pump engines and modernize its fire-fighting facilities had a wide choice in steam fire engines4 ,if funds were low and the needs modest1 an engine could be purchased for as little as #hjj4 ,one such economy engine1 built by the ,knowles ,steam ,pump ,works at ,warren1 ,massachusetts1 was as plain and homely as it could be2 it offered no shiny plating or fancy striping1 but it put out fires just the same4 ,at the other extreme were such monsters as those turned out by the ,manchester ,locomotive ,works at ,manchester1 ,new ,hampshire4 ,one of this firm's machines1 the 8,extra ,first ,size10 towered more than ten feet and was almost twenty-five feet long4 ,it weighed four and a half tons minus water1 and was guaranteed to deliver at least #a1ajj gallons a minute4 ,illustration3 ,the fire mark of ,dayton's ,teutonia ,insurance ,company1 shown above1 first appeared about #ahgj4 ,illustration3 ,the mark of the ,farmers ,merchants ,insurance ,company of ,dayton was taken from a building on ,first ,street4 ,it was issued about #ahfe4 ,illustration3 ,this unusual action picture shows a typical three-horse team used for pulling heavier steamers4 ,firehorses were carefully trained4 ,training fire horses to pull the heavy engines was a long and complicated task4 ,the setting off of the fire gong1 which often automatically opened the stable doors1 was the signal for the horse to take his proper place without guidance under the swinging harness which hung from the rafters of the engine house4 ,this was of vital importance2 a wrong or clumsy move would entangle the delicately arranged harness1 delaying the run to the fire4 ,running at full speed over rough and often poorly lighted streets with a several-ton engine rolling behind required perfect coordination with the other horse or horses in the team4 ,animals were often badly injured in falls and had to be destroyed4 ,like race horses1 fire horses had to be kept in top condition4 ,the confining life of the fireman and his constant proximity to and dependence on the horses resulted in close relationships between the men and animals4 ,when a horse grew too old for the demanding fire department life1 his departure from the firehouse for a less arduous job1 such as pulling a delivery wagon1 was usually a touching occasion and a trying one1 too1 since it meant another long breaking-in process for his successor4 ,it is no myth that former firehorses seldom forgot their original training4 ,stories are still heard of how the owners of former fire horses were dragged unwillingly to fires in their buggies and delivery wagons by horses which heard the alarm and immediately responded to their old training4 ,many fire horses could actually tell by the first digit of the alarm whether the fire would be a run for their own company1 and most soon came to realize that a burning building was always their destination4 ,all over ,america1 in cities large and small1 the exciting spectacle of the steam fire engine rumbling to the scene of a blaze became commonplace1 but never so commonplace that it failed to thrill both young and old4 ,the interest in steam fire engines1 which was kindled by various water-throwing contests1 spurred additional competition1 which in turn increased interest in the steamers still further4 ,illustration3 ,like the caretakers of the old hand pumpers1 firemen who operated 8bulljines0 usually kept their equipment in immaculate condition4 ,the steamer shown below has been fitted with a tarpaulin behind the front wheels to keep mud off the engine4 ,as had been the case in the era of the old hand pumpers1 different companies vied for honors in decorative skill also4 ,ornate and costly scrollwork and platings appeared on the engines with increasing frequency4 ,terse mottoes which set forth the firemen's creed1 such as 8,we ,do ,save10 were beautifully lettered on the engines4 ,many a latter-day fire captain climbed his first rung to higher rank by proving to be a capable man with the brass polish in his days as a rookie fireman4 ,the phrase1 8,all dressed up like a fire engine10 had its origin in the loving care given the steamers and the old 8musheens0 which preceded them4 ,illustration3 ,residents of ,detroit lined downtown streets on ,april #aj1 #aibb1 to witness the last run of this steam fire engine4 ,matched horses of high quality were not unusual during the heyday of the steamers4 ,along with pay for firemen also came a more professional stature4 ,the engineer of a steam fire engine in a well-respected company was a man of some standing1 especially among the younger set4 ,the ,american's traditional love for machinery and for gadgets to make his work simpler found one of its most potent outlets in these glittering machines4 ,a locomotive1 its valve gear flashing as the engineer thundered past a ,middle ,west whistle stop1 was a stirring sight at any time1 but it could hardly compare with the glamor inherent in the old fire engine4 ,here were all the wonders of steam with the added dramatic ingredients of danger and the fight against man's eternal enemy1 fire4 ,it is not surprising that 8running with the engine0 became as popular a sport as the church socials or ,saturday night band concerts that characterized ,america in the late #aith ,century4 ,during the heyday of the steamers1 progress in fire-fighting was being made in other directions also4 ,the first aerial ladder truck was perfected in #ahgj and became popular following the famous ,chicago fire of #ahga4 ,the aerial ladders were often called 8big sticks10 and at first were raised by manual power4 ,the water tower1 which placed a powerful stream forty-five to sixty feet in the air1 developed from a 8hose elevator0 constructed before the great ,chicago fire and had a platform which could be raised or lowered4 ,the water tower eventually became one of the fire-fighter's most potent weapons4 ,the sprinkler system was introduced in #ahgd1 and an automatic alarm device used in conjunction with sprinklers has proved to be one of the most effective fire-fighting aids ever devised4 ,the same year1 ,rochester1 ,new ,york1 became the first city to install a high pressure water system1 which delivered water at fireplugs under such great pressure that pumpers were not required1 but the high cost resulted in a delay of twenty-five years until other cities began adopting similar systems4 ,although the steam fire engine brought great gains in fire-fighting efficiency and ended many of the evils inherent in the old volunteer system1 it was not a panacea for all the fire-fighting problems of the time4 ,in most cities1 politicians recognized a good thing when they saw it1 and were quick to take an interest in the newly created paid departments4 ,one historian wrote that ,dayton's paid fire department from #ahfd to #ahhj was under the 8mismanagement of council0 and largely subject to 8the caprice1 partisan aims and hunger of the politicians40 ,but in #ahhj1 disgusted with the estate to which the department had fallen1 the citizens of ,dayton obtained passage in the ,legislature of a bill which created a non-partisan board of fire commissioners4 ,the board immediately appointed ,daniel ,c4 ,larkin as fire chief1 and with this appointment the more modern era in ,dayton fire-fighting history began4 ,the department was reorganized after adoption of the commission-manager form of government in #aiac1 and has continued at a high level of efficiency4 ,the ,steamers' ,last ,stand ,illustration3 ,the above diagram shows how the ,carillon ,park engine operates4 ,heat from the firebox 7,a7 converts the water in the boiler 7,b7 to steam4 ,the steam enters the cylinder 7,c71 causing the piston to move up and down4 ,this motion is transmitted to the piston of the water pump 7,d71 which draws water up through the suction hose and pumps it in the direction of the arrows4 ,the air chamber 7,e7 maintains constant pressure on the water1 causing it to be fed to the nozzle smoothly instead of in spurts4 ,the demise of the steam fire engine was not an overnight occurrence4 ,most of the time-tested machines survived well into the #bjth ,century1 despite the coming of the automobile and the accompanying mechanization of most forms of transportation4 ,at first1 in the early #aijj's1 gasoline tractors were attached to many of the steamers1 retiring the luckier fire horses to pasture and the others to a more strenuous life4 ,as gasoline engines increased in reliability1 however1 the next logical step was to use the gasoline power plant to run the pumps as well as to pull the vehicle4 ,by the advent of ,world ,war ,i1 most large cities had partially converted their fire-fighting equipment to gasoline1 and by the mid-twenties the steamers were making their last stand1 even in the smaller towns4 ,just as the old 8vamps0 had opposed the steamers as replacements for hand pumpers1 so opposition developed when the steamers were in turn replaced by gasoline equipment4 ,many firemen1 willing to concede that the automobile was here to stay1 were not so sure about the gasoline-powered fire truck4 ,a few diehards took a dim view about the internal-combustion engine in general4 ,cries of 8undependable0 and 8cantankerous0 were hurled in answer to talk about substituting gasoline power for the faithful fire horses4 ,such sentimental objections were a strong factor in postponing the death of the steamers4 ,illustration3 ,combination steam-gasoline fire engines bridged the gap between old-time steamers and present-day equipment4 ,this ,dayton engine depended upon an internal combustion engine for motive power1 but used steam to drive its pumps4 ,there was one big advantage to gasoline mechanization1 however1 that could not be shouted down4 ,dependable as they were1 the fire horses cost money4 ,a few gallons of fuel1 it became apparent1 were much cheaper than the constant drain on the supply of hay and oats needed for the horses4 ,according to one estimate1 the savings each year after a gasoline tractor replaced the hungry horses that formerly pulled the steamer amounted to almost #a1jjj4 ,when these economic facts finally became apparent1 it was obvious to most fire departments that all of the sentimental considerations in the world could not arrest the decline of the old steamers4 ,more and more cities1 including ,dayton in #aiaf1 joined the parade to gasoline4 ,at first1 most of the cities replacing their steamers kept some of the old machines in reserve1 but after several years they were usually consigned to the scrap heap1 so that today only a tiny fraction of the machines once in use are still intact4 ,although they date back much farther1 more of the hand pumpers perhaps have been preserved than their successors4 ,in many older towns throughout the ,united ,states the old 8musheens0 are still operated at firemen's festivals and other civic events similar to the old-time firemen's musters4 ,although gone forever1 the steamers are far from forgotten4 ,to many1 modern-day fire-fighting equipment pales in comparison4 ,like the ,clipper ,ship1 the steam fire engine seems likely to endure as one of the most colorful legacies in our great ,american heritage4 ,the ,carillon ,park ,engine ,the steam fire engine on display at ,carillon ,park has been preserved through the efforts of the ,sidney and ,dayton ,fire ,departments4 ,originally the property of the ,sidney ,fire ,department1 it was donated to the ,dayton ,fire ,department in #aiec for reconditioning and subsequent display4 ,the refurbished engine1 in like-new condition1 was moved to ,carillon ,park concurrently with the opening of the park's #aiee season4 ,educational and ,musical ,arts1 ,inc41 the non-profit civic organization which operates ,carillon ,park1 provided the structure which houses both the engine and the old-time fire bell which once hung in the fire station at ,fifth and ,brown ,streets4 ,the fire engine is a single-pump ,ahrens-,fox and originally cost #d1jjj4 ,it was purchased by the ,city of ,sidney in #ahhc and remained in active service until #aiaf4 ,from that time until #aibh it was kept in reserve4 ,after #aibh1 the engine remained in storage until its restoration to original condition4 ,the ,city of ,dayton at one time employed a number of similar ,ahrens engines1 but of larger size4 ,none of these machines could be located for restoration1 however4 ,named for ,henry ,young1 the chief of the ,sidney ,fire ,department at the time of its purchase1 the engine was drawn by a team of pure black horses throughout much of its period of use4 ,in addition to the steamer1 the ,sidney ,fire ,department had a ladder wagon1 a hose wagon and a number of hose reels4 ,although this equipment seems scant as well as out-moded by present-day standards1 ,sidney in the latter #aith ,century was listed as one of the better-equipped cities for fire-fighting in the ,united ,states in relation to its size4 ,besides participating in many major fires at ,sidney during its thirty-three years of active service and twelve years in reserve1 the ,henry ,young was used several times to combat out-of-town blazes4 ,at two of these fires1 in ,quincy and ,piqua1 the ,henry ,young was rushed by railroad flatcar to the scene after the fires had passed beyond control of the local departments4 ,illustration3 ,the ,carillon ,park engine is shown above during its period of active service4 ,sidney firemen pose in the foreground4 ,during its long span of service1 the ,henry ,young compiled an admirable record of dependability4 ,in operation1 the engine was first fired with wood which in turn ignited coal4 ,usually by the time the engine arrived at a blaze it had already developed a head of steam and was ready for use4 ,as with most steamers1 constant attention to the flues was required if the engine was to operate at peak efficiency4 ,illustration3 ,the earliest aerial ladders were made of wood and mounted on horse-drawn trucks1 with ladders being raised or lowered by hand-operated cranks4 ,today's aerial ladder truck1 as shown above1 embodies tremendous improvements in safety and efficiency4 ,illustration3 ,the modern pumper pictured above has an output of #a1ejj gallons of water per minute1 more than four times the pumping capacity of the ,carillon ,park steam fire engine4 ,in addition1 it carries #a1fjj feet of hose4 ,a #bge-;horsepower motor provides instant and dependable power4 ,another problem recalled by old-time residents of ,sidney was the shower of sparks emitted when the engine was in use4 ,its operators were subjected to this fiery barrage at frequent intervals1 with the result that coats and other items of clothing were often perforated by the red-hot cinders4 ,an anecdote which has survived along with the ,henry ,young concerns one hectic fire run during which the engine was almost wrecked4 ,with the horses plunging ahead at full speed and the engine rounding a turn1 one of its wheels hit a severe bump4 ,for several long seconds1 the engine careened wildly on two wheels4 ,the thoroughly frightened driver sat paralyzed1 even after the engine had righted1 but the veteran fire horses headed unerringly toward the scene of the blaze4 ,proof that the horses really did find the fire1 old-timers say1 is that the driver was still immobilized at the end of the run1 and had to be helped from his seat4 ,the ,ahrens ,manufacturing ,company of ,cincinnati1 which built the ,henry ,young1 was at one time the largest producer of steam fire engines in the ,midwest4 ,the ancestry of the ,ahrens engines can be traced all the way back to ,moses ,latta1 who accomplished what the world's mechanical geniuses had hitherto failed to do by devising a boiler which not only generated a lot of steam but in addition produced the steam quickly4 ,once this milestone had been passed1 the road to widespread and successful usage of steam fire engines broadened1 and progress became correspondingly rapid4 ,the ,ahrens firm had its start in #ahfh1 having succeeded ,lane ,bodley1 the company that had bought ,latta's works4 ,ahrens was quick to make significant improvements4 ,whereas ,lane ,bodley had built only seven or eight machines1 depending on ,latta's patterns1 ,ahrens immediately introduced new designs which greatly increased the efficiency of the engines4 ,ahrens engines were made in several sizes4 ,the larger models had two cylinders and two pumps and were known as 8double0 engines4 ,the smaller types had a single cylinder and a single pump4 ,the ,henry ,young is a single-pump ,ahrens1 ,size ,no4 #b4 ,its steam cylinder has a diameter of nine inches and a stroke of nine inches2 its pump cylinder has a five-and-a-half-inch bore and a nine-inch stroke4 ,the engine weighs #e1hjj pounds and can pump #cej gallons of water a minute4 ,the ,old-,time ,fire ,bell ,illustration3 ,the fire bell is shown when it served as a decoration at the ,main and ,monument firehouse4 ,illustration3 ,the tower of the old firehouse at ,fifth and ,brown where the bell was first used4 ,illustration3 ,the bell as it appears today4 ,once the pride of ,dayton firemen1 the large fire bell which today is housed in ,carillon ,park alongside the steam fire engine is almost a century old4 ,it was cast in #aheh by the ,meneely ,bell ,company1 the same concern which several generations later produced the bells used in ,deeds ,carillon4 ,for more than a decade after its purchase1 the #gjj bell tolled out fire alarms from the tower of the firehouse at ,fifth and ,brown ,streets4 ,it was considered the loudest and finest fire bell in the ,dayton area4 ,during an extended tolling1 however1 the bell suddenly cracked4 ,although attempts were made to repair the fissure1 the bell's tonal qualities were lost and it was subsequently replaced4 ,in #aiad1 the bell seemed headed for the junkyard until a group of citizens learned of plans for its disposal4 ,the city manager of that period was advised that a committee opposed to destruction of the bell would call on him to register their protest4 ,when the committee arrived1 however1 the city manager showed them the bell 444 which had been quickly converted into a giant flower urn at the ,main and ,monument ,firehouse4 8,gentlemen1 there is your bell10 he said4 8,you can see that it is perfectly safe and sound40 ,the committee's fears were thus alleviated1 although it is doubtful that they expected the bell to remain in that location for more than forty years4 ,it was finally transferred to ,carillon ,park in #aiee4 ,,carillon ,,park ,,dayton1 ,,ohio ,one of a series of ,carillon ,park booklets4 ,price ten cents4 ,,as-#hege ,i#ae,,xx ,,printed ,,in ,u4,s4,a4 ,transcriber's ,notes --,silently corrected a few typos4 --,retained publication information from the printed edition3 this e,book is public-domain in the country of publication4 --,in the text versions only1 text in italics is delimited by underscores4