Monday, June 30, 2008

Steam Day At The Maryland Fire Museum...



Today's photographs were taken on June 14 at steam day in Lutherville, Maryland at the fire museum. As with some of my other shots recently they were taken in harsh sunlight. I made the trip with Skin to see the streamer work, if you look close at the last photograph you can see him in the upper left of the leaning against a pole. It was a fun day but I was a little disappointed, the last time I went was 2004 and the place was packed with hose reels, hand tubs, horses and vendors. The steamer even pumper to the Gorter water tower that was pulled by three big horses. I forgot that was the 100TH anniversary of the big Baltimore fire and it was a special event.

For those of you that read the Shippensburg New Chronicle now comes the time when I slam an uneducated reported that tried to be cute and screw the Vigilant's and WEFR over in the press again. The apparatus in the last photo are called hose reels not "hand drawn pumper" they were used to lay hose to fight a fire not pump water. You don't see a pump on them do you? And by the way the Cumberland Valley's hose reel they had in the Newville parade was not an 1859, in fact it may have never been owned by the company. The reel came from the domestic pump many many decades ago and was restored by the company. People should not write about things they know nothing about. I feel better now.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Brad any idea on the year of the hand cart? I spent most of that week repainting parts and shining the brass for that parade. They just went by the year that is painted on the back of the cart with CV Hose 1859. So that may be part our mistake. Cressler

BTW it was nice to work on an old piece again. My 3 need way to much work to start for now.

Woody said...

Cool Photos Brad..I'm really looking forward to Pump Primers in two weeks...

Brad Myers said...

No idea of the year of the reel. Shippensburg fire companies were still buying reels as late as 1911.

It is still not good reporting to print without asking, and it does not explain calling it a hand pumper when my 12 year old could tell you there is no pump on it. And there is no excuse for slamming the other two department in town. It is just a scorned reporter with his own agenda.

Anonymous said...

The facts please and nothing but the facts. You call them hose reels, were they call hose wagons also or was that something different?

Anonymous said...

Brad you are correct about the reporting, as soon as read that my thought was oh crap I can't believe they typed that. And I could use the ignorant public excuse but not with that writer.
Cressler

Brad Myers said...

Hose wagons were hose wagons, that is something different. They have four wheels and are simular to what the amish use today. Shippensburg had two, the Vigilants had a hose wagon, carried hose and the CV's had a combination wagon, it carried hose and chemicals tanks. There is also hose carriages. They were four wheels with a reel in the center. Shippensburg also had two of those, the Viggie one I posted photos of a couple of weeks ago and the CV's had one they purchased used from Easton, Pa.

Yes Cressler ingnorance is no excuse for that writer, he should know better. As for what he said about the other two companies that was a planned attack. It is starting to look like a trip to Shipp is in the making.

Anonymous said...

The CVs reel was in SAD shape when they got it from the Domestic. It remained in the rear of the apparatus room for a while and tons of spare time was spent trying to restore it. Rumor was it or a similar one had been owned by the Company.

RB