Fire Protection of Holmes Plant.

Fire Protection of Holmes Plant.

The D. H. Holmes company, of New Orleans, has just successfully tested its most extensive and thoroughly modern fire protection plant. Inside are automatic sprinklers. Outside, open sprinklers protect its exposed sides—facing on four blocks. These consist of a new patent arrangement placed on a series of piping attached to the building, the spacing of the sprinklers on the lateral mains, and the pipe sizes of the mains conforming with the standard as set by the National Board of Fire Underwriters. The system was designed primarily to be supplied by a 4-stage turbine pump placed on the ground floor near the Iberville side. The pump is operated by a 190-h.p. electric motor, taking its current from the New Orleans Railway and Light company plant. The pump has a rated capacity of 1,500 gal. a minute, against a pressure of 150 lb., taking water from atmospheric pressure. As there is a pressure of 65 lb. in the mains of the sewerage and water board, the pump is capable of delivering water at a pressure of about 215 lb. The water curtain forms a solid wall of water, which it would be next to impossible for flames or heat to penetrate. After the water curtain had proved its usefulness. he hose streams were worked. The hose are to be used in the store in case of fire, but for convenience sake they were connected with the pipes on the street, and the six streams showed wonderful force. There are forty hose connections inside the store and there are many sets of 2½in. hose 100 ft. long with 1⅛-⅛. nozzle and 143 lb. pressure at the pump. The pump at the test made 1,070 revolutions a minute, and while it was sucking water through the 8-in. pipes from the mains of the sewerage and water board at Iberville and Dauphine streets and Iberville and Bourbon streets, the pressure at the hydrants did not decrease over 5 lb. The private fire department of the establishment consists nf forty thoroughly drilled members.

The D. H. Holmes company, of New Orleans, has just successfully tested its most extensive and thoroughly modern fire protection plant. Inside are automatic sprinklers. Outside, open sprinklers protect its exposed sides—facing on four blocks. These consist of a new patent arrangement placed on a series of piping attached to the building, the spacing of the sprinklers on the lateral mains, and the pipe sizes of the mains conforming with the standard as set by the National Board of Fire Underwriters. The system was designed primarily to be supplied by a 4-stage turbine pump placed on the ground floor near the Iberville side. The pump is operated by a 190-h.p. electric motor, taking its current from the New Orleans Railway and Light company plant. The pump has a rated capacity of 1,500 gal. a minute, against a pressure of 150 lb., taking water from atmospheric pressure. As there is a pressure of 65 lb. in the mains of the sewerage and water board, the pump is capable of delivering water at a pressure of about 215 lb. The water curtain forms a solid wall of water, which it would be next to impossible for flames or heat to penetrate. After the water curtain had proved its usefulness. he hose streams were worked. The hose are to be used in the store in case of fire, but for convenience sake they were connected with the pipes on the street, and the six streams showed wonderful force. There are forty hose connections inside the store and there are many sets of 2½in. hose 100 ft. long with 1⅛-⅛. nozzle and 143 lb. pressure at the pump. The pump at the test made 1,070 revolutions a minute, and while it was sucking water through the 8-in. pipes from the mains of the sewerage and water board at Iberville and Dauphine streets and Iberville and Bourbon streets, the pressure at the hydrants did not decrease over 5 lb. The private fire department of the establishment consists nf forty thoroughly drilled members.