FROZEN FIRE HYDRANTS.
在很短的时间内冻结消火栓季节will begin, and, unless care is taken beforehand to anticipate the evil, the loss of property, sometimes of life, incidental to the delay caused by the inability of fire departments to get water to light the fires, may be (every year it is) very serious. The number of frozen hydrants found last year in different cities of the United States and Canada was very large—in New York city alone it amounted to many thousands, in others it ran from one up to 1,200. As a rule, there can be no excuse for the hydrants being found in such a condition. Some, of course, are of the old style, antiquated and obsolete; but such as are of that type should be replaced by those of a modern type, which cannot be frozeii tip. Some, as in New York city, are used by others than the fire department—street-sprinklers, streetsweepers and even private contractors for their building or street paving operations—an abuse that should not be tolerated for a moment, and one which is probably responsible for a very large minority of hydrants unusable in the winter time. Through the carelessness of these irresponsible users of hydrant water the hydrants are left undrained, so that, when they are used at fires in winter weather, much time is lost in thawing them out— at times they are frozen so hard that the attachment has to be made at some hydrant farther off. Meanwhile the flames are making headway, and the whole or a part of the firemen must stand idle just when their services would prove most useful—in the incipient stage of the fire. It is too often the case, also, that owing to neglect on the part of those who are responsible for the care of the hydrants, these arc not drained out before the winter season begins, or immediately after they have been used, either after a fire or for some other purpose. To avoid the mischief the following simple rules should be observed: (1) Remove all absolete hydrants and substitute for them modern ones that will not freeze when properly set and properly used. (2) In setting hydrants, let tljem be piped, where possible to drain into a sewer. The hydrant should be set, where possible, in soil porous enough to insure ready drainage. If the surrounding soil is not of that nature, then fill up the space round the base with gravel, fine crushed stone or broken brick, so as to secure a stratum that will absorb the water issuing from the hydrant drain, when it is not out of order and with an abnormal flow. Keep the drainage space low below the usual post level. (3) See that the hydrants are so set as to afford a safe and sufficient cover to their branch-pipes, which of course, freeze more easily than the main pipes. If there is rock in the way, let it be removed. (4) In the fall, just before the ground begins to freeze, try every hydrant by running water through it. After it is shut off, examine carefully to see that it is draining properly and that it is in good condition, noting any necessary repairs immediately. See that the hydrant valve does not leak; if it does, even with a good drainage for a normal amount of water, continuous leakage will fill up the space, and the water will hack up into the hydrant. By placing the ear firmlv against the iron casing of the hydrant, a small leak mav be detected Iv the hissing. (5) Examine the hydrants again after two weeks: but do not run water through them. If there has been a small leak, it probably has filled up the hydrants by that time, and the water will be oozing out at the hose-outlets. If no leak is detected, the hydrant should not be used again during the winter, unless necessity calls for it, and should be inspected frequently in the meantime. (6) Where the ground water stands higher than the hydrant, its drip-openings should be plugged and pumped out bv a handpump. with a suction-pipe suitable for insertion into the bottom of the hydrant barrel, and this should be done in the case of any hvdrant whose drainage is doubtful(7) When hvdrants have independent values in the hose-outlets, shut the hose-gates last That will insure drainage and prevent leaving both the drain open and water in the hvdrants. An expert authority adds “A small bole has been drilled in the bottom of the hose valve, when this is applied outside the hydrant, through which air may enter and water will issue.” (81 It is a had practise to put salt and other chemical mixtures into hvdrants to prevent freezing. Such a course is liable to set up hurtful galvanic action between the dissimilar metals of the hvdrant. and right at the valve—the most important part, (o) Dry steam or electricity should be applied to thaw out the hvdrant. or. failing either, internal applications of verv but water will answer the purpose, but not so mtieklv. Eire injuries the values, if applied, and time and trouble are taken up in repairing the lead mints. Fire, therefore, should be employed onlv when other means have failed. The steam may be generated in a portable hoder For electricity special transformers are manufactured: the current applied is seventy volts and 400 amperes.
