NEW PUMPING STATION AT PHILADELPHIA.

NEW PUMPING STATION AT PHILADELPHIA.

The pumping station of the new special fire main at Delaware avenue and Race street, Philadelphia will be finished by the end of the year. The machinery will consist of eight pumps, each having a capacity of 1,200 gallons a minute. Six pumps are now in working order. Special fire mains have been laid in the district bounded by Race and Walnut streets, and the Delaware river and Broad street, which will be supplied by the pumping station. At its test last week four two and one-inch streams were thrown 200 feet into the air, and four men. attempting to control the hose nozzles, were tossed about in a dangerous manner. One was struck by a hose coupling and hurled to the edge of the river bulkhead, so that he narrowly escaped going into the river. One of his ankles was broken, and a shoulder was dislocated. He was taken to the hospital. Another was badly cut on the head by the movements of the hose. The pressure called for in the contract for the construction of the station is 300 pounds. The highest pressure used in the tests was 225 pounds, vet this proved entirelv satisfactory, according to Chiefs Baxter and Hand, of the bureaus of fire and water respectively. One of the contractors said it was possible to obtain a pressure of 250 pounds twelve seconds after the fire alarm should be sounded. It will be necessary to devise some means by which the hose, when under high pressure, can be handled more safely than at present. When the hose broke away, the firemen regained control of it onlv by falling upon it with main force, and holding it down by the weight of their bodies.

The pumping station of the new special fire main at Delaware avenue and Race street, Philadelphia will be finished by the end of the year. The machinery will consist of eight pumps, each having a capacity of 1,200 gallons a minute. Six pumps are now in working order. Special fire mains have been laid in the district bounded by Race and Walnut streets, and the Delaware river and Broad street, which will be supplied by the pumping station. At its test last week four two and one-inch streams were thrown 200 feet into the air, and four men. attempting to control the hose nozzles, were tossed about in a dangerous manner. One was struck by a hose coupling and hurled to the edge of the river bulkhead, so that he narrowly escaped going into the river. One of his ankles was broken, and a shoulder was dislocated. He was taken to the hospital. Another was badly cut on the head by the movements of the hose. The pressure called for in the contract for the construction of the station is 300 pounds. The highest pressure used in the tests was 225 pounds, vet this proved entirelv satisfactory, according to Chiefs Baxter and Hand, of the bureaus of fire and water respectively. One of the contractors said it was possible to obtain a pressure of 250 pounds twelve seconds after the fire alarm should be sounded. It will be necessary to devise some means by which the hose, when under high pressure, can be handled more safely than at present. When the hose broke away, the firemen regained control of it onlv by falling upon it with main force, and holding it down by the weight of their bodies.