The Fire Museum is a small museum housed in the old fire station in The Dalles, Oregon.
Shown above is the old fire hall which now houses the Fire Museum.
Steam Fire Engine
In 1879, The Dalles purchased an Amoskeag Steam Fire Engine from the Manchester Locomotive Works of New Hampshire. Known as the Jackson Number 1, this third class steamer could pump water at a rate of 550 gallons per minute. The bed for the fire in the steamer was laid in advance so that it could be started the minute the engine cleared the doors. The steamer was kept hooked up to the steam boiler that heated City Hall which kept the water in the chamber pre-heated. It would take about ten minutes to build a good head of steam which was about the time it would take to get to the fire. The steam ran the pump which sprayed water on the fire.
Initially, the fire fighters would have to get water from wells or cisterns. In 1892, The Dalles installed a hydrant type of water system that greatly increased the effectiveness of the steam pumper.
The Amoskeag Steam Fire Engine weighs 6,700 pounds and was pulled to the fire by horses. “Quick hitch” horse collars expedited the time it took to hook up the engine to the team. According to the Museum display:
“Dalmatians, bred for endurance and stamina, were trained to rally the horses for harnessing, escort the steam pumper to the fire, and prevent stray dogs from interfering with the horses. They formed a close bond with the horses and the spotted Dalmatians were easy for the horses to distinguish from other dogs as part of the firefighting ‘crew.’ Horses and Dalmatians were an integral part of firefighting through the first two decades of the 20th century when motorized vehicles became widely available.”
The Jackson Number One was retired in 1915 when the fire department acquired motorized fire engines.
Hand Pumper
At one time fires were fought with bucket brigades which involved passing heaving buckets hand to hand and then throwing the water at the fire. It was difficult to get close enough to the fire to throw the water so that it actually extinguished the flames. In the late 1700s, hand-pumpers made fire fighting more efficient. Initially, they were still filled by hand, but the hand pumped stream of water could more effectively reach and extinguish the fire. The primary limitation of the hand pumpers was the physical capacity of the available firefighters.
In The Dalles, the first hand pumper was acquired in 1862 by the Diligent Hook and Ladder Company. The name “hook and ladder” refers to the hooks and chains used to pull down burning walls to stop the fire and the ladders were used to rescue people.
Fire Hose
Fire hoses were first developed in Holland in 1673. According to the Museum display:
“They were made of leather sewn together in 50-foot lengths. Even with the limitations of pressure, the attachment of the hose to the gooseneck nozzle allowed closer approaches and more accurate water application. In 1808, firemen in Philadelphia began using rivets to better bind the seams of the leather hoses. Oil was used to keep the leather supple and prevent cracking. The improved capacity led to the development of suction to draw water to fill the pumper.”
In the 1870s, seamless hose, pressure tested to 350 psi, became widely available. The weight of the hose, however, required that a separate hose cart had to be used to carry the hose to the fire. Eventually, lightweight woven cotton that was durable and flexible enough to lie flat was developed.
Fire Fighting Artifacts
Photographs