Hand Pumpers

[Box 2565]

Hand pump of the Lincoln Fire Co.

[brucobuff]

Another antique at the York Co. convention this year was this 1883 Rumsey, bought for Seven Valleys,PA. Last used at a fire in 1924.
Digital image by W.Jenkins

[wetgloves]

Scottdale Volunteer Fire Dept. Scottdale, Pa.
1850 William Jeffers 40 man Hand Pumper.

[MFDPhoto1]

Richmond, Virginia
Civil War pumper

e-bay photo-The2FunAdGuyz

[MFDPhoto1]

Petersburg, VA 1865

Union soldiers pulling a "hand pumper" at the Artillery garage

e-bay photo-The2FunAdGuyz

[FiremanRW]

Giddings, TX VFD
1886 Hand Pump

[RocklandFires]

the following was taken from an article in the Rockland Sentinel newspaper, dated Saturday March 23,1901.


Columbian Engine Co.

It's Honorable and Useful Career of Forty Years

Hand Engine To Steamer

First Members and Formen, New York Firemen Fraternize.

A "Toy" Engine. "Button" Engine a Prize Winner.

     Columbian Engine Company, No.1, of Spring Valley, was organized June 24th, 1861, the first officers being Andrew Smith,Foreman ( Foremen is what the Captain was known as back then ): John G. (familiarly known as "Jack") Cooper, Assistant Foreman, P.D. Johnson,Secretary: P.S. Van Orden, Treasurer.

     The Company was Named in honor of Columbian Hook & Ladder Company, No.14, of New York City,of which "Jack" Cooper had been a member, and after the organization the New York Company sent up a strong delegation to Spring Valley,who presented the new Company with a handsome and elaborate shield, or "front" of leather,stitched, hand-painted and inscribed, sixteen by twenty four inches in size,which souvenir is still highly prized as a memento.  ( I'm gonna try and get a copy of the drawing that was included in the article posted here later on. )

     The small hand engine shown on the shield is similar in appearance to the first apparatus used here, which is still kept and treasured by the Company. ( Boy, don't we wish we still had it today, will get pic of it posted here later also. ) It looks like a toy with its funny little wheels and body about the size of an ordinary piano. Yet it was a good little chap, and at a parade in Piermont in those early days when S.H. Burr was Foreman, Columbian won a fine trumpet with it, as a prize, but it was never received.

     The second engine of the Company was purchased in October,1868, when , is shown by the records, a check for $1200.00 was sent to the Button Engine Company, Watertown, NY' the money having been raised by subscriptions,lectures,fairs,etc.

     This was a powerful engine, the very best in the county, and it is said there has never been another as good. It threw a stream clean over the Reformed Church spire, 108 feet. But it was so heavy that horses were really needed to pull it, and 100 men were not too many to operate it, with relays every five minutes. It was a veritable " Man Killer" ( OK, so this answers why it was called that ... ), but won many honors and prizes for the company, though always heavily handicapped.



This hand pumper is privately owned and completely restored by Vincent Jarosz from Newmarket, NH. The hand pumper made a historic visit back to it's original owners. Here are some photos of the "Columbian's" of Spring Valley operating it for the first time in over 100 years.

Additional photos - http://www.brianduddy.com/g/button



















Videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fubiaR3lhhk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaARuv7hFfo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySqQlq2Iq-E

[Box 2565]

Great story and photos of the return of the Spring Valley rig.  I'm really impressed with that solid stream coming out of the pipe.

[MFDPhoto1]

George Washington fire engine. Unusually interesting to visitors to Alexandria, Va., is this fire engine purchased by George Washington in 1775 at Philadelphia and regarded at the time as the most efficient type of engine. The engine is still in good condition and reposes in the headquarters of the Friendship Fire Company in the old Virginia city where the Father of Our Country was an active member of the fire fighters in his day. G. William Humphries, present custodian of the fire house, is shown in the photograph, 3/6/31

Library of Congress photograph

[MFDPhoto1]

Two Piston Machine for continuous flow of water for fire extinction, probably a work of Ctesibius (c. 250 BC) that Hero improved.

http://www.history.rochester.edu/steam/hero/section27.html