Horse-drawn Steam Fire Engine

Horse-drawn Steam Fire Engine

This may be a Silsby horse-drawn steam fire engine being demonstrated. The need for high-volume water pumps to extinguish urban and industrial fires was the impetus for this innovation. The steam boiler drove a turbine which in turn drove a water pump. Hoses attached to the input would then pull water through the system and out through the main fire-fighting nozzles at high-pressure and maximum volume. Photo 88.122.581a depicts another view of this subject.

circa 1890 - 1905

Midway Village Museum

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Still Image

88.122.581b

Glass Plate Negative

4" x 5"