Scientific American Volume 88 Number 16 (April 1903) . ein its initial cost than the steam fire engine and ischeaper to maintain; and (g) it requires practicallyno attention when in operation. The first electric fire engine constructed at Rouenis shown in the accompanying engraving and consistsof an eight horse power electric motor coupled directto a pump, both of which are on the same plane; themotor makes about 2,000 revolutions per minute and iswound for a direct current. When the electric fire engine is in action, the cur-rent is tapped by means of a movable bamboo perch,one end
Scientific American Volume 88 Number 16 (April 1903) . ein its initial cost than the steam fire engine and ischeaper to maintain; and (g) it requires practicallyno attention when in operation. The first electric fire engine constructed at Rouenis shown in the accompanying engraving and consistsof an eight horse power electric motor coupled directto a pump, both of which are on the same plane; themotor makes about 2,000 revolutions per minute and iswound for a direct current. When the electric fire engine is in action, the cur-rent is tapped by means of a movable bamboo perch,one end of which is fastened to the truck carryingthe equipment and the opposite end is simply poisedon one of the overhead trolley wires, or at night con-tact may be made with the electric lighting cables. The feed wire is rolled on a reel above the motor,as shown; the circuit is completed by a similarlyarranged wire wound on an adjacent reel; the freeend of this wire terminates in a block of cast-ironplaced on one of the rails of the street railway to a distanee of 1,320 feet from the point at whichelectrical connection is made. The total weight of the complete apparatus is 2,288pounds, including that of the two firemen seated on theengine, against 9,760 pounds of a standard La Francesteam fire engine, such as is called for by the specifi-cations of the Borough of Manhattan (New York city);of course an allowance must be made for the differ-ence in horse power between the Rouen electric fireengine and the Manhattan steam engine, since theformer is only eight horse power and the latter is twenty-two horse pow-er, but the ratio of in-crease in weight perhorse power is verysmall in the electricfire engine. The dimensions ofthe one under consid-eration are as follows:length, 3 feet, 3%inches; width, 1 foot8 inches; height, 1foot, 3 inches. Com-pared with these fig-ures, the dimensionsof a steam fire engineseem abnormally large,viz.: the boiler is 64inches in height, and30 inches
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