The Horse-Drawn Fire Engine

Retired Fire Captain Russell Kroum talks about the history of firefighting in early Walla Walla, Washington and how the horse-drawn fire pumper worked.
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[@Roddy556]

The horses responding to the fire alarm by eagerly donning harnesses is epic, especially with the dog barking. Great footage.

[@Bobbyd0052]

SITTING IN MY CHAIR ,COMPLETELY BLOWN AWAY ! THANK YOU VERY MUCH ,VERY WELL DONE ,AND GREATLY APPRECIATED ! "TOP SHELF "!! 🇺🇲

[@earllutz2663]

Thank you for the instructive video. I am interested in the history of volunteer fire departments having been very active from 1964 to 1988 and rising to the rank of Chief of department in 1983. But now at 75 I am still interested in the service of the younger fire fighters & EMT'S.

[@Nieuport28C]

Absolutely outstanding history lesson on early fire fighting equipment. I'm particularly interested in early horse drawn fire fighting equipment. I am a modeler and have an 1869 Allerton Fire pumper as well as a ladder wagon as a future project. My plan is to give these models to our local fire station as a huge thank you!

[@DRFelGood]

Excellent Overview Captain 🚒🚒🚒

[@mightymystery9204]

Walla Walla was a bit unusual in its handling of the steamer furnace. Many departments had a watchman, who tended the house heater, which kept the steam boiler warm, and who kept a banked coal bed alive in the fire chamber under the steamer boiler. Upon the alarm, a kindling bed was laid and further fuel laid on, which, aided by the chimney draught as they raced to the site, would be roaring by the time they arrived, enough to have raised the first steam for the pump cylinders. You might let your audience know that the air chamber was to stabilize the flow from the piston pump, which would have issued in spurts if not for the reservoir and air chamber.

[@wxguy60]

Very interesting info. My first helmet was the Seattle aluminum helmet, the we switched over to the New Yorker, which was much better.

[@jamestierney7123]

Very well done thank you 🙏🏼

[@CBB-dg9jy]

Honestly, this packed a ton of non basic FF knowledge into one video I re-saved it for later.

[@philipperiopel1911]

Very interesting video.Those steamers worked exacly like a steam locomotive.Greetings from Montréal Québec!🚨🚒🐎

[@Tim.NavVet.EN2]

The whistle also often functioned as a Safety (relief) valve if the pressure inside the boiler got too high... Not only venting steam to lower the pressure, but letting everyone around know that they need to take prompt action to lower the pressure!

[@ashleymarie7452]

Excellent. Thanks!

[@ThomasLindstrom-di8so]

This was probebly the best, and most instructive historylesson on old time firefighting I ever seen. Many thanks from a former firecapten in Sweden.👍

[@Roddy556]

Very good narration, delivery, and footage.

[@ariellemasters954]

Fabulous presentation and fascinating history. The engines, the trained horses, the fights (LOL!), the origin of the firefighters' helmets, the fire buckets... so much interesting information. Thank you for making this. Is there a network of firefighting museums, or local history museums like this one that have significant info about local firefighting efforts? If not, would be good to have. Would think the #HallOfFlame in Arizona would be interested in this video.

[@gingerbread6614]

Fantastic video. Thank you.

[@lockjaw255]

Fascinating, thanks for sharing

[@theOlLineRebel]

At least mentioned and sort of showed the harness-dropping mechanism. I saw something somewhere about such a thing, but cannot remember where or how. Likely here in Baltimore, possibly just vintage history of the city, though. Possible it was the fire museum, but don’t really think they showed that. Is there anywhere that displays how it was set up and how it worked? I was specifically looking for the harness apparatus.

[@junebrilly5302]

So am I. I want to know that, and more about these incredible horses that helped save so many lives

[@robertwalton7307]

Great job Cap

[@danchristner5245]

very interesting! thank you

[@stevesecret2515]

If Walla Walla captains wear white helmets, what color are chiefs' helmets?

[@steventrosiek2623]

White, but the insignia badge on front of helmet had CHIEF labeled on it

[@junebrilly5302]

Excellent! But where can I find out more about the horses? Thanks!

[@dickdevore6237]

I absolutely loved this presentation. Well done.

[@Epistuff]

We just visited the San Antonio fire museum and the excellent guide there told me to look up a video of the horses being hooked up to the steam engine pumper fire trucks. I came across this video. That’s amazing looking at that response time. 👍

[@DistrictFire]

Very nice presentation of a fascinating era Captain. In my Department and many others with tight streets, the hose wagon lead the way so as to lay the line and the steamer followed to the hydrant or water source. We did this with 2 piece engine companies until 1992.

[@robertsterett4260]

Awesome presentation. Hope you do more.

[@troyslabaugh]

Awesome history and presentation. As a retired fire captain, I greatly enjoyed and appreciated your presentation. Thank you

[@jamesbulldogmiller]

MOST INTERESTING !!! Very informative and succinct

[@petermostyneccleston2884]

In Britain the insurance companies owned the Fire engines. The first two fire engines would be paid to put the fire out, so the other firefighters would block the roads to the fire. When the pumps were pumped by manpower, the Firemen would pay for the water to be pumped in either pennies, or pints of beer. Most men chose pints, but you don't want to run out of pints, as when the beer dries up, so did the water.

[@rexross7086]

More worried about competing against each other at competitions Then they are worried about putting out the town's fires. To me that is sad

[@lechatleblanc]

not sure how a 2 and half gallon bucket would be useful for fighting a fire lol...but alright...

[@TheWpafirephotograph]

Very cool piece of fire service history thanks for sharing cap

[@joemoore8054]

thank you for sharing !!

[@phatboizbackyardkustomz9006]

Great Presentation Brother

[@549BR]

Very interesting and informative.

[@StevenvonBriesen]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@burnbabyburn-od5sy]

how did they get there without horses

[@notthatdonald1385]

Excellent presentation. Thank you.

[@19irving]

Thank you. Very interesting and informative.

[@canilogin1730]

Did they send these steam engines to EMS calls like fire engines/trucks do today?

[@stevesecret2515]

I don't think they ran EMS calls in those days.

[@stephenhanneken3041]

There was no EMS back then. There were ambulances of course but they were simply vehicles that allowed a patient to be transported lying down. Seldom was there any medical treatment rendered, except in larger cities where doctors rode on some ambulances.