Fire drill was old-fashioned

11:17am Thursday 13th November 2008

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THE Journal reported Evesham Fire Brigade had been testing the fire hydrants on Greenhill and had found that there was not sufficient pressure of water in the mains to give a serviceable jet 100 years ago.

“As the supply there is insufficient to feed the steamer, we suggested the only thing the brigade could do in case of fire was to use the old manual engine.

“Last Saturday afternoon the brigade had a drill with the manual on the hill and – quite accidentally, of course – a journal representative happened to be on the spot when the brigade drove up and halted at the gates of Lanesfield. He took out his watch and timed them.

“The members of the brigade, who were under the command of Lieut. Cook, with the borough surveyor superintending, jumped off the engine at 4.16pm.

“They took a tank off the back of the engine, fixed a standpipe to the hydrant and turned the water into this tank. They put a suction pipe into this tank; ran out two or three lengths of hose with a five-eighths inch nozzle, and then began to pump.

“At 4.20pm they were sending up a jet about forty-five feet high opposite the Grammar School gates.”