Hose Towers

[jlab]

Most fire houses built before the 1970's had hose towers to dry out the cotton hose before returning it to use. In NYC, however, there are many old fire houses and the pictures don't seem to show hose towers. How was the hose dried in those days ? Many of them are also three or four stories tall which seems like too much space for a fire house crew. Was the extra floor used to hang the hose for drying or did it have some other purpose ?

 

[GeoC]

I remember E 204 had hose shelves ( for lack of better term) on the wall that spanned the length of the apparatus floor. They were laid out to slope slightly to let the water drain. Hose was stretched out on the shelf and nature did the rest.
At E 279 there was a room in the basement that looked like a freezer room but was told it was an attempt to use a gas fired dryer to dry hose and tournout gear. Failed experiment! Went back to the existing hose tower.

 

[jlab]

I remember E 204 had hose shelves ( for lack of better term) on the wall that spanned the length of the apparatus floor. They were laid out to slope slightly to let the water drain. Hose was stretched out on the shelf and nature did the rest.
At E 279 there was a room in the basement that looked like a freezer room but was told it was an attempt to use a gas fired dryer to dry hose and tournout gear. Failed experiment! Went back to the existing hose tower.

At engine 279 was there a hose tower attached to the main building but extending above the hight of the main building or was it built into the main structure ?

 

[EdMc]

45 Engine hose tower is in the rear left side of the firehouse so it is not scene from the street and the building is only two floors.
88 Engine building is three floors and the hose tower is in the front right of the building. It is built into that part of the floor on each floor with sliding doors on the third floor and apparatus floor.
Both old buildings

 

[GeoC]

At engine 279 was there a hose tower attached to the main building but extending above the hight of the main building or was it built into the main structure ?

To access the top of the hose tower there was a straight steel ladder on the third floor to a bulkhead. It housed the top of the hose tower where inside were the pulleys and roof access.

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[GeoC]

A funny story concerning the hose tower- back 1974 or so the house started a major renovation. The hose tower was going to be used for new mechanical access, electrical, hvac etc. Our Captain wanted to salvage as much of the hose hangers, pulleys etc. so he went up there and found numerous beer cans (empty). They were Schaffer’s, Rupert, Knickerbacker and Piels. All the old breweries of Brooklyn and NY. Interesting to see what the old timers liked.
ps. our Captain started giving us the riot act until we notified him they were ancient cans from times back.

 

[jlab]

Thanks for the great responses.

 

[baileyjeff]

How is hose dried today?

 

[Signal73]

How is hose dried today?

I've seen them laid out on the bay floor

 

[Lt. Q]

From what I remember, once they got rid of cotton hose and used nylon there was no need to dry it. We repacked the hose bed and got ready for the next job. My first couple of years I spent many times going up to the hose tower.

 

[johnd248]

When E 248 was on Church Avenue, we had the racks attached to the wall, running the length of the apparatus floor. We used to use 6 foot hooks to get the hose to the top racks. As mentioned, they sloped forward for drainage.

 

[t123ken]

The only time hose is laid out on the apparatus floor now is if it's frozen.

 

[lucky]

The thing that I remember was that beside raising the hose, we used the tower to lower the 55 gallon clean oil drums
into the basement and worse than that was lifting the same drums filled with the waste oil back up to the apparatus floor.

 

[jlab]

The thing that I remember was that beside raising the hose, we used the tower to lower the 55 gallon clean oil drums
into the basement and worse than that was lifting the same drums filled with the waste oil back up to the apparatus floor.

Was the oil for the apparatus or the boiler ?

 

[entropychaser]

The late Ken Little of Chicago tells the story of "Friskie" (a salesman for Friskie Dog Food), a fire fan at Squad 3 and Engine 48 quartered at 4005 South Dearborn Street. One day the Squad is demonstrating a new technique for maneuvering a body bag to the Chief of Battalion 16. Friskie is the body and is hoisted up the hose tower in the bag. Of course, Squad 3 and the Chief catch a still alarm to follow Engine 45 to 43rd and Ellis. The Still and Box is next, and Engine 48 vacates the house leaving you know who you know where.
Luckily, a 2-11 is then transmitted. Shortly, Engine 98 from East Chicago Avenue, minding their own business, backs into the house on a change of quarters assignment to the sounds of screaming and yelling coming from the hose tower.
Since it was a firehouse, they could not have been surprised.

 

[lucky]

The oil was for the rig. The company did their own oil changes. The number 42 rings a bell.
I think that was how many quarts were needed.

 

[mack]

Firehouses built in many US cities and towns in the 1800s and 1900s commonly had hose drying towers, look out towers, bell towers and/or clock towers. Towers were often used for several purposes, to include training and warning neighborhoods with civil defense, storm or fire alarm sirens. Most became distinctive landmarks, even when obsolete.

 

[johnd248]

Speaking of frozen hose, who can remember when lengths of hose were draped over the rear bar where the "subway straps" were until a company got back to quarters?

 

[Disp51]

Williamsburg, Bklyn 01/08/68
Credit: NYTimes

 

[Lt. Q]

They are using the fire escape stretch hook. I used that maybe a handful of times.