Water pump for fighting fires
| Description: |
Today firefighters wear lots of protective gear made of high-tech, nonflammable materials. In 19th century Japan, these options were not available. Japanese firemen wore coats, pants, gloves and hats made of thick fabric made from several layers of tightly woven cotton. Their uniforms were soaked in water before fighting a fire to protect them from intense heat and falling embers. This water pump may have been used by firemen to apply water to their clothing or to put out small fires. The handle at the top was plunged up and down to force water out of the wooden spout at the front. This pump dates to around 1880. |
|---|---|
| Source: |
http://www.digitalindy.org/cdm/ref/collection/tcm/id/21 |
| Collection: |
The Children's Museum of Indianapolis |
| Rights: | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/; |
| Copyright: |
Creative Commons (CC By-SA 3.0); |
| Geography: |
Japan |
| Subjects: |
Fire extinction Fire pumps Fire extinction -- Equipment and supplies Japan 19th Century |
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