Holly Fire Protection and Water System
Yesterday I wrote a short piece about the aging infrastructure of our cities, and posted the events of last week in Rochester where an aging fire protection water supply system caused some flooding.
Here is some of what I have found about the Holly Fire Protection and Water System. More at the links.
ASME International
Concerned about the general inadequacy of municipal fire protection, Birdsill Holly invented and manufactured an integrated system to supply water for both public supply and fire fighting. The system’s principle feature was the absence of reservoirs or standpipes to provide a hydraulic head. Instead, the pumps — powered by either water turbines or steam engines — discharged directly into the mains, the water pressure being held constant by an ingenious regulator regardless of demand. The system’s high-pressure hydrants supplied water for fire protection in most cases without the need for fire engines.
Lockport Cave & Underground Boat Ride
Birdsill Holly 1820-1894
Birdsill Holly was born November 8, 1820 in Auburn, New York and grew up around Seneca Falls. In his lifetime he made great contributions to the fields of mechanical and hydraulic engineering. He holds over 150 American patents, and several foreign patents. Some of his inventions you use everyday! The system of pressurized municipal water supply was invented by Holly. Every time you open the tap on your sink you are using a Holly invention!
Despite his genius and his great accomplishments, he never attained the fame and/or fortune of his contemporaries which includes Thomas Edison, who was a good friend of Holly’s and visited Lockport several times. [snip]
In its prime, the Holly Company employed over 500 people. The most influential thing to be produced by Holly Manufacturing was the Holly system of fire protection. It was the Holly fire protection system that made Birdsill world famous. This system was mainly comprised of two of his inventions, an elliptical rotary water pump, and the fire hydrant. The pumps, powered by steam engines, pressurized water and distributed it through underground pipes throughout the city. The Holly fire hydrants were connected to these pipes, making plenty of water available to fight fires anywhere at anytime. The same basic system is used today in every city in the United States and most of the developed world.
Lockport, NY was the first city to employ this fire protection system. The Holly System was soon adopted by thousands of cities throughout the United States and Europe. There were some cities, however, which did not purchase this system. One of those cities was Chicago. Not long after they rejected the offer to buy this system the great Chicago fire took place. It is surmised that this fire would have been relatively minor had they employed the Holly System. They purchased his system almost immediately after the fire.
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