James Barker and Sons (Bacup)

A New Stationary Fire Engine. - Messrs James Barker and Sons of Henrietta-street Works, Bacup have designed and built a stationary fire engine to the order of the North of Ireland Paper Mill Limited, Ballyclare. The company’s works are very extensive, and the directors desired to have a fire engine that was capable of throwing up a large volume of water at a low pressure as it is usually during the night, when fires frequently arise, and this has been the chief object the makers have had in view. They have so constructed the engine that it will throw up an enormous quantity of water at so low pressure as that of 20 lbs to the square inch. Indeed it has been calculated that it will fill a boiler 30 ft long and 7 ft 6 in in diameter in nine minutes. The engine has two pumps which are driven from the engine crank shaft by means of a pair of spur wheels, and they are on the double acting principle. The bore of the pumps is eight inches with eighteen inches stroke, and they are driven by cylinder with a fifteen inch bore and twenty two inches stroke. The proper speed of the engine is 150 strokes while the pumps make 50 strokes. On Saturday afternoon the engine was satisfactorily tested in the presence of large number of manufacturers and gentlemen. There can be no doubt that the engine would have worked at 300 lbs pressure if the hose pipes would have stood it, but one of them burst at 110 lbs pressure, and another at 210 lbs pressure. In all respects the engine is an admirable and effective contrivance for the speedy extinction of fires, and only needs to be more widely known to meet the appreciation it justly merits.'

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