UnderMiner
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- Jul 27, 2014
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Found this today at one of my less-frequented NYC dump sites. All I could say was, "what the heck is this?!"
At first I thought it was just some sort of bizarre pipe coupling but then I realized it was infact a fire nozzle, a type that I had never seen before!
It has 9 holes for water to shoot out and 3 of these holes are slightly larger than the others and pointing at a angle - I've concluded that this forced the top of the apparatus to spin counterclockwise at an incredible speed once activated with water. It has stamped on it "H 102 B". The top of the device spins freely with a slight push. I looked all over the internet for references to this device but could find none. I've thus concluded it to be a very rare contraption.
Edit 8:06pm, research and help from fellow T-Net members have led me to conclude beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is an extremely old and rare firefighting device called a "Bresnan Distributor". Here is the whole story of what it was used for as taken from a story about a firehouse that found one laying around and decided to try it out:
"The Batavia City Fire Department tested the oldest piece of equipment the department owns today -- a Bresnan distributor.
The device is designed to be lowered into a basement that is on fire, but too hot for firefighters to enter.
Though, as one firefighter explained, if the fire is burning that hot, you wouldn't want firefighters standing on the floor above and making the hole necessary for the hose and nozzle.
It could also be inserted from below into an attic.
However, one firefighter said in the 25 years he's spent with the department, he's not aware of the nozzle ever being used.
The brass nozzle is somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 years old. It was manufactured by Grether Fire Equipment Co., of Dayton Ohio. As near as I can tell from Google searches, the company was in business from the turn of the early 20th Century until 1930, though maybe through at least 1974. The company made a variety of small firefighting devices, such as nozzles and lanterns.
In case it ever is needed, firefighters today wanted to see if it still works and what its water distribution pattern was like."
"UPDATE 3:33 p.m.(by Billie): I searched on Google for "Bresnan distributor" and found this from a retired firefighter named Bill Bresnan who is now an artist. The inventor of the device for firefighting in hard-to-reach places was his great-grandpa. Here's what he says:
"My great grandfather, Battalion Chief John J. Bresnan was a truly dedicated man who served in the New York City Fire Department in the 1800s. He was an inventor and among his many inventions was the Bresnan distributor, the hose roller and a harness for the horses that was designed to facilitate faster response times during those days.
He was passionate about making improvements to the fire service and enhancing safety for the citizens.
Sadly, he was killed in a building collapse at a warehouse fire in Manhattan on a freezing cold night in late December of 1894, leaving behind three young children and an entire city who mourned his loss. Little did he know that generations after him would serve the department and the city he loved. My grandfather, father, uncle, brother and two cousins all proudly served in the F.D.N.Y.
It certainly was a privilege to be part of the New York City Fire Department. This is a special brotherhood. I met great men, real heroes who carried themselves in a humble way. I also met great leaders, knowledgeable and aggressive officers of all ranks. Despite all the tragedy I have seen over the years, I am grateful to have witnessed humanity at its best."
Testing a 100-year old Bresnan Distributor:
At first I thought it was just some sort of bizarre pipe coupling but then I realized it was infact a fire nozzle, a type that I had never seen before!
It has 9 holes for water to shoot out and 3 of these holes are slightly larger than the others and pointing at a angle - I've concluded that this forced the top of the apparatus to spin counterclockwise at an incredible speed once activated with water. It has stamped on it "H 102 B". The top of the device spins freely with a slight push. I looked all over the internet for references to this device but could find none. I've thus concluded it to be a very rare contraption.
Edit 8:06pm, research and help from fellow T-Net members have led me to conclude beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is an extremely old and rare firefighting device called a "Bresnan Distributor". Here is the whole story of what it was used for as taken from a story about a firehouse that found one laying around and decided to try it out:
"The Batavia City Fire Department tested the oldest piece of equipment the department owns today -- a Bresnan distributor.
The device is designed to be lowered into a basement that is on fire, but too hot for firefighters to enter.
Though, as one firefighter explained, if the fire is burning that hot, you wouldn't want firefighters standing on the floor above and making the hole necessary for the hose and nozzle.
It could also be inserted from below into an attic.
However, one firefighter said in the 25 years he's spent with the department, he's not aware of the nozzle ever being used.
The brass nozzle is somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 years old. It was manufactured by Grether Fire Equipment Co., of Dayton Ohio. As near as I can tell from Google searches, the company was in business from the turn of the early 20th Century until 1930, though maybe through at least 1974. The company made a variety of small firefighting devices, such as nozzles and lanterns.
In case it ever is needed, firefighters today wanted to see if it still works and what its water distribution pattern was like."
"UPDATE 3:33 p.m.(by Billie): I searched on Google for "Bresnan distributor" and found this from a retired firefighter named Bill Bresnan who is now an artist. The inventor of the device for firefighting in hard-to-reach places was his great-grandpa. Here's what he says:
"My great grandfather, Battalion Chief John J. Bresnan was a truly dedicated man who served in the New York City Fire Department in the 1800s. He was an inventor and among his many inventions was the Bresnan distributor, the hose roller and a harness for the horses that was designed to facilitate faster response times during those days.
He was passionate about making improvements to the fire service and enhancing safety for the citizens.
Sadly, he was killed in a building collapse at a warehouse fire in Manhattan on a freezing cold night in late December of 1894, leaving behind three young children and an entire city who mourned his loss. Little did he know that generations after him would serve the department and the city he loved. My grandfather, father, uncle, brother and two cousins all proudly served in the F.D.N.Y.
It certainly was a privilege to be part of the New York City Fire Department. This is a special brotherhood. I met great men, real heroes who carried themselves in a humble way. I also met great leaders, knowledgeable and aggressive officers of all ranks. Despite all the tragedy I have seen over the years, I am grateful to have witnessed humanity at its best."
Testing a 100-year old Bresnan Distributor:
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