What did the very first fire extinguishers look like
On February 7, 1863, engineer Alan Cray in Virginia, USA, officially patented the first fire extinguisher. The first use of glass flasks filled with water in extinguishing fires dates back to the XVII century. The very first fire extinguisher is considered to be the one that was created in England in the XIX century. Water was also taken to fill it.
In Russia, the inventor Sheftal at the end of the XIX century created an explosive fire extinguisher "Pozharogaz", which was successfully advertised and sold, and engineer Laurent invented a carbon dioxide and foam fire extinguisher. Over time, fire extinguishers appeared, the filler for which was powder.
Given the ubiquity of fireplaces in many houses of the XIX century, the threat of fire was more than relevant. Especially in the era of crinolines, when fluffy skirts flared up from an accidental spark.
"Harden's Zvezda hand grenade will save your life and property in case of fire. When broken, the chemical liquid contained in the bottle will extinguish the fire immediately. The contents do not deteriorate over time and do not freeze. Patented technology! $45 for a dozen!" — this is how the predecessors of fire extinguishers were advertised in the XIX century.
Grenades of Harden and other manufacturers were distributed in the 1870s and 1910s in the USA and The Old World. In case of fire, the bottle was supposed to be thrown into the fire so that it would break. A special liquid (for example, carbon tetrachloride) flowed out of the container, which contributed to the damping of the fire.
Bottles were usually plugged with a cork, and some had a wire loop tied to the neck, by which they could be hung on the wall.
Fire extinguishing bottles were often filled with carbon tetrachloride, which causes poisoning, but humane manufacturers eventually replaced the infernal mixture with a saline solution.
However, to this day you can still find bottles with dangerous liquid, as collectors are warned by sites dedicated to antiques.
In the 1880s, the most popular manufacturer of fire extinguishing grenades was the American company "Harden" with a factory in Chicago. Faceted multicolored creations of "Harden" would appeal even to aesthetes. Unsurprisingly, they sold out well in the UK.
Beware of fakes! The real Harden grenade is made of blue glass with a star embossed!
Capacity — from 700 ml to 1 liter. Now the former grenades are very popular among collectors and decorators.
Keywords: Fire