THIS FACT IS ON FIREEEEEE
Alicia Keys has nothing to do with this fact, but that's a great song, isn't it?
Howdy! Joey here, back for more Fun Fact Friyay. This fact is super hot and might make you stop, drop, and roll.
The first patent for the cast iron fire hydrant was destroyed in a fire.
Fire hydrants are very useful tools. As the name suggests, they allow firefighters to tap into water sources to help control fires. Though underground fire hydrants have been used in Asia and Europe since the 18th century (and possibly earlier), pillar fire hydrants like the one above weren’t created until the early 1800s.
Frederick Graff, Sr., the chief engineer of Philadelphia Water Works, built the first pillar fire hydrant in 1801. He’s widely recognized as the creator of the fire hydrant.
Shortly after, hoses began to replace the bucket brigades that previously fought fires (note to self: start a band called Bucket Brigade). Hydrants had to be fitted with nozzles to better support this new technology.
Somewhere along the way, a patent was filed. But in 1836, there was a “Great Patent Office Fire,” which consumed a building housing roughly 10,000 patents. One of those patents was believed to be for the first cast iron fire hydrant.
The U.S. Patent Office tried to recover some of the inventions, requesting folks re-send their patents since the originals were all in one building with no copies. However, only about 2,800 inventors answered that request.
While it’s sad to see so many patents go up in flames — who knows what inventions we missed out on! — the fire hydrant innovators bounced back quickly. Just two years later, on September 8, 1838, John Jorden received U.S. patent 909 for “a new and useful improvement in Fire-Plugs and Hydrants.”
In 1869, Birdsill Holly Jr. (note to self: Bucket Brigade’s first album will be named Birdsill Holly) received a patent for the “modern” hydrant. And thank goodness, because fires are no fun, and hydrants can help limit their damage.
By the way, did you know there’s a formula behind fire hydrant colors? Here’s the scoop:
I really enjoyed this, Joey. Thanks!
Bucket Brigade's lead song on their first album should be 909, about a girl who was a vast improvement over everyone he's dated before, but still not the one that will be permanent.