Jump to content

Fire Plug?


jbuffethed

Recommended Posts

Posted (edited)

I had some spare time today on base here. Maxwell AFB, AL 4 Scaled benchmarks. I was looking at the following benchmark: CN0617

 

I found the two hangers listed in the description and found a fire plug. The plug had a triangle on it like a disc would, but instead of having the drill hole, it looked to have another smaller triangle inside it. I also did not see any numbers or anything. I had never seen one before and wanted to confirm before I marked as found. I attached a picture that will hopefully help.

 

Thanks

 

CN0617.jpg

Edited by jbuffethed
Posted

I'd be surprised if this is it. First, from the photo, at least, this does not look 65 years old. Also, I think "fire plug" refers to a conventional, free-standing hydrant. Unfortunately, the description of the mark didn't make the conversion into the electronic data sheet, but the fact that this is vertical control (elevation), strongly suggests to me that it would not be marked by a triangle. Triangles normally are used for triangulation (get it?) stations or other horizontal control — latitude and longitude.

 

Note that the described location is "FIRE PLUG NO. 5 (8-11)." Is this piece of hardware marked with a number? That might be helpful, too.

 

Hope this is of some help. Nice to have participation of someone with access to a facility that most of us can't get to.

 

-ArtMan-

Posted

This is a great site for researching all things fire pluggy. firehydrant.org

 

You might be able to look up the apparatus in your photo and find out what year it was made. If its date of manufacture is after the monumentation, then you could confirm you have the wrong thing.

 

Cool photo.

Posted

In all the context's I'm aware of, a fire plug (or hydrant) is a ground-mounted valve that taps into the local (city or otherwise) water supply system, and is where a fire truck would get water to squirt on a fire.

The device pictured looks like a connection supplied for the fire truck to hook up to, to pump water INTO a building through a piping system to drench the interior.

 

From the description it sounds like the top of a fire plug was measured to, and no mark (other than what pre-existed) was made on the plug/hydrant.

 

Seems like a rather inaccurate way to make a geodetic mark, since every hydrant I have seen has a valve stem as the top (which would have moved if the hydrant/plug was ever used).

Posted

Thank you for all of the input. Even though I work on base, I didnt want to stand out too much walking up and down in between two old hangers that are occupied. I will definitely go back and see if I missed anything.

Posted

Hydrants are considered poor long term bench marks because they are not as stable as many objects that are used. Their piping tends to move them around a little over time.

 

It is very risky to not have good identification of the hydrant. I've read a horror story where one was used as THE (only=mistake 1) design reference point for construction grading, the description was brief, and the contractor did not realize that the hydrant had been replaced in the mean time with a different and stubbier model. As they were trying to hook up the drainage for a multi-acre shopping center they figured out that they were a foot and a half too low and had to do some serious redesign to get rid of the water.

Posted

I did a little research. The thing in your photo is called a "Fire Department Connection" and it was made by W.D. Allen of Chicago. The company has been in business since 1869 and is still in business today.

Posted

Just a side bar to all this: A "fire plug" in its original meaning could not have ever been a benchmark. The term goes WAY back in time into the 19th century when water supplies set up for city fire departments were wooden piping that ran just under the surface. When the horses got the apparatus to the scene, the firemen would then "plug" into the wood with a cylindrical metal end hammered in place, that would give them water under pressure to work. There were no fire hydrants as we know them today since the piping was all under ground.

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...