Previous Artifacts - November 2007

Fire Grenade Extinguisher

 

A unique glass fire extinguisher was donated to the Museums in 1997 by the Episcopal Diocese of South Dakota. This type of fire extinguisher is also known as a "fire grenade." Fire grenades were invented in 1860 and were used for approximately the next 40 years.  By 1886, dry methods of fire extinction were being used. 

 

Fire grenades were made of destructible glass filled with liquid. They commonly came in two shapes, oval and oblong, and were designed to be light and easy to handle. The glass came in many colors and usually had raised patterns or identifying marks.

Their compact size made fire grenades a popular safeguard against conflagration in small interior spaces such as hotel rooms, schools, commercial buildings, and railroad cars.

 

The Chicago & North Western Railway ran from 1859-1865, and kept this particular fire grenade aboard one of their trains.   If a fire had erupted on board, the whole extinguisher would have been thrown onto the flame, breaking the fragile glass and spreading the liquid inside.

 

Carbon tetrachloride was the liquid used in many fire grenades in the 1880s.  This man-made chemical deprives the flame of oxygen, but can unfortunately be the source of many respiratory problems. The Museums' fire grenade is most likely full of saltwater because carbon tetrachloride came into vogue after the Chicago & North Western Railway merged and was renamed in 1865.

The beauty and rarity of fire grenades makes them a true collector's item.  Presently, you can see this glass fire extinguisher on display on the first floor of the Pettigrew Museum as part of the Museums' new exhibit, A City on Track: R.F. Pettigrew and the Railroads.