Irony, Thy Name is Fire Hydrant.
The hubby and I like to play wiki while watching TV. A TV show will present something as fact, and we place a bet pro or con and then Wiki to see if the fact is true or not. Surprisingly, many times TV shows have it right. But commercials... they are up for grab. They are the wild, wild west of facts playing fast and furious with the truth. For instance, when the movie "Lucy" came out the tagline to the movie was, " The average person uses 10% of their brain capacity. Imagine what she could do with 100%."... well guess what.. we do use 100% of our brains (just not at the same time). 
So early this evening, we were watching TV a Farmers Insurance commercial came on talking about the importance of having fire insurance by taking the point home by saying that no one knows who invented the fire hydrant because thepatentoffice wherepatentwas kept, burned down, the hubby and I place our bets and hit Wiki....
Here is what we found:
The invention of a post- or pillar-type fire hydrant is generally credited to Frederick Graff, Sr., chief engineer of the Philadelphia Water Works around the year 1801. It had a combination hose/faucet outlet and was of "wet barrel" design with the valve in the top. It is said that Graff held the first patent for a fire hydrant, but this cannot be verified, because, ironically, the patent office in Washington, D.C. caught on fire in 1836 destroying many patent records from that period in the process.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_hydrant
We both claimed victory.. since they kind of know who invented it, but it can't be proved since indeed the patent office did burn down.
Irony, thy name is fire hydrant.
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I love these quirky facts...
Are they made of iron-y?
Fire hydrants have a dual purpose - one for humans and another for dogs.
That would be cool to do... If I watched TV.
Perrie
An entertaining and amusing fact of the day!
Thanks for sharing
But who invented the ''fire hose''.
Thanks for an amazing fact!
Fire hydrants have many functions-- in addition to providing water to fire hoses, they also can be opened to flush water lines, since water kept in a line too long may have a "bleachy" taste from chloramines. We take them for granted, but they sure do help us, when they're needed!
What, the hose was invented before he hydrant!!!!
100% correct Dowsey!
Ya don't want to know Kavika....but let's say that it took a lot of man power, LOL!
Now that is irony that the hose was invented before the hydrant.
Be right back, have to see a man about a horse.
Source
Here's where it really came into usefulness (In Lockport, N.Y. no less):
Hollys Lockports Central Systems for Fire, Steam and Water
In an era when bucket brigades were still viable options for fire fighting, Birdsill Holly devised a system to deliver water upon demand plenty of it with enough force to drive it hundreds of feet into the quick of a fire. The same pipelines soon provided the municipal water supply. And from this site, Holly later invented district steam heating.The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) recognised the achievements of Birdsill Holly with ceremonies in Lockport, N.Y. where Holly settled and introduced his first systems.Dr. Serge Gratch, Past President of ASME, presented bronze plaques to Mayor Ray Betsch for two National Mechanical Engineering Heritage site designations: the Holly System of Fire protection and Water Supply, installed in 1863, and the Holly System of District Heating, introduced in 1877.These designations are the first to be made by ASME under the new category of Mechanical Engineering Heritage Site. ASME History and Heritage programs, which have recognized 120 Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmarks since 1971, have been expanded to include heritage sites and collections of significance to mechanical engineering.According to early records of the Holly Manufacturing Company, Birdsill Holly believed his system dispensed with the need for reservoirs (the gravity system) and fire engines. He explained the advantage of his system: Water is not merely distributed to hydrants, but sent there under pressure, so that all that is required is to couple on the hose and turn on the stream.
Municipal systems and fire plugs were not new in Europe and New England states. While fighting patent infringements, Holly acknowledged that a water supply had been furnished by means of forcing pumps and that stationary pumps had been employed to extinguish fires. His invention was the development of a single apparatus to effectively attain both these ends.
Gary,
That means that the commercial lied and wiki was wrong. OMG!!!!
But really cool info!
Not ironic at all. They had water tanks before they had fire hydrants. Evolution of the concepts of fighting fires led to the idea that a hose was not needed in every place, all the time, but that a hose could be taken to the site where it was needed. This was more economical in terms of hose, but less so when you thought about your building burning down.
Unlike dogs cats do not use fire hydrants :
Some facts about hydrants we learned in boot camp during fire fighter training.
The valve stems and hose threads are made of brass. Because it's none sparking. That is why the hose connections are non-ferrous as well. Wouldn't want a spark in an explosive gas vapor situation from a dropped hose striking the hydrant or pavement.
Many cities color code their hydrants according to the amt. of water flow available.
The nut on the top is a pentagon to discourage tampering.
Ad if you have the right type of wrench and are really strong, they can provide one with a refreshing drink of cold water on a hot summer day.
Such as masturbation...jus' sayin'......