This from Steve Redick:
Here’s a neat little treat for Christmas day. The original Snorkel, after years of hard use fell into disrepair and was almost lost. Figgie International bought it and spent a fortune restoring it. The photos were taken in of July 1988 at Engine 1’s house, the original place (water tower 4 as it was originally known) went in service. I was lucky enough to attend the grand unveiling and got these now classic images. If you look closely the boom says Snorkel 1 but the doors say Snorkel Squad 3. My dad was captain of SS3 and rode this very rig. Enjoy the history and appreciate the effort they put into saving this one of a kind rig.
Steve
Steve Redick photo
Steve Redick photo
Steve Redick photo
Steve Redick photo
#1 by David on December 30, 2017 - 1:29 PM
Bill, thanks a lot for the info anyway. I know these pics would be rare as they ran without the boom just for a short time. Love the photo in the last vol. of the CFD firehouse history books showing this Mack MB on a run with FFs seated atop the back of the rig just like they did on the old Autocar squads, really unusual sight.
#2 by Bill Post on December 28, 2017 - 8:26 PM
Phil the 1972 Oshkosh/Pierce 75-foot Snorkel must have been shifted around as I saw it parked with Engine 11 at one time. I was surprised to see it go back in service as Snorkel 6 in 1979 about 6 years after it was damaged at the Levey Ink company fire.
Snorkel 3’s Ford/Hi-Ranger was a tight fit at Engine 84’s old house, and it was an even tighter fit when they were with Engine 50. In those days Truck 18 was using an wooden, 85-foot tillered ladder so the Snorkel must have been parked behind the engine. Battalion 11 was also there at the same time. Less then a year after Snorkel 3 was assigned with Engine 50, they exchanged places with Light Wagon 3 at Engine 84. Snorkel 1’s new quarters with Engine 109 and Truck 32 at 2358 S Whipple was a also tight squeeze.
As you know one of the big problems with Chicago’s Snorkels was that in the late 50’s and early 1960’s there were very few stations where a Snorkel could fit. When Commissioner Quinn decided to run with seven regular Snorkel companies, the idea was to have one in each division. That couldn’t be done immediately as not all divisions had adequate room for a centrally located Snorkel. That’s why Snorkels 2 and 4 were located less then a mile apart in the old 1st division on the near west side for at least 3 years, until Engine 28’s new quarters was opened in the 4th Division. Another reason why Snorkel 3 was moved from Engine 50 to Engine 84 at 57th and Halsted was because while Engine 50 was in the old 4th Division, the 7th Division didn’t have a Snorkel and Engine 84 was located in the old 7th Division. Fifty fifth street was the border between Division 7 and Division 4 but there was no station located in the center of the 7th Division that could accommodate a Snorkel so they had to settle for Engine 84’s quarters.
#3 by Bill Post on December 28, 2017 - 7:10 PM
David I’m sorry to say that I don’t have any photos of SS1’s 1967 Mack/MB/Pierce without the Snorkel. I also have the book by Ken Little who was the dean of Chicago Fire Department historians.
From the mid 1950s through the late 1960s, during the Robert J Quinn era, the CFD used to issue glossy, magazine style, annual reports with many photos. The last of those was issued in 1969 and it black and white. Some earlier ones had some color as well. In the 1969 report I do believe there was a shot of SS’1s rig without the Snorkel. I have that report however it’s been a while since I’ve seen.
#4 by Phil Stenholm on December 28, 2017 - 12:57 PM
BILL: Thanks for the corrections, clarifications, and additional info.
Ah, yes, Snorkel 3 (G-152) indeed had a 65-foot boom (Snorkel 2 had the 75-foot boom). Anything larger would not have fit into Engine 84’s firehouse. My mistake on that.
I wasn’t aware of the 1972 Pierce/Oshkosh snorkel. I was actually at Engine 11/Truck 9 in October 1975 (I was involved in a crash at Cumberland & Bryn Mawr and we were told to relocate to the firehouse to wait for CPD), but I don’t recall seeing a snorkel there at that time. I think there might have been something else there besides the engine and the truck, but it definitely wasn’t a snorkel. At least not that day.
#5 by David on December 27, 2017 - 4:42 PM
Bill, please do you have any photos of the 1967 Mack MB/Pierce Snorkel Squad rig with the boom removed, which you could possibly share or post to this site?
I’ve seen one photo of this rig running without the boom in the last volume of late Ken Little’s CFD firehouse history books, but would love to see any other photos (if they do exist).
Anyway thank you and Phil Stenholm for all the detailed historical info on the CFD snorkels.
#6 by BMurphy on December 27, 2017 - 12:32 PM
Add some choice photos, and this string pretty much writes itself as a book!
363 days until next Christmas- there’s plenty of time to edit, market and sell…
I’ll buy the first copy. Full price even.
#7 by Bill Post on December 27, 2017 - 8:05 AM
Mike L the 1967 Mack/MB/Pierce 55-foot Snorkel was a and not a remount from the International Harvester Snorkel Squad 1. During the 1970’s however the shops did temporarily remove the boom to do work on it yet they still kept the Mack/MB/Pierce in service as Snorkel Squad 1 running without the boom for what seemed like a few months.
#8 by Bill Post on December 27, 2017 - 7:51 AM
Phil Stenholm thanks for the information. It is overall very good however there are a few things that need to be corrected.
G-152, Snorkel 3’s 1959 Hi-Ranger did not have a 75-foot boom like Snorkel 2. I believe that it was a 65-foot length. It was definitely shorter than Snorkel 2.
G-169, Snorkel 4’s Hi-Ranger with the single turret in the basket was reassigned to Snorkel 3 sometime after Snorkel 4 received their 1966 International/Pierce. I saw a photograph of Snorkel 3 using G-169 in 1969. Snorkel 3 was using Snorkel 4’s old rig when they were relocated from Engine 84’s house at 57th and Halsted to Engine 60’s house around 1969/70.
G-288 the 1971 55-foot Ford/Pierce/Pitman was first assigned to Snorkel 3 out of Engine 60’s house in 1971. It was there for about a year until 1972/73 when it was reassigned to Snorkel 6 at Engine 110’s house.
There is a Snorkel that was left out so the list should read as 25 Snorkels. While I don’t have the shop number, I can tell you which rig it was.
There was one 1972, 75-foot Oshkosh/Pierce which matched the three 1974 units. The 1972 was assigned to Snorkel 3 with Engine 60 in late 1972 however it didn’t last very long in that assignment. It responded to the L. Fish Furniture and Levey division Ink companies multiple alarm fire at 4250 W 42nd Street on May 27, 1973. The fire that started during a lightning storm was a 5-11 with 5 special alarms that spread to several industrial and commercial buildings.
Snorkel 3 was damaged at that fire but it wasn’t a total loss. The 1972 Oshkosh/Pierce/Snorkel was taken out of service and was stored for a while at Engine 11 and Truck 9’s station at 5343 N Cumberland. Snorkel 3 was temporarily assigned a spare Snorkel. In 1974 three Oshkosh/Pierce/Snorkels were delivered and one was assigned to Snorkel 3, so they had a newer model of the same style rig. The 1972 Snorkel was still operable and used as a reserve.
G-288 the 55-foot Ford/Pierce was reassigned to Snorkel 6 at Engine 110’s house. Even though the Ford was an oddball rig with a 55-foot boom that wasn’t assigned to a Snorkel squad, it was a good fit for Engine 110’s two bay station with the companies there. Engine 110 and Flying Manpower Squad 6 were there so the Snorkel was compact enough to fit into behind one of the busier units. In 1979 a new three bay station was opened for Engine 112 and Truck 21 just over 2 miles southeast of Engine 110’s house. Snorkel 6 was moved into the new station’s third bay and switched into the 1972, 75-foot Oshkosh/Pierce that had been repaired. About a year later Snorkel 6 was relocated to Engine 106’s house and Flying Manpower Squad 6 moved to Engine 112’s house.
Within a year of the 1980 firefighters strike, apparatus such as the squads, Snorkels, and light wagons were renumbered for the new districts they were assigned to. Each of the five districts had a separate squad and Snorkel company. When the Snorkels were relocated and renumbered in early 1981, the three 1974 75-foot Oshkosh/Pierce/Snorkels were assigned to new district Snorkels 1, 2, and 5. The 1972 Oshkosh/Pierce/Snorkel was reassigned to Engine 83’s house and was renumbered Snorkel 3 as they were in the new 3rd District.
Snorkel 4 was put in Engine 123’s house and was assigned rig G-387, the 55-foot Hendrickson/Pierce that was the last Snorkel assigned to Snorkel Squad 1.
The Snorkels were officially renumbered around April of 1981. In September of 1982 a 6th District was added and some of the Snorkels as well as squads were renumbered and relocated. Snorkel 4 became Snorkel 5 but they remained with Engine 123. Snorkel 5 moved from Engine 72 was renumbered Snorkel 6. They were using a 1974 Oshkosh/Pierce. Snorkel 3 which was using the 1972 Oshkosh/Pierce was moved from Engine 83 to Engine 124 but remained as Snorkel 3. Snorkel 2 was relocated from Engine 76 to Engine 55. Snorkel 1 with Engine 18 was given the new 1982, 85-foot Seagrave/Pierce/Snorkel.
The new Snorkel 4 was given a 1974 75-foot Oshkosh/Pierce/Snorkel that had been assigned to Snorkel 1. It was put in service at Engine 107’s house.
#9 by Marty Coyne on December 26, 2017 - 9:36 PM
Mike L
It is my understanding that the Bedford Park snorkel was deemed beyond salvage. Not sure if it was scrapped or not.
#10 by Phil Stenholm on December 26, 2017 - 7:09 PM
Not counting the new snorkels that went into service earlier this year, these were the CFD snorkels:
1. 1958 GMC/Pitman “Giraffe” with 50-ft boom (G-145)
Purchased for City of Chicago Forestry Department but diverted to CFD by Commissioner Quinn
Water-Tower 4 1958-59
Refurbished as “Snorkel” at Pitman factory in 1959-60 (A 1959 Ford/Pitman 55-foot Snorkel “demonstrator” was loaned to CFD while the Giraffe was being converted to a Snorkel, and the loaner was returned to Pitman after the conversion was finished)
Snorkel 1 – 1960-65
Snorkel Squad 3 – 1965-67 (Squad 7 was reorganized as SS3 at Engine 66 firehouse in 1965)
2. 1959 Mobile Aerial Towers/Ford “Hi-Ranger” with 75-foot boom (G-151)
Snorkel 2 – 1959-69
Shop Spare – 1969-74 (was stored at Engine 65/Truck 52)
3. 1959 Mobile Aerial Towers/Ford “Hi-Ranger” with 75-foot boom (G-152)
Snorkel 3 – 1959-74
4. 1961 Young Spring & Wire/Ford “Strato-Tower” with 70-foot boom (G-167)
Snorkel 6 – 1961-71
5. 1961 Young Spring & Wire/Ford “Strato-Tower with 75-foot boom (G-168)
Snorkel 7 – 1962-70 (destroyed in building collapse at fire – firefighter in basket was killed)
6. 1961 Mobile Aerial Towers/Ford “Hi-Ranger” with 80-foot boom (G-169)
Snorkel 4 – 1961-66 (was returned to MAT for major repairs in 1966 but was apparently scrapped-totaled)
7. 1961 Mobile Aerial Towers/Ford “Hi-Ranger” with 80-foot boom (G-170)
Snorkel 5 – 1961-74
8. 1956 International VCO-196 with hose tender body & mounted turret nozzle (G-115)
High-Pressure 4 – 1956-60
Refurbished in 1961-62 by Young Spring & Wire (hose tender body removed and replaced with Erlinder squad body & 40-foot “Strato-Tower” boom)
Snorkel-Squad 1 – 1962-67
9. 1956 International VCO-196 with hose tender body & mounted turret nozzle (G-116)
High-Pressure 1 – 1956-61
Refurbished in 1962-63 by Young Spring & Wire (hose tender body removed and replaced with Erlinder squad body & 40-foot “Strato-Tower” boom)
Snorkel Squad 2 – 1963-68 (Engine Co. 6 was reorganized as SS2 and was assigned to the new Engine 60/Truck 37 firehouse when it opened in 1963)
10. 1966 Pierce/International/Pitman “Snorkel” with 75-foot boom (G-244)
Not counting the Giraffe, this was the first factory-built Pitman Snorkel purchased by the City of Chicago
Snorkel 4 – 1966-74 (assigned to Engine 104 in 1970, replacing Truck 31)
Refurbished in 1972 (1000-GPM pump added)
Shop Spare – 1974-80
11. 1967 Mack “MB”/Pitman “Snorkel” squad with 55-foot boom (G-245)
Snorkel-Squad 1 – 1967-75
12. 1971 Pierce/Ford/Pitman “Snorkel” 1000/500 quint with 55-foot boom (G-288)
Snorkel 6 – 1971-81 (assigned to Engine 110, replacing Truck 43)
Snorkel 3 – 1981-83
Shop Spare – 1983-88
13. 1974 Pierce/Oshkosh/Pitman “Snorkel” 1250/500 quint with 75-foot boom (G-336)
Snorkel 3 – 1974-81
Snorkel 5 – 1981-82
Snorkel 6 – 1982-87
14. 1974 Pierce/Oshkosh/Pitman “Snorkel” 1250/500 quint with 75-foot boom (G-337)
Snorkel 5 – 1974-80
Snorkel 1 – 1980-82
Shop Spare – 1982-83
Snorkel 4 – 1983-87
15. 1974 Pierce/Oshkosh/Pitman “Snorkel” 1250/500 quint with 75-foot boom (G-338)
Snorkel 4 – 1974-81
Snorkel 2 – 1981-83
Squad 2-A – 1983-87
16. 1975 Pierce/Hendrickson/Pitman “Snorkel” squad with 55-foot boom (G-387)
Snorkel Squad 1 – 1975-80
Shop Spare – 1980-82
Snorkel 5 – 1982-87
Squad 5-A – 1987-88
Shop Spare – 1988-89
Squad 5-A – 1989-96
17. 1976 Oshkosh/FMC John Bean 1000/500 pumper (D-423)
Engine 9 – 1976-79
Refurbished 1980-81 (retrofitted with 55-foot “Snorkel”)
Engine 12 – 1981-82
Squad 7 – 1982-88
18. 1982 Pierce/Seagrave “Snorkel” 1500/300 quint with 85-foot boom ( G-466)
Snorkel 1 – 1982-1983
Squad 1-A – 1983-87
Reserve Snorkel 1 – 1987-present
19. 1987 Spartan/E-One 55-foot snorkel-squad (G-482)
Squad 1 – 1987-1996
Squad 5 – 1996-2000
20. 1987 Spartan/E-One 55-foot snorkel-squad (G-483)
Squad 2 – 1987-2000
21. 1988 Spartan/E-One 55-foot snorkel-squad (G-491)
Squad 5 – 1988-89 (demolished in traffic collision in 1989)
22. 2000 HME/Central States 55-foot snorkel (G-518)
Squad 1-A – 2000-17
23. 2000 HME/Central States 55-foot snorkel (G-519)
Squad 2-A – 2000-17
24. 2000 HME/Central States 55-foot snorkel (G-522)
Squad 5-A – 2000-17
#11 by Crabby Milton on December 26, 2017 - 4:14 PM
Very nice. Glad that it was saved in such great condition now in a museum.
So was the original engine and transmission ever replaced with a newer engine and automatic transmission?
#12 by MABAS 21 on December 26, 2017 - 3:45 PM
Trackback:
http://chicagoareafire.com/blog/2014/02/chicago-fire-department-history-4/
#13 by MABAS 21 on December 26, 2017 - 3:39 PM
Bill and Phil, thank you both for your thorough background regarding this and the history of the other snorkels. One can only hope, in time, that this beautifully restored piece can return home some day to the city that it was born in.
#14 by Paul Schlichting on December 26, 2017 - 1:13 PM
This rig’s permanent home is in the North Charleston/American Lafrance fire museum in North Charleston, South Carolina. This museum has an extensive collection and it is one of the first rigs you see as you enter
#15 by Mike L on December 26, 2017 - 11:50 AM
The first purpose built Snorkel was supposed to go to Chicago but they turned it down because it had a double axle which they did not want. That rig was happily bought by Bedford Park which used it until it was replaced by the early 80’s Seagrave/Snorkel. That rig fell into disrepair and is supposed to be in the process of a full rehab by LTC.
Anybody know the status of that? I assume if it had been completed it would have been posted on here at some point.
Bill- Awesome info as always!!!! Was the Pierce/Pitman originally on the International chassis and then remounted on the Mack MB or were they 2 separate rigs?
#16 by Phil Stenholm on December 26, 2017 - 11:22 AM
The 1958 GMC rig was placed into service as Water Tower No 4 (6-2-4) in 1958. It was not called a “snorkel” until after it went into service with the CFD and one of the firefighters who was operating the nozzle from the basket said it was like being underwater with the spray blowing into his face.
The original articulated boom was a Pitman “Giraffe” that was built for the City of Chicago Forestry Department, but the”Giraffe” was also used by power companies, telephone companies, railroads, billboard companies, and traffic signal companies for elevated installation, maintenance, and repair. The “Giraffe” basket had capacity for just one man, and the CFD slung a hose-line alongside the boom to provide water supply for the deluge nozzle that was attached to the basket, so it was really not built for firefighting.
Shortly after the CFD began using the gerry-rigged Giraffe at fires and the term “snorkel” was introduced, an engineer at the Pitman Company invented the “Snorkel,” which was essentially a firefighting version of the Giraffe. So the CFD Giraffe was sent back to the Pitman factory in St. Louis in 1959 and was converted from a “Giraffe” to a “Snorkel,” with a larger basket, a better turret nozzle, an intake port, and a pre-plumbed water-supply pipe.
The term :snorkel” (with a small ”s”) eventually came to describe all firefighting apparatus with an articulated boom, but the brand-name “Snorkel” (with a capitol “S”) was a Pitman product. Pitman won several lawsuits in the 1960’s pertaining to alleged patent infringements that put some of the other snorkel manufacturers out of business (at least as far as producing articulated booms used in fire-fighting).
During the period of time that the “Giraffe” was back at the Pitman factory becoming a “Snorkel,” a 65-foot Pitman “Snorkel” demonstrator built on a Ford “C” Series chassis was loaned to the CFD, and it ran as Snorkel 1 for a few months. The City of Chicago had an option to purchase this rig, but other companies underbid Pitman for the contract to build the other six snorkels that were acquired by the City of Chicago in 1959-61 (four “Hi-Ranger” snorkels built by Mobile Aerial Towers of Fort Wayne, IN, and two “Strato-Tower” snorkels built by Young Spring & Wire Corporation of Bowling Green, OH). Therefore, Pitman would eventually sell the “Snorkel” demonstrator that had been loaned to the CFD while the “Giraffe” was being converted to a “Snorkel” to a fire department in Indiana.
Chicago’s 1958 GMC snorkel was a one-of-a-kind rig that was not originally built for the fire service, and by 1967 it was at the end of its life expectancy as a front-line fire-fighting apparatus, where maintenance and repair costs exceeded the value of the apparatus, so a damaged transmission from getting stuck in a snow-drift was merely the coup-de-grace.
The two 1956 International/Pitman/Erlinder snorkels (SS1 and SS2) were removed from front-line service soon after SS3’s snorkel was taken out of service, so it wasn’t just the original 1958 GMC snorkel that was worn-out by 1967.
SS1’s snorkel apparatus was replaced by a new Pierce/Pitman “Snorkel” squad (with a 55-foot boom) in April 1967, and SS2’s snorkel was taken out of service in 1968 and (like SS3’s snorkel the year before) was not replaced. So SS1 was the only CFD snorkel-squad in service post-1968 (it was disbanded in October 1980).
#17 by Phil Stenholm on December 26, 2017 - 11:15 AM
When the rig was placed into service as Water Tower No 4 (6-2-4) in 1958, the boom was a Pitman “Giraffe” that was built for the Forestry Dept. The “Giraffe” basket had capacity for just one man, and a hose-line was slung alongside the boom to provide water supply for the deluge nozzle that was attached to the basket.
The apparatus was sent back to the Pitman factory in 1959 and was converted from a “Giraffe” to a “Snorkel,” with a larger basket, a better turret nozzle, and a pre-plumbed water-pipe.
The 1958 GMC rig was placed into service as Water Tower No 4 (6-2-4) in 1958. It was not called a “snorkel” until after it went into service with the CFD and one of the firefighters who was operating the nozzle from the basket said it was like being underwater with the spray blowing into his face.
The original articulated boom was a Pitman “Giraffe” that was built for the City of Chicago Forestry Department, but the”Giraffe” was also used by power companies, telephone companies, railroads, billboard companies, and traffic signal companies for elevated installation, maintenance, and repair.
The “Giraffe” basket had capacity for just one man, and the CFD slung a hose-line alongside the boom to provide water supply for the deluge nozzle that was attached to the basket, so it was really not built for firefighting.
Shortly after the CFD began using the gerry-rigged Giraffe at fires and the term “snorkel” was introduced, an engineer at the Pitman Company invented the “Snorkel,” which was essentially a firefighting version of the Giraffe. So the CFD Giraffe was sent back to the Pitman factory in St. Louis in 1959 and was converted from a “Giraffe” to a “Snorkel,” with a larger basket, a better turret nozzle, intake port, and a pre-plumbed water-supply pipe.
The term :snorkel” (with a small ”s”) eventually came to describe all firefighting apparatus with an articulated boom, but the brand-name “Snorkel” (with a capitol “S”) was a Pitman product. Pitman won several lawsuits in the 1960’s pertaining to alleged patent infringements that put some of the other snorkel manufacturers out of business (at least as far as producing articulated booms used in fire-fighting).
During the period of time that the “Giraffe” was back at the Pitman factory becoming a “Snorkel,” a 65-foot Pitman “Snorkel” demonstrator built on a Ford “C” Series chassis was loaned to the CFD, and it ran as Snorkel 1 for a few months. The City of Chicago had an option to purchase this rig, but other companies underbid Pitman for the contract to build the other six snorkels that were acquired by the City of Chicago in 1959-61 (four “Hi-Ranger” snorkels built by Mobile Aerial Towers of Fort Wayne, IN, and two “Strato-Tower” snorkels built by Young Spring & Wire Corporation of Bowling Green, OH). Therefore, Pitman would eventually sell the “Snorkel” demonstrator that had been loaned to the CFD while the “Giraffe” was being converted to a “Snorkel” to a fire department in Indiana.
Chicago’s 1958 GMC snorkel was a one-of-a-kind rig that was not originally built for the fire service, and by 1967 it was at the end of its life expectancy as a front-line fire-fighting apparatus, where maintenance and repair costs exceeded the value of the apparatus, so a damaged transmission from getting stuck in a snow-drift was merely the coup-de-grace.
The two 1956 International/Pitman/Erlinder snorkels (SS1 and SS2) were removed from front-line service soon after SS3’s snorkel was taken out of service, so it wasn’t just the original 1958 GMC snorkel that was worn-out by 1967.
SS1’s snorkel apparatus was replaced by a new Pierce/Pitman “Snorkel” squad (with a 55′ boom) in April 1967, and SS2’s snorkel was taken out of service in 1968 and (like SS3’s snorkel the year before) was not replaced. So SS1 was the only CFD snorkel-squad in service post-1968 (it was disbanded in October 1980).
#18 by Turk_WLF on December 26, 2017 - 10:27 AM
Mike L.
I’m no expert on its history but I’m pretty sure that you’re correct that it had originally the boat hose strapped to the boom, so the hard piped waterway was added during the refurb.
#19 by Bill Post on December 26, 2017 - 10:21 AM
Mike L, the hard piping was added around 1959. The original hanging hose configuration was only for a short period of time. In 1959 after the larger Snorkel 2 and 3 went in service, Snorkel 1 was sent back to Pitman for modifications. While the original GMC/Snorkel was being modified, Chicago used a small loaner Snorkel that was mounted on Ford C cab chassis. I believe that the loaner ended up with a small town fire department in Indiana. It may have even been sold a few times.
#20 by Mike L on December 25, 2017 - 6:42 PM
Awesome pics!!!! Was the hard piped water way added during the refurb? I always thought this rig had the boat hose strapped to the boom.