I see a fire hat.

Whats our story today, Miss Greenwood?

We have a story about an old time fire engine.

It's an old story.

It's called Hercules.

And you may have heard it before, but it's still one of the best fire stories that I know.

And I thought we'd do that today.

Can I hear it now?

Are you ready?

Let's check and see if the boys and girls are ready.

Okay.

Are you sitting up straight?

Feet flat on the floor.

Hands still, eyes looking right this way.

Then I think we're ready for the story.

This is a story of Hercules, a famous fire engine.

When your grandfather was young, he and his friends thought that Hercules was one of the finest fire engines ever built.

Then nobody had ever heard of a fire truck.

It wasn't so long ago, either.

Today, Hercules is in a museum.

Had it not been for a wonderful act of courage and a little luck, he never would have won such a fine place.

This is how it happened.

The day Hercules came from the factory, the whole town turned out.

And the mayor made a long speech and proudly referred to Hercules as the most modern, the most up to date fire engine in the world.

It was a proud day for Hercules.

His brass gleaming, his safety valve dance, and the quivering needle on the steam gauge showed how strong he was.

Hercules was drawn by three horses, one black, one white, and one dapple gray.

And the people of the town presented him with a mascot, a spotted coach dog, to run with him to the fires.

Hercules had a crew of three.

Hokey Pokey and Smokey.

Hokey was the fireman.

He kept steam up in the big boiler.

Pokey was the engineer.

He watched the gauges and connected the hose to hydrants, and Smokey sat on the front seat and drove the horses.

They made a great team.

People used to hang around the firehouse for hours on end on the chance an alarm might ring.

It was exciting to see the horses leap toward their harness when the gong struck.

It was even more exciting to see them in full flight through the town.

And it was most exciting of all to see how quickly they put out a fire.

One blast of water from Hercules hose, and it was all over.

Anyhow.

That's how it was in the beginning.

The trouble was that time was passing and new things were being invented.

There was a strange, noisy vehicle.

The automobile.

People called it a horseless carriage.

It was almost too much for the horses.

Didn't like the looks of this at all.

First thing you know, they'll be put in motors and fire engines.

And when they do that, Hercules and all of us are done for.

But Smokey and Pokey said he was plumb crazy.

We'll stick by Hercules and our horses.

At least with them, we'll always get to the fire.

This was true.

But Smokey and his pride and affection had overlooked the simple fact that with a fire engine, what counts above everything else is getting to a fire first.

For there came a day.

When Hercules, though he rolled as fast as ever, arrived too late.

The fire was out.

It had been put out by a new kind of fire engine.

An engine that wasn't pulled by horses at all.

This new fangled machine chugged under its own power.

Already one of these monsters was coming back from the fire.

And at the top of the hill, Hercules met him face to face.

The upstart blasted his exhaust in Hercules face and nearly choked him to death.

(coughing) Life was unbearable after that.

The alderman and the mayor solemnly decided that Hercules was obsolete.

He's too old to slow, so we better retire him.

So they retired him.

From then on, nothing seemed to happen.

The alarm never sounded.

The horses were sold.

The black one to a riding academy, the dapple gray to a junk dealer, and the white one to the police force.

Then Hercules grew old like a soldier pining for the smell of gunpowder, but hokey pokey and smoky because they loved the firehouse stayed on.

Wait and see.

Someday there's going to be a fire.

The worst fire this city ever saw.

And we'll be there with Hercules.

There are things that Hercules and Horses can do that those trucks can't do.

That day came sooner than even Smokey had dared to hope their own alarm suddenly sounded.

The cobwebs flew in all directions.

It's a general alarm.

The city hall.

We've got to do something.

However, there were no horses to pull Hercules.

But he knew what to do.

He began to ring his big brass bell.

When the old black horse heard that familiar clang.

He shot like a bolt from under his gentleman rider and tore to the firehouse.

The dappled gray abandoned his junk wagon, and the white horse just brought his new master right in with him.

Here they come.

This was like old times.

It was a good thing they started.

And before long they found out why.

One after another, all the fire trucks, which weren't so dependable in those days, had come to grief.

First they passed hose number four.

Number fours crew were cranking their heads off, but the engine wouldn't start.

We can use that hose.

They stopped only long enough to pick it up.

Then they overtook hook and ladder number one.

Number one had blown a tire.

Then the spare and the crew were sweating to pump it up.

Never mind that.

Get aboard with the ladder.

Emergency truck number three was hopelessly stuck in a muddy ditch.

Get aboard and bring your life net.

On the steep hill near the city hall, they heaved past engine number two.

It just didn't have the power to get up the slope.

Hercules could do things that no fire truck could ever hope to do.

The bridge was out, but Hercules never stopped.

(water splashing) This was the worst fire he had ever seen.

The heat was so scorching that pokey had to unharness the horse and lead them away.

If they were to save the city hall, Hercules had to pump water as he had never pumped before.

While Hokey fed coal under the boiler, pokey threw himself on the safety valve and Hercules pumped until he was blue in the face.

Everyone was saved, including the mayor and the aldermen, with no hurt except to their dignity.

And that was how Hercules got into the museum.

Well, they sure were lucky to have Hercules around.

Well, I should say so.

Anyway, that's the story of the old time fire engine.

And listen, I have a surprise for you now.

What?

Well, I have a guest, Mr.

Zoglo, and I'd like for you to meet him now, because I know Mr.

Zoglo can tell us some things about old time fire engines.

He's a real life fireman.

Well, of course.

Oh, I bet he knows lots and lots.

Tell me all kinds of things, please.

Okay, Worm I'll try to explain a few things.

Yeah.

What would you like to know?

Well, how long ago did we have those kind of fire engines with the horses?

Oh, you know, about, oh, 60 years ago, 50 and 60 years ago.

Maybe even a little bit longer than that.

You know, so long ago.

Sure.

Denver had volunteer firemen.

And, incidentally, we have a helmet here that was just like the fireman wore in Hercules.

How do you like that?

The same time?

Yes.

That is really neat.

When did we get our first one?

With the motor?

Oh, that was way back in about 1909.

That was the first motorized fire truck that we had in Denver.

Did it breakdown?

Yes, I think it did, because the horses were still very, very reliable.

We had those years after the first motorized equipment.

You know Worm, I told Mr.

Zoglo that we were going to have a story about an old time fire engine, and he has some pictures of old time fire engines that we're really here, that he's going to show us that Really in Denver?

Really.

I think so.

Is that right?

Yes.

These were pictures, real photos.

And they were tinted by one of our photographers.

Oh, and they're very, very interesting.

I think everybody will like them In fact, the first one will show exactly is Hercules.

It shows the horses and the steamer.

And this was an engine number six.

And this was over on Larimer Street.

Oh.

And then we have what they this one was titled Highland on the run.

This was a hose wagon.

And this was an actual photo showing them going to a fire.

And you can't see.

But there is one of the firemen on the back.

You can just see his face on the back there.

See, I could see the ladder though.

And then this is engine number 2.

And engine number 13.

13 was over on Broadway and the other was over on Colfax Street.

And this was station number 8.

And this shows the men and the horses and the fire trucks.

And this was at 16th and Marion.

In fact, they have a brand new firehouse there now.

And engine number 5, and this was at 1829 Blake.

And that shows usually have you noticed they have a white and a black fire horse.

Why did they do that?

Well, it seemed that the firemen had favorites.

And this was the way that they most all of them were white and a dapple and a black, and they have some dogs there.

And this was engine number 12.

This was the firehouse at 26th and Federal.

And, you know, they have a new firehouse right now.

And then we have station number 11 and station number 5.

In fact, number 5 is going to be a new one.

This was down in the lower bottoms over by the depot and then station number 6.

And this was called hose wagon number six.

And this was practically like the story in Hercules.

And station number 2, hose company number 2.

You notice the firemen, the proud uniforms they had at that time.

And then we had station number 1, and this was over on Broadway.

They're currently stationed on Tremont Street right across from the station over here.

And this here is Bill Proctor.

We know his name.

You know the Union Pacific Railroad.

They had their own steamer, and they were very proud of it.

And see how nice and shiny that the steamer is?

They were very proud of shining that all the time.

They certainly took good care of that.

And then we show that steamer not the one in the picture, their previous picture, but this is actually at a fire.

You notice the smoke coming out of it and they're pumping water.

Looks just like the one in Hercules.

Right.

And now station number 10 and station number 7, number 10 was over at 33rd and Curtis and I remember when I went to work, that's been many years ago, the driveway was still out there.

It was the concrete.

It had little ridges in it.

And now we have hook and ladder number 1.

And you know why they call it hook and ladder.

They have the ladders.

And then they had some hooks.

This was to always reach up and pull down, maybe a wall or some plaster or something.

And remember Worm, you asked about the first motorized or the first engine that had a motor in it?

Well, this is it.

This was in 1909, and this was a station number 6.

It's not very big.

No.

And now this is very interesting.

Engine number 18.

The fellow sitting on the fender was Mr.

Kelly.

And he is the father of the photographer who took all these pictures and tended all of them in this station is still in existence.

It is over at City Park right there on Colorado Boulevard.

I've seen that one.

Yes.

And then now this is a three wheel truck.

They bought these from some circuses that came through town.

And you notice that they're just with three wheels, but they didn't work out too well because that front wheel would get caught in the streetcar tracks.

And they had a lot of trouble.

It would blow out the tires.

So you see, the horses were still the most reliable.

Now this was engine number 3. and it was over on Washington Street.

And you see the proud firemen there.

I think one of the men is still living.

They look very handsome.

Wasn't that fun, worm?

Oh, they were beautiful machines.

You know, Hercules was just to make believe story.

But we were actually seeing the real thing there.

Well, was make believe about things that really happened, though.

Well, yes, that's true.

Or could happen.

That's true.

Yes.

And I have another surprise for you.

I'm told that you brought some old time film.

Yes.

Showing the horses.

And this.

This shows all the firemen.

You know, we have a tower where we would go to and they train.

Now, the film is way back, I'd say, about 50 years ago, and it is sort of speeded up.

It shows them in fast action.

And this is where we would train.

And let's take a look at it.

Interesting.

Okay.

Oh, that was great Mr.

Zoglo.

We thank you in the fire department so much for bringing it down to show us, because we certainly did enjoy it and enjoyed the slides too.

You're quite welcome.

It was a pleasure to be here.

We'll see you next week with a different story.

Until then, bye.