Fire engine

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A'a! ANGELO SEP 28 1988 5 1 Fire Engine 006902 ngine 1900s 20.5 20.5USA ZIP+4 Presort 5USA ZIP+4 Presort Benil TX SAN

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FIRE ENGINE First Day of Issue: September 28, 1988 First Issue Location: San Angelo, Texas Man has been fighting fires since the dawn of human history. Even in Ancient Egypt, pumps connected to a tube were used to douse threatening flames. In Rome, volun- teer brigades formed to save structures from the ravages of fire. And in America, early settlements were often protected by nothing more than volunteer bucket bri- gades. Thus, it was a great day in December, 1731, when Newsham hand engines first arrived in the colonies. Americans soon developed their own versions of these engines and real fire fighting began. Unfortunately, more than a few buildings burned as feuding fire fighters argued over hydrant rights or the privilege of hosing first water on the flames. With the advent of steam engines, fire fighting became a more professional occupation, and the days of volunteerism seemed numbered. By the turn of the cen- tury, horses were being replaced by faster and more efficient motor cars. A wide variety of equipment came into use, and gradually fire fighting evolved into the complex science it is today. No. 88-60 ©1988 The Maximum Card Collection A Division of Unicover Corporation Cheyenne, WY 82008-0007 Original painting by Basil Smith