In the late 19th century, during the reign of King Luís, the Portuguese Navy’s Arsenal, in Lisbon, was equipped with fire-fighting equipment to fight fires that might occur in its premises. We are talking about English steam fire engines manufactured by Merryweather & Sons, London. However, these were not only used within the Arsenal, as the city had few means to respond to any fires that might occur.
And how did they work?
The steam that drove the water pump to the hoses came from a coal-fired boiler, which in less than 10 minutes produced the necessary pressure while the vehicle was being drawn to the scene of the fire. Between and to fires, these fire engines were drawn by mules and travelled rather quickly, considering the standards of the time.
When they became obsolete, they were stored in a warehouse of the Sapper Fire Brigade until, in 1979, they were transferred to the Navy Museum where they are now on display. The Navy Museum has three of these fire engines from the Navy Arsenal, including a model dating from 1881, as indicated on its boiler; its horse-drawn traction structure is painted red and shows the inscription of the Navy Arsenal.