On April 14 the Lightbulb had a second visit by Julliette Goodrich, with her family and friends. (Juliette was our MC at the 100th birthday party). She was met by Fireman Dan Dague, who told the children the story of the lightbulb, and then gave them a tour of the fire trucks. Juliette is a reporter, and emmy winning anchor for channel CBS 5, in addition to being a full time mother, and working on making a childrens book based on thr lightbulb.
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Fireman Dan met Juliette, her family, and friends on a cold and foggy April morning. He told the story of the bulb, as so many times before, "It's a hand-blown glass bulb from 100 years ago. It's been burning for 106 years, and just keeps going. Can you imagine the things that have happened while it has been glowing? 2 years after it was on the first airplane flew. 4 years after it was swinging from the same electric cord to the great quake of San Francisco. Then all the inventions from the car, to landing on the moon! What changes it has seen. |
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Some people think it is because of the extra thick filimont, or how it was made. There is no problem of the power going out as it is on a seperate power generator. For most of it's life it has been hanging at two stations. For the first 70 years, it was at the old Station 1 on First street, now the Firehouse Bistro. Then in 1972 with all the bells, sirens, and flashing lights, a code 3, it was brought here. We keep it up high, so no one is tempted to touch it. But if you look up at it from underneath, it says the word "ON". In years past the firemen would pat it on the way out to fires for good luck. Once we realized how old it was, it was treated with a little more respect. |
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Some folks say what good is it, giving off so little light, and hanging so high out of the way? But I can tell you, at night when it's really dark in here it gives off enough light to see around the trucks on this side. It has been on TV many times since Charles Kuralt came here in 1972. We even had a birtday party for it 5 years ago when it turned 100. Important people like President Bush, Senators, Congressmen, and other cities sent proclamations of congratulations for the occassion. It's been talked about in many papers, magazines, books, and even Guiness Book of Records, and Ripleys Believe it or Not. It has been a part of our fire department, and our heritage, and we are proud to share it with you, and with the camera on the wall and the net, the whole world!" |
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| After the talk Dan took the children on a tour of the fire trucks. He let them sit in the front and and expained, while it has many of the same things that your family car has, it also has different panels that control the lights, sirens, pumps, radios, & ladder. |
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Then Dan showed them where the other firemen sat, and all the equipement around truck. Panels, pumps, nozels, fittings, hoses, tools to pry or cut, and a ladder that can go three stories high. As you can see the crew joined in to make sure no one was left out. It was fun sharing this with the whole group, and a typical tour of a most unusual bulb. |
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Special thanks to Julliette for bringing her family and friends, Dan Dague and the crew of Station 6, and Dick & Jones for the photos and help. If anyone or school is inspired by this page to bring your kids for a similar tour please feel free to contact Station 6 at 925-454-2346. If they are not busy they will be glad to show you around the station, and let you see the Bulb. |
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