Where I grew up fire hydrants were always called "fire plugs." I always wondered why.
Hollowed-out wood logs were used for water pipes in the late 1700s-early 1800s.
When a fire occurred, the firefighters dug down, found the log pipe, and drilled a hole through it. Water would fill the hole, forming a "wet well" to either get buckets of water, or serve as a reservoir for pumps to pull water. When the fire was out, the hole in the pipe would be sealed by driving a wood "plug" into it. The plug's location was often noted and marked before the pipe was covered over, so the plug could possibly be used the next time, instead of creating a new hole.
Straightforward, huh?
Hollowed-out wood logs were used for water pipes in the late 1700s-early 1800s.
When a fire occurred, the firefighters dug down, found the log pipe, and drilled a hole through it. Water would fill the hole, forming a "wet well" to either get buckets of water, or serve as a reservoir for pumps to pull water. When the fire was out, the hole in the pipe would be sealed by driving a wood "plug" into it. The plug's location was often noted and marked before the pipe was covered over, so the plug could possibly be used the next time, instead of creating a new hole.
Straightforward, huh?