Furphy Water Cart

The furphy water cart provided a much needed solution for efficiently transporting water. First manufactured in 1864, these carts played a pivotal role in farming and WW1 where it was used to cart water to the troops. The furphy water cart is designed with cast iron concave ends which were manufactured in the foundry. A rolled barrel made from galvanized iron was slipped over the ends and a ring then heated and slipped over the outside of the barrel to provide a shrink fit upon cooling creating a water tight seal. The pitman shorthand on the tank says “water is a gift from God but beer is a concoction of the Devil don’t drink beer.”