Later, in 1923, Kidde solved another major challenge in effective firefighting. Kidde's answer to this problem was to use carbon dioxide instead of steam as a means of smothering the fire without damaging the cargo. This method of extinguishing fires by steam had one major flaw, namely, steam caused extensive damage to the ship's cargo. In 1918, Kidde, Inc., then Walter Kidde & Company, purchased the rights to the "Rich" system for detecting fires on board ships. Kidde began to expand into the business of fire fighting, which became the catalyst for his company's rapid growth and development. Soon, however, his ambitions pushed him down other avenues. After opening his own construction office in New York in 1900, Kidde went on to serve on the New Jersey State Highway Commission, overseeing the construction of the first traffic circle at Camden and the design of the first cloverleaf intersection. Walter Kidde was driven not only by entrepreneurial instincts, but also by an unending pursuit of solutions to the world’s challenges.
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