The Sun.
London, England, 1863-07-04 00:00:00

STBAX ntr-ENGINES:

The trials with the fire-engines were brought to a
close yesterday, after each machine had been put
through every conceivable form of ordeal, some of
which were so severe that one—an American
engine, as we anticipated it would, broke down
completely.
His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, accom.
panied by Lord Caithness, and attended by Captain
Grey, came en the ground :eon after 10 o'clock to
witness the experiments. On the previous evening
the American engine, which worked so violently,
was tried by the severe test of drawing its water
from a depth of 18ft. and delivering it up-hill
through a 400 ft. length of hose into the water
temple. This was the most difficult test which any of
the machines had to undergo, but those of Messrs.
Shand and Mason, and Merryweather went
through it admirably. The American engine Alex-
andra broke its cylinder cover in its efforts to do the
same, and of course was instantly rendered useless.
Yesterday the Manhattan, which was seriously in-
jured by turning over when being brought upon
the ground on Tuesday, was tried in the presence
of his Royal Highness. It was scarcely fair to try
this engine at all, but the American gentlemen
themselves wished it, and steam was got up accord-
ingly. Before it had pumped long, however, it was
found to be too much injured to work with safety,
and a crack which its fly wheel had received when
it fell over began to spread so fast that the machine
had to be stopped at once. The Prince appeared to
take great interest in the working of the machines,
the different merits of which were pointed out to
him by the Duke of Sutherland and Capt, Shaw, who
have been on the ground early and late superintend-
ing everything connected with the trials since the
competition first began. After passing sPeme time
among the enginee, the Prince went to that part of
the grounds where Mr. Coxwell's galloon was in-
flated, ready to ascend at 1 o'e.lock. Mr. Coxwell
was sent for by the Prince, and had the honour of
explaining to him fully all the details of the huge
machine and the various appurtenances used for
managing it while ascending and descending, with
all of which his Royal Highness appeared exceed-
ingly interested. The Prince remained to witness
the ascent of the balloon, which Mr. Coxwell made
with Mr. Birkbeck at one o'clock, and from the
comparative stillness of the air the great machine
remained a long time in sight, and, we may add,
descended safely in the afternoon on Crofton Farm,
beyond Bromley. After the ascent the Prince
quitted the gardens and rode back to town.
The most important experiments afterwards made
with the engines took place just under the north
water tower, to test them as to their power in throw-
ing a vertical jet high into the air, For this purpose
the nczzles of the hose of the four competing ma-
chines were fixed upright side by side in a frame
about loft. high. The diameter of the hose pipe
used by Mr. Merryweather was 26-16ths of an
inch, or more than an inch and a half. Messrs.
Shand and Mason used a nozzle of 22-16ths of
an inch, the American engine one of 21-16ths of
an inch, and Mr. Roberts's engine one of 14.16ths
of an inch. The latter for suen a small engine
(only 20evet.) threw a steady and high jet, at
times quite as high as 140 ft. into the air. All,
however, were eclipsed in height by the jets thrown
by Mr. Merryweathcr's and Messrs. Shand and
Mason's, that from the engine of the latter firm
being the highest of all, reaching at times close
upon 190 ft., if indeed it did not overtop even
this great altitude. Mr. Mereweather's engine also
threw a most magnificent column of the great dia-
meter we have mentioned,and maintained the column
steadily at a height varying between 160 and 170 ft•
This was the most massive jet thrown, though
Messrs. Shand and Mason,with their slightly thinner
column, could always overreach it by 20ft. or more.
The American engine was literally nowhere, and,
except during an occasional spurt, 50ft. was about
its maximum. As the jets were kept close up,
parallel with the tower, and only distant from it
a couple of feet, it was quite easy, by a compa-
rison with the stories of the tower itself, each
of which is 20 feet high, to estimate almost to
a foot the height each jet was thrown. The
united efforts of all the nozzles of course came
down in a perfect cataract of water. This last
effort, which was exceedingly beautiful to wit-
ness, brought the trials to a close. The decision
of the committee awarding the prizes having, of
course, to be based on the careful consideration of
an infinity of minute, but important details, cannot
be made known before Wednesday or Thursday
next. It wad, however, a very general opinion on
the ground that Mr. Merryweather had gained the
first prize for large engines 60 cwt.), and Messrs.
Shand and Mason the first prize for small (30ewt.).
It is the small engines, however, which are the
great desiderata just now.