Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1841-05-21
AL-
Q9@rll 1setouD
FRIDAY MORNING, MAY Fl, l64l.
New YORK, May, 1871.

As for our city affairs l have nothing very
new or interesting We had large and de-
atructive fire last night, which destroyed proper
ty to the amount of several hundred thousand
dollars. 1t broke out near the corner of Pearl
and Wall-streets, and consumed several Dry
Good and other stores. \ large amount of the
property was insured. The fire is generally be-
lieved to have been the work of an ncendiary.
An experiment was made here few days since
with newly invented Fire Engine, called the
"Hydraulic Engine" Its design is to make
use of the Hydraulic pressure which our city
will readily afford in extingushing fires. We
have here head of water, some eighty feet
high; and when the Croton Aqueduct is com
pleted, the height of water above tide level will
be equal TO perpendicular column of one hun
dred feet. The power thus gained, will, Of
course, raise stream to the same height, but
without any prolectile force. BY the invention
recently exhibited, by waste of one half the
water, the other half may be raised to the height
OF one hundred and fifty ieet. Any number of
streams may be thus thrown, and if the hydrants
should be well distributed, and the engine made
to succeed, our city will possess far greater ia
cties for extinguishing fires than it has at any
former period. understand that the Common
Council of the city will soon make an appropria-
ton for the purpose OF more fully testing the
character and benefits of this Engine.
The Common Schools of this city are exciting
no little attention. You will recolect the
strong efforts that have been made BY the Cath.
olics to obtain their share of the public mon
les. This Fund is raised partly by direct tax
on the citizens, and part of it comes from the
State. 1t is now confded to the care of the
Public School Society, an Incorporated associa
ton, composed of persons who will pay ten dol
lars for membership and being responsible
neither to the people, nor the Legislature for
their acts! This Society selects the schools it
deems proper to share in the school fund The
Catholics have wished TO organize schools, in
which Professionalism is not TO be taught; they OBJ
ject to the reading of the Bible in schools, be
cause this interferes essentially with funda-
mental article of their creed Now in this
country. the utmost freedom of religious belief
is, or should be tolerated by our people. 1t
seems therefore not unadvisabe that some meas
ures should be taken to procure distribution of
the school moneys which should be more equ-
table to all classes. The Catholics ask that the
fund should be entrusted to persons elected by
the people, and if any fears are entertained that il
would be perverted to sectarIan purposes, they
say that persons might be appointed, who would
examine the manner in which tho scver,l s,hool,
are conducted, and on the discovery of any
ground for such an objection, the offending
schools might be easily deprived of their pro-
portion of the common fund. There are manv
reasons why this plan should be adopted, and at
the same time many persons see strong and
weighty objections to many Of lis provisions. 7,
IL matter Of interest not only to these who