Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1855-07-28
from the Pcayune of Tuesday
The New Steam Fire Engine.

From the Pcayune of Tuesday.
| The New Steam Fire Engine.
| If the performance of the new steam hr
engine, at the confiagration of the Veranda
| Hotel, left any possible room to doubt its per
feet adequacy to the accomplishment of it
design, the experiment made by it yesterda.
afternoon must have had the effect Of dissipa
| ting such doubt from the most idcredulou
mind. 1t was, beyond all cavil, most complete
ly successful.
At 4 o'clock crowds began to assemble OF
and around the Neutral Ground. The bal
comics on Canal street, and the windows ane
roofs of the houses and stores overlooking tn.
square between Chartres and Camp and Maya
zine streets, gradually filled up with spectator.
of both sexes, while the street itself literal,
thronged with people. The large stage erected
for the late political meeting there was covered
with lockers on, and the whole presented quite
a holiday scene.
In the centre of the crowd, "the cynosrre
of neighboring eyes," stood the hero of the
day, the gaily painted, saucy-looking machine,
"Young America" occupying position ex-
actly on the trottoir, between the two curbs OF
the the Camp and Charities crossing. Mr..
Chief Wingfeld was early on the spot, with
a strong detachment of our gallant fire.
men, and square was soon formed, in the
midst of which preparations were made for the
promised exhibition.
Just as operations commenced, we observed
Moissenet bringing to bear his Photographic
apparatus upon the scene, which was indeed
one fully worthy of being limned.
At o'clock exactly, the process of raising
steam commenced, and in eight minutes from
the moment of the. first appearance of smoke
from the pipe steam was produced. Under the
direction of Mr.. Blair, the competent superin-
tendent of the Water Works, an eight-inch
hydrant had been let into the main that runs
midway in Canal street, to which the hose for
the supply of the engine was attached. To
this hydrant some few inches below the sur
face, was attached a stop-cock for the regula-
ton of the head of water. and that was worked
by an iron crank. This hydrant was found
amply sufficient to supply any amount of water
that could possibly be demanded.
Two hose, one an inch and the other two
inches, were attached to the machine, and in
about ten or twelve minutes from the time the
fire was kindled they began to play. They
continued in very successful operation some
FIVE minutes, when it was discovered that
there was screw loose somewhere" We
are not sufficiently au fat with mechanical
matters to explain what screw it was. But
though an important one, it seems to have been
easily repaired or replaced; for after the lapse
of brief space, new head of steam was
raised, and the engine recommended operations,
and for some three quarters of an hour, with
out any further 'let or hindrance," continued
to operate to the mingled delight and astonish-
parent satisfaction eff everybody.
mr,ch tho hoinhf Nr tho die
lance to which the water was thrown, Though
the enormous jets were propelled both upwards
and horizontally, to great extent,) as the
great body and volume, mass and bulk of water
which, continuously, for forty five minutes,
were elected from the pipes, that surprised us.
The force with which this was propelled was Of
that magnitude. that the jet continued I'M
broken and entire, until it fell like q cataract,
in full volume, and in a dense heavy mass
"upon the place beneath" 1t must be i'm
possible that any considerable proportion of so
much water thrown with such force and in
such a compact body, could be converted into
vapor by coming within the influence Of the
flames. as We often see is the case, at fires. 1t
must descend in almost, if not quite all its
bulk, upon the raging element and cause its
speedy extinction.
thunder shower coming over, and the
clouds, as if envious of so successful a COM
petitor beginning to take part in the game,
50 Young America" blew his shrill whistle.
opened his furnace doors, and stopped off &c the
DOCTOR" seeming to be very we'll satisfied that
he had fully indicated his title to be con-
sidered one Of the greatest and most useful in
ventions of the age, and to have we'll estab-
lished his footing in the Crescent City
And in this, We must say, we are prepared
most cordially to agree with him.