The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-10-12

LArrAs steam fire engine. They give the
gentleman $4,000 for the same; one-third
payable in 80 days; one-thirdi in six months;
and the balance in I3 months. This is bold |
step, but We presume the ground has been
carefully canvassed by the gentlemen who
made the appropriation.
To make this purchase effectual, there will
be at least 1000 feet of new hose-very
large in size-to be bought; at least two
horses; new, stout hose reel, and a house
in which the whole is to be preserved. To
depend on livery stable for horses, will
rob the machine Of one-half its value. In
the hurry and hustle of q confagration,
bells ringing, men running to and fro, we
will venture that there is hardly hostler
in any of our stables that would get the
horses harnessed and hitched up in less than
half an hour. Then there would be a diff
Guilty in managing strange horses. Not one
horse in five, ordinarily, would deport him
self properly amid the excitement of a fire.
We think it will prove absolutely necessary
that horses be purchased by the city, before
the steam engine can be made available.
Horses will need an attendant and no small
quantity of corn, hay, and oats.
We will have to secure the services
of an engineer and fireman. If Mr..
LATTA was unwilling to permit a trial of
his engine under the management of our
most experienced and careful practical en-
gineers and machinlsts, We may infer how
useful he thinks the engine will prove
under the management of one who has no
experience as an engineer, whatever. Mr..
HASEY proposes to run the engine for one
year for nothing. If the old adage, "what
costs but little is not worth much" holds
good, we will conclude that the fire engine
will not be attended to as well as it ought.
Mr.. HANEY's zeal will cool long before the
end of the year, and the Council will be
compelled to employ an engineer at last
With the engine in one place, the engineer
in another, the horses in third, and a fire.
man anywhere he may be found, the
engine will be put to work, we doubt not,
with much promptitude and certainty
That Mr.. LArrAs engine is COM
plicated piece of work, any one can see
That a very slight difficulty in the working
of any portion of the machinery would Sc
riously injure-if not entirely stop-the
engine, is apparent TO the most stupid. A
man should be cool, cautious, full Of expe-
dents, and, above all, thoroughly compre-
bend the philosophy and practical uses OF
every part of the machinery comprising an
engine, before he is fully competent to take
charge of one. We insist that it requires
more skill to properly manage steam en-
CINE amid the excitement consequent upon
large fire, than it does to run almost any
other class Of machinery.
Having purchased the engine, having
; bought the hose and hose.reel, and horses
to pull them, having secured the services OF
J good engineer and fremen, will the Coun-
Gil stop there, or will it make additional
appropriations for an engine to be placed on
the outskirts OF the city2 If good hand
: engine is also purchased, will not the city be
as deep in the mud, financially, at the close
I of the year, as she was in the mire at the
! beginning?
J Besides, we venture this prediction: II
the Lamasco company gets first class en-
CINE, and 6rst-rate engine is also given to
: the Franklin company, four-ffths of all the
: fires that break out in the city will be put
. out by the hand engines. We trust time
will not verify the truth of our prediction
& to the disparagement of steam.
But while we have frankly given oul
/ fears-as above-that the steam engine will
not prove profitable investment, with tn,
Enquirer ave hope it may prove good in.
vestment on the part Of the city fathers
= There is no question, but what as mer
extinguisher of fires, after the engine i
. once located ut a cistern, the steam engine i
! Superlatively better than any hand engine
I AS a proof of its power we trust we shall
, Immediately witness reduction in tn
= rates of insurance. In addition to thi:
= we feel just pride in the reflection tina
4 our young city is the pioneer city of lndi
. ana in Introducing steam fire, engines.
will give us notoriety and importanc
= abroad, which, of itself, is valuable. Tn
= enterprise of our city in the Inauguration @
I these engines, may attract the attention c
foreign capitalists and they be induced I
8 bring their means and invest with us.
Whenever we are aroused at night by th
i appalling cry Of fire, and hear the clatter G
o bells mingled with the shouts of an excite
u multitude, we confess that the shrill whist
e of our steam fire engine will fall pleasant
! on the ear, and we may then have occasion
:, TO pay tribute to the foresight of our cit
. fathers which turned out to be SO much bet
=. ter than our own.
@ APPOINTMENTS BY CoNYEkENcE.-Rev s
e 7. Gillett was appointed by the Conferenc
| xvh;cb has mat cloood ;ts o~s,:oc % Ill.,