The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-08-01

o. that day was greater than along the bay OF
NeN York, and 1t may be very Hattering to the
vanit of John Bull to know that in both places
IT was British celebrity that evoked 1t. 1t is
a curious coincidence however, that the two
finest harbo. 3 In America should have been the
scene of grA nd sensation on the same day.
STEAM VERSUS HAND FIRE ESGNEs-The fire
in Nassau street ON Aonday evening last has
demonstrated the supe riority of steam over
mere manual labor, when applied to thej extin-
gushing Of great connagra lions. II has also
proved that the fremen of the city of New York
are the foremost in the world, whether We judge
them by their personal bravery, their self-nega-
ton, or the admirable esprit du corps by which
their excellent organization is sustained. Such
band of heroic and selfdenying men it would
be hard to find anywhere. The alacrity they
invariably evince whenever the cry of danger
is heard; the Promptitude and discipline they
observe in conforming to the stringent rules of
their association, and the inHexible courage
and determination which are their leading cha
racteristics when life and property, public or
private, are in jeopardy, are confessed facts
which give a tone and a character to the pro-
fession of fireman.
But in the face of all these facts, aud of many
Others which might be added, it has been too
clearly shown that revolution is about to oc-
cur in the administration of the Fire Depart
ment Steam fire engines must inevitably be
brought into universal use. The ordinary hand
engines, though worked by the most courageous,
athletic and devoted men, can never hold
out or compete with the tremendous force and
uncessng action of the steam fire king. As
steam has already demonstrated its utility and
power in every branch of art and human labor,
it must also come to be exclusively applied to
the extinction of fires. When this grand i'm
prov ement has been fully achieved, we shall
hear OF but few extensive CONGREGATIONS. To
the presence of one of these powerful engines
we ust in great measure, attribute the ex-
emption of our own and other establishments
from very severe scorching on Monday night.
Three or four large steam fire engines, bring
ing their full power of ejecting water to bear
on a burning building, must very soon sub
due the flames, be they ever so fierce; and the
consequence will be that when these engines
are in universal use, only one building can
burn at time, and life and property will be
more securely guarded.
Many of our fremen might look on the on
ward progress of steam fire engines a. an inno-
walton in their profession, and as calculated to
detract from the importance of their exemplary
organization. But they greatly err if they be.
lieve 90. The steam fire engines have to be at
tended to as carefully, if not more so, than the
hand engines. They require as many men to
take them to the post of danger, and. in cases
Of great fires, the men Of the Department would
always ind more than enough to do without
wearing out their strength by the fatiguing la
bors which the hand engines demand, and with
out which they are entirely useless
The Improvement is, therefore, an advan-
tage to all parties-to the public as
well as to the members of the Fire Depart
ment themselves As human muscle cannot
compete with steam in working against ires
let steam be altogether brought into use. And
we are glad to know that this desideratum is
being slowly but certainly accomplished
There are now in this city four Of these new
and powerful regular district steam engines,
besides two large exempt engines, which are
only brought into requisition on the occasion
of very large CONGREGATIONS. Measures are
now, we learn, being taken by the Corporation
for constructing others of the same class and
If our city fathers really desire to protect the
property Of the public, they will relax no ef-
fort to provide the city with full complement
of these superior engines.
The SITE FOR THE Posr OfrIcE-THE DurcH
CHURCH THROWN OvERBoARD.-We understand
that the general government has decided not to
take the old Dutch church In Nassau street
as site for the new Post Office, and for the
reason that no clear title to the property can
be had. 1t appears that there are several
bodies lying in the vaults there, and the heirs
to the different tombs cannot now be found;
and, therefore, without their signatures no
title would be secure, unless by some special
act of the Legislature. Many Of the hers TO
be living, and scattered over the face of the
globe. 1t would be highly impolitic in the
government to run the risk Of future litigation
under these circumstances, as they have no
more right to take possession OF these mems
tombs than of their houses.
We said before, when II was rumored that the
purchase Of the Dutch church by government
was completed, that it was not so; and ii now APP
pears that we were correct in our statement. as
We usually are. We consider ii very fortu-
nate for the public that this location cannot
be had for Post Office. II is not the proper
place for it, because business is moving up
town. and II would be great hardship to COM
pei people to come down to such an out of the
way place as the present Post Ofice will be
ten years hence. The ft place for the
Post Office, the Custom House, the Mint aud the