The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1872-12-14

els j. Savage were satisfactory, and, on motion,
they were approved.
Special committee. to which was referred the
matter of purchasing steam fire engine. &c., sub
mi,,ei the following report which was, motion
of Redmond, received:
To the Common Council of tie Ctr of Ottdscd
Tour committee would respectfully report tina;
imned iately upon being appointed they CORES
pended with the manufacturers of the differen:
steam fire engines in in this country aud re-
ceived letters and circulars in reply repres enting
the merits Of the different engines the terms and
prices at which they could be procured Two of
the manufacturers were represented before
the committee by their agents. Messrs. Cole
Brothers. of Rhode Island by Mr.. ChuSc, of
Bloomington and tho Sisby Manufacturing Com
pany by Mr.. Horace Slsby one of the mauutact-
urers of the Ssby steam fire engine, OF Seneca
Falls. New York. These gentlemen have made
written propositions to the cour ell Tor the sale OF
their respective engines.
Your committee were in 70 rmed by thes gentle
men that it would be impossible for them, or for
any other manufacturers, to turn sh TO our city
new steam FIRE engine in less tann ninety DAYS
from the time the order for the same was gwen,
which your committee discovered would delay the
obtaining of the engin until the spring and until
the most dangerous season of the year had past,
but Mr. Slsby stated to the committee that he had
an engine in Chicago which he had sold to Messrs
Mum Scott some ten months since, which, upon
the failure of Messrs. Mum Scott. had been re-
turned to him, and which he would sell TO your
city Mr.. SlSSy represented to your committee
that the engine was new when sold to Aessrs
Mum l. Scott, and had been used but once. after
trial at the time OF the delivery of the same to
Mum d Scott. had been carefully housed and pro-
tected since that time, and IN no way I'M ured by
use wear. and NJ r SIlsby proposed TO your com.
mittee that lie would bring that engine to Ottawa
and exhibit it be fore the Committee trial and if
purchased by the city he would leave 1t, if not he
THIS Mr. SIsby has done. On this day he exhibi.
ted hs engine before the committee upon trial for
several hours.
Your committee. for the purpose of obtaining
all the information possible. and in order that
they ght lay before the council the most relia-
bic inor4n sticn they could obtain in reference to
the merits err demirrts of this engine, appointed
Subcommittee, consisting of Robert Henning,
Wesley b. Kali and Horace l.. Arnold, all practical
machinists and engineers, to act in connection
with your committee upon the trial Of SAID engine.
These gentlemen kindly attended the trial and ex-
ahmed in detail the engine, its machinery and
the working of the eugine during the trial, and
made report to your committee in writing as
follows
To the Hon Chai,7nan Of the Committee on Steam
FIRE Engines:
SIR: We the undersigned, appointed as n sub.
committee to witness and report upon the working
OF the Silsby engine shown and worked in this city
this day. respectfully report as follows:
l. The performance OF the Silsby engine, apart
from the performance Of the boiler is IN every
way satisfactory.
g. The time from lighting the fire to starting the
engine was unsatis factory. The time from start ing
the engine to the time of reaching 80 pounds pres.
sure OF steam was also uns satisfactory Time from
lighting fire to starting engine with 90 lbs boiler
PRESSURE eleven minutes Time from starting
engine to reaching so lbs boiler pressure, IS min
utes. Total time from lighting fire to reaching
effective pressure, "a minutes
o. with q water pressure ranging from 50 to %
lbs only, the steam pressure was at no time main.
tanned steadily at over 20 lbs. pressure
4. In the estimation Of your committee the low
steam and water pressure was due to the fact that
structon.
5. Although not satisfied with the performance
OF the Ssby engine. as above stated, your com.
mlttee hesitate to express decided opinion, until
the machine has had IA further trial, with better
quality OF fuel than that used on this occasion
Respectfully submitted,
Robert HgNN!NG
WESLEY B. HALL
MT