Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-12-20


thought to our Fire Department, and
think if this oitv was Visited by two or three
large ares It would wake them up from
jhs,, leathargy snd cause them 70 give the
dcp.sstttrne,nn, M ..,,ms:e sent by the Delaware
Con,n.nv yery low, add II ,s,Scnoeil WI nor .
Appropriate enough TO the ditrers.,' eO ,ar
n,nies 10 put them through during the -"
without going into debt, ! hope to sea them
ali refuse to DO any more service until they
are properly cared for. r K. z.
rnE RELIANCE COMMITTEE RiGr TO
ExpLAlN-How THe MATTER LOOKS
AS sinx THRoroH RELIANCE SPEC
TAcLEs-TaH wATsR wEIoH COMPANY
ALL wRoNg.
@Edtor Iof sta.s Journal I'm your
daily Of Saturday there appears local I
10 regard to tho proOosed trial bet Seen .
the Reliance and Water Witch steam
FIRE engines. We did not intend to bring |
this refusal OF the Water Witch to meet |
our engine, for trial. before the public, |
but as they hive thought proper 10 do so, /
we take this opportunity 10 set ourselves
right on the subject.
You state in your report that, at the
second meeting, the committees disagreed
about the amount OF steam TO be used.
Now, in support Of the position taken by
this committee, we would say that high
pressure OF steam always results, In a
very short time, in the ruin of the boiler
snd other machinery. We refer you 10
the explosion Of an Am0skeag engine In
/ The B VERY, N5w York city, BY which
several lives werc lost-upon evidence It
was proved II had but 100 bs. ot steam.
/ II is now foueeded. almost everywherr,
/ that 100 lhs. should ba the extreme limit
/ for anv steamer, and In most places 30
/ lbs. ia all hat is allowed. We thluk n one
should consent to having their machines
uunecess irl, deprecated By useless trials
under high steam pressure. We also
refe. Won to a case where ClapJ & Jones
built steamer that they called the
"Champion Of the South, J." TO be It every
thing IN the way of steam. for Augusta,
Georpia. and received a 500 for IL. The
company owning 1t worked itat three fires,
costing them about 81 Ot0 for repairs
aud theN gladly exchanged It with the
Slsby Manufacturing Company for one
OF their smallest machines, known by
the name of "Llule Giant" costing
e.. 500; they allowed the Augusta Com
pany small amount for IL. Yos can
purchase TINT engine cheap. The boiier
after examination was found 20 have
been woi ked to ruiuous pressure. We
coul refer you TO ma1y other cases but
deem these sufficient reasons for limiting
the steam pressure, and refer you to tx
perieuced erg neers for the purpose OF
proving that 100 pounds Ia sufficient 70
ies the power of these machines.
You say "it vas agreed hat the squirt
. should come oil immsd,ats'y after tl. re
celpt Of the new hose" There never vas
auy such agreement entered into, either
} Implied or otherwise. We guess it wss
an imaginary one In the minds OF the
Water Witch Committee they onght Il
q have let our committee know something
? about this agreement; II would have beet
! news TO them. But perhaps their com
mitlee intended 10 sake all the arrange
3. menls, US 1t appears that they hav'
= attempted to say when II should TAX
2 placed Bat we think we will have
/ litf6 10 say about when and how this Il la
G will take p ace. Aud we would stat
;. that the Relialce never took posl.iOl
5 aud afterwards tried TO sneak ont OF Il
and get newspaper reporter to atIcmp
S 10 cover 1t up for us.
c Tho report speaks Of this committee
Z. failing to meet the Water Witch commit
e tee on oi.s occasion, but forgets 10 stat
: hat the Water Witch co nmittee failed t
= two o. three occasions "a ps
agreement. We 20 po' 'ne l"nIt u.
r. but this report was wii,tsn H. 'A' '''e' es
# OF the Water Witch Firs Coli7lny
d usna,. In fact, 80 far as the Fire Depart
II ment is concerned, your paper seems
be run for their (the Water Wuen's
g especial benefit. II your reporter wish!
Il 70 get a fair aud Impartial report OF tai
10 affair he should inquire Of botn sides
~ In regard to the letter declining to met
] Gu fla nf tFlnI H1ts
81 Dec. 10, we deny them the right TO "a
When tnu Reliance ahfll Lave this IRA
with them, or limiting tle time. II th
" had been done IN the challenge 1t woul
p have been dit rent. By their reiusa.
al meet our engine, we claim, they s1rreud
re TO the Reliance the title Of champion
n. the department. The object Of this lett
te IS ulain to the most 0btuse mind; it i
sneak out OF this trial. But this Is cha
RE acterisuc Of that cOmPany-ihey new
M failed to take advantage OF any luop'ho
81 through which 10 escape anything IN
re they thought they would oe beat IN. v
ng think the ire department WILL bear
&c ont in this assertion.
At. They say they decline on account
Sr the near approach OF rigorous wint
nj That ls all bosh. IL two or thrae weel
&c. 10 will not be much colder than no
lot rbat won't do for an excuse. As
=. handbag hoAe, we will have 10 do IL
IA. well as them. The Water witch v
ng tried in February last, In very CT
les welth,r, colder t6an it l. likely u be
es a month vet. The Reliance engine v
VI tried ou the i4th and Is h of februal
On. two afternoons in succession, three hol
md each.
Ing They also speak OF the delay. No
A.. they themselves were not ready at q
AZ. and have only been ready for three
'es. four weeks. Suppose the Reliance pasi
md these resolutions aud hxed the hrst
on Octoher as a li,uit how would the Wa
ulI Witch take lt1 They woHld consider
ore fools; we now think the Same OF the
De. Il would he foolish for US to 20 out
lme d ease the WJter Witch or the pub
zen. fore our arrangements were complet
~ and we will not do Il. When we rece
positive Information when our euglu
will bu here We will notify the Wa
Witch We are resdyj they can then
= tneir own Judgment about meeting
engine, at The place designated. SAo
%, they fail we will claim the champions
red Of the Department.
Il looks very much as If the Ws
,,rs Witch got information In regard to
- time We would be ready, and thou
Will LuNy h0ulu lolb7tA4A 10 ~ At'A'Ns"e
sine time to day before we could BE- prepil
lS'5' Your report seems 10 create the imp
sion that tue agreement WAS adoI
without objection from the Water WI
e. committee, but their chairman cid Oh
I on to the adoption Of paragraph S, ho W
the ipg to use coal oil Ia The tre, aud
nee kindle the fire IN their engine while at
md. house and have steam up when they
e. in rived on the ground. HIS reasons
MAR that the Reliance could make ST.
,nce quicker than their Water Witch) eng
,om We now close by saying that
,ntrt Reliance Is willing, ard will appear
I'm. trial with the Water Witch as soon
ntesi they possibly can. II this trial does
n take place, It will be their and not
will fault Yours. etc.,
A af G. A. AEssToK,
atsn JoHN O'DoEHRL1, JR.,
P. T. O'DoNNELL,
nou P.F. NUhPHY,
.,ior W. B. RILEY.
.st If Committee OF Reliance Fire {
t,st- WY ras sILspY Adssr DIDN'T ANS
'st in THE wAIEK wIToH's CHALLENGE
Editor State Journal ;-Ther, apl
THY q ine1l in Aour daily of Saturday