Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-08-01
to it again.
COUNCIL met Monday evening, present

COUNCIL met MONDAY evening, present
Mayor, Clerk and full board of Council
men. Minutes read and approved.
The ordinance for the payment of the
fire department was read the second time
A remonstrance from most OF the business
men along the street was also read and
received.
An ordinance accepting and adopting
Parson street was read, the rules suspend
ed and the ordinance passed.
Ordinance for the grading of Station
street from Division 10 Depot street, read
first time. A motion to suspend the rules
was lost. Councilman Gilkey stated that
the proposition to lower the grade be-
tween Division and Prospect streets, had
something the color of wrong about it.
The corporation had graded and graveled
this street, and left the impression that
the grade was established. Mr.. D. W.
Haskell had therefore graded his lot and
sidewalk TO it, at a considerable expense,
and care, and skirted the walk with fine
row OF eims, all Of which were living and
doing well. All this it was now proposed
TO change, and subject the owner to the
unpleasant task of doing his work over
again He thought Mr. Haskell would
be entitled to damage. Mr.. Geoppinger,
in his usual vehement manner, sustained
the change The facts in the case are,
Mr. Geoppinger's premises are on the op-
posite side of the street from Mr. Has
kelrs, lie lower than the street grade, in
part, perhaps, due to the fact of selling
out his material TO the corporation, either
for the grading of this or other streets,
andnow the proposition seems to be to re-
duce the grade and bring the neighboring
territory down to Mr.. G.'s level.
One or two small bills were passed and
the council listened to Col. Morrow, agent
for the SilsbY steam fire engine, of Seneca
Falls, with Mr.. Saddler. These gentle
men while on their way. TO Dover with
one of these machines, had been directed
to stop off with their machine and give
US sample of its powers and merits,
which were intelligently explained, and
the machine shown to be the best and
most efficient of any made. As an illus
tration of this, he made the assertion that
with sufficient hose, he could station the
engine at the L. S. depot and drive a
stream of water over any building in the
business part of Main. street. This was
thought to be little steep by his audi
tors, but he refused 10 qualify it. With a
supply of water in the creek, the building
of reservoirs could be dispensed with.
With one of these instruments, costing
$500, a thousand or twelve hundred
feet OF hose, and a score or less of men,
would be all that would be required no
fire could gain headway enough to make
confagration. As to the expense, he
said that the payment would be so ar
ranged that the annual expense of the
present fire department. paid upon the
new machine, would clear off the indebt-
edness in some five years, without the tax
payers realizing any greater burdens than
they are now under for keeping up the
present comparatively inefficient depart
ment. Every argument was produced to
show that policy and economy were
strongly in favor of recognizing our de-
partment on the steamer basis. The
council were invited, and Mayor Talcott
extended the invitation to the citizens
generally, to witness the performances
with the steam machine, which Chief
Knapp said would take place opposite
the M. E. Church on Tuesday morning.
On account of the weather, on Tuesday
morning, Col. Morrow was prevented
from bringing out his steamer for public
trial. The fire on Wednesday morning
was, however, an occasion for its use.
though it was subdued before the steamer
was brought upon the ground and put in.
to working order. Little account, there
fore, is made Of what was done at this
place. Later in the forenoon, it was sta
toned at the large cistern at the Ashtabu-
Ia House corner, and two lines of 216 in.
hose attached, of 250 feet each. The hose
were stretched south, and the playing
was mostly done vertically, showing how
the upper part of Smiths block. opposite
The Fisk House, could be reached. II was
shown that as thus arranged, il was we'll
adpated to grapple with the flames in the
highest buildings of the village. The
water was thrown to probably a hundred
feet into the air. A trial was afterwards
made to throw horizontal stream
against a rather free east wind. and n
committee appointed by Mayor Talcott
decided that the distance reached was
little less than 200 ieet-ranging, perbaps
from 100 to 200, as the outside limit. The
quantity of water thrown was, as we
learned, about ten barrels a minnie
from one nozzle After this. the machine
was taken to Fisk, Silliman g. Parsons
mill, and trial made of its power to
throw mp hill.
Here the machine showed what she
was capable of, with 500 feet OF hose, lift.