The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1874-01-23
tCommunicated.l
Our Fire Engines.

EDITOR JOURNAL Permit me the use o
your columns to answer some mistatsments o
the Messenger in regard to the recent trial o
fire engines. First The statement that the
Patterson was ahead of the Clapp & Jones
! is intirely false, as the Clapp Il Jones wal
ahead at least % feet all the time. The Pat
tersOn got first 20 pounds steam, but was neal
ly ten minutes longer than the Clapp & Jonei
in getting l20 pounds. The Messenger crieI
for fair play, saying the Patterson engine
should have been allowed to have repaired and
tried again. Does the Messenger know how
long it would have required to repair herr An
experienced boiler maker examined her boiler
and found hole blown in the top of it, and
that the break had taken two stay bolts with
It, also, that the tubes and joints leaked like a
seiye. II would have taken ten days in the
shop where it was made to repair, and much
longer in shop where such boilers are not
made, and it would then been damaged boil
er. But the Messenger thinks that was all that
allied the Patterson, while the facts are that
had the boiler held, the engine would have
given out in a short time. as one end of one of
its pumps was 'played out" the frame was
spreading just back Of thepumps and its joints
and boxes had got so loose and it pounded so
badly that people were afraid to stay around
it, and it was regarded as about "played out"
when the bursting of its boiler covered its de-
feat, and allowed it to draw of on account of
an accident
The argument of the Messenger in favor Of
the Patterson is an interesting squeal, but it
forgets to mention that while the Patterson
was run by one Of its manufacturers and first
class fireman, the Clapp 6 Jones was run by
an engineer who never ran steam Ere engine
but once before the trial, and that, during the
trial, several machiuest and engineers were
allowed to run the Clapp & Jones, and did it
satisfactorily, showing that it is SO simple as
to be easily and readily handled by any one
who has any knowledge of engines.
The Messenger hints strongly at bribery and
"greasing," but becoming frightened at its
temerity, don't think the Council or any city
authorities were bribed, Who them Then
it turned its batteries upon the Chief Engin-
eer of the Toledo Fire Department, aud it is
surprising that he didn't attack the King Of
the Sandwich Islands as interested in the suo-
cess of the CIapp & Jones engine in this city.
A few words in regard to the Toledo matter
The Toledo Council decided to buy two steam
era and favored Clapp & Jones and an Amos
keag. The Council Committee on Fire De-
partment, was instructed to order Clapp s.
Jones second class engine, which arrived in
due time, and on its trial proved 30 much su-
perior to any other in the city that the Coun-
Gil, by a unanimous vote, decided to buy an
other Clapp s. Jones instead of an Amoskeag,
as at first intended. This latter machine had
been received, and was making its official
trial when seen by the Fire Committee of our
Council Both engines were ordered by the
City Council, and the Chief Engineer had
nothing to do with the purchase.
The statement that the agent Of the Clapp
& Jones wanted the Council to give him an
order for an engine to be delivered sometime
next summer is faulty. He stated that he ex-
9ected the Council to give him an order from
.he fact that they had decided to purchase two |
steamers, and that the trial had been to see
which they would purchase, yet he offered to
have another trial with any engine in the
country to demonstrate the superiority of the |
Ilapp & Jones engine. which, even in the Pat |
erson trial, contested with machine weigh |
ng about 500 pounds more than she.
The effort of the Messenger to work up a |
'Olitical feeling whereby to defeat the pur-
hase, is low and unworthy one, and should |
lot have any influence upon Councilmen who |
re supposed to be acting in Fremont, as in
tber cities, for the greatest good Of the great
at number. Let the Council manifest that
hey feel the responsibility Of their position
hat they accept the responsibihty-and that
hey act upon their own judgment, as they
cted on the day after the fire, when they de-
ermined to purchase two engines. Remem-
er that these advisors to the contrary are
ot responsible to the people, but that they,
he Council, having been entrusted with the
overnment of the city, will be held te a strict
by the people, for the manner
4 which they discharge their duty. At the
oils, if no where else, all men are equal, and
he money bags of the few will not weigh
gainst indignation of the many. CITIZEN.