The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-09-08
For the Press-I
A Steam Fire Engine VS.. a Hand
Engine.

zen Of Somerset, in regard TO the eff
cheney and superiority Of a hand engine
over steamer. The said article de-
serves notice on account Of its tendency
. 10 mislead the public in relation to the
merits of & hand eiea n.rr In tie onset
we would stale that We are not urging
the Council or the citizens of Somerset
to purchase hand steamer, or anything
el-e Gut are only defending the steamer
from gross misrepresentation of said
writer Whatever is bought or done
should be to the best interests of our
village.
He states, "there will be an engineer
hired at not less than $500 per annum."
There is not a place in the State of
similar size to Somerset that pays an
engineer cent. 1t is part OF the con-
tract with all companies that they in
struct the company, including the en-
gineers and fremen, TO run and take care
of the engine, free of charge. But there
would have to be some person 10 take
charge of it and the hose, and clean
do that, and keep it from freezing in cold
weather, for less than one hundred dol
lars per annum. But how about his
hand engine? Somebody must take care
OF that. The hose of it require just as
much attention as that of steamer, and
the engine itself requires an immense
amount of rubbing and cleaning. Who
is to do that? Will anybody do it for
nothing? 1t is safe to say that hand
engine and the hose, requires two-thirds
as much work as hand steamer to keep
it clean.
Again, the rate of interest that the
bonds bear is seven per cent, and not
eight, as he states il, and that 200 is
J the proposition made by Col. Marrow,
!; not S4 800, as published
He states, you would have an engine
house to put up at a cost of about $500. ~
We have an excellent place to keep
an engine, and it would not cost twenty
| five dollars to fit it out ready to put the
engine in But how about place for a
! hand engine? Would it not take just as
/ good a room? Would it not cost just as
much? Any boy in Somerset ten years
old, and not an idiot, knows that.
But, says he, "before you could get
tho OF tha e anI III Au tbc
house would be past extinguishing.'
Would not that be the case with hand
engine which he advocates? The steam
er is generally ready to work by the time
the hose is laid out, especially if it has
any great distance to go, and only takes
4, minute or two longer than the hand
I engine. The engines are warranted IL
generate steam in from "four to six min
9 utes from cold WATER" and could be
drawn to any of our cisterns by 10 ol
). II men.
o Farther, he asks, "Where is your wa
- ter?" We answer, in the cisterns, plenty
, of it. Our cisterns are nearly as large
/ as they build in the cities Somerse
:. has never had fire that the water of ou
smallest cistern wonld not have exiting
uished, if properly applied within
: a reasonable time. Then where is the
5 large cistern in the Square? The hanC
u steamer is warranted to do good worl
o through 1000 feet of hose, and tina
Il would protect the main part of the vii
r lage alone. SINNERS pond would fur
Is nish the water, and answer in the plac
"a of Il river. The argument that we hav
no water, is conclusive testimony in ia
d vor of a steamer. 1t is the water W
want on the fire. and any means b
d which we can get it there the soonest
If the best, most assuredly. Steamers usu
es ally throw three streams, which cannC
to be done any distance by hand engine
Of If steamer can throw two hundre
20 barrels-the size of the smallest cisterr
A. in thirty minutes, how much more e
n fective that wonld be than hand Ell
,e CINE which would require three or fou
I'd times as long, and require at least sixt
ne stout, able bodied men to man it. Steam
r. ers Wdste no more water than hand el
ID gines.
pv Then, hand engines are going out
i'd use all over the country, and firms whic
OF manufactured them are being converte
n into other uses, which ought to be CO.
10 elusive evidence in the minds of tho
81 intending to purchase fire supple
no Take the smaller towns of Ohio-for
MS lustration, Canal Fulton, Cardingto
ruI Cambridge, Ada, Ashland, Cadiz, Can
nit Dover, Logan, Findlay, and others,
gh many of which have thrown away the
lin hand engines and bought hand steamer
lis and would not be without them for MAJ
times their cost.
Then, it would require not less th
seventy-fve persons to work hand e
In gine effectively, and we can not see whe
ely such an organization could be got up
III Somerset, unless he take in the WON
The who worked so heroically at the last fl
to Any man who ever worked hand e
es- gine can testify that it is the hardest
'ck work, and can only be endured for f
ich minutes at time.
~ The report of the commlttee appoil
WV ed to ascertain the wishes of our citize
'D will show how they who have genera
r" worked the hardest, run the great
risks of life and health at fires, feel
the matter, and as they are the persc
,bt who really protect us, their voices shot
of be needed.
was in conclusion, he says, II hope ME
ba bers of the Council will weigh the m
we'd ter judiciously before they go into
tho So say we. The best is the cheapes
to the end-all are expensive. If {
hev property holders and citizens think Il
the are not able to buy and pay for stea
er, let us rely upon the good old 'buc
W brigade" insurance companies, and e
uch luck and plenty of it.
&c., MANY CITIZENS OF SOMERSET
EN-
IpSfitufa ReSnlufiOuS