The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-03-27
A RELIC or THE PAST.
First Steam Fire Engine New Orleans Ever
Owned.
IMamphie Ledger. ]

Memphis LedRer.l
Ar, interesting relic OF almost generation
past was seen ON board the steamer Golden
Rule as that steamer passed up the river last
ateam fire engine the city Of New O, leans
ever owned, and az the race 1t has run is All
interesting one, q few "Reminiscences Will not
prove bad reading II was only early III the
iitties, perhaps about 1864. that the city q
New Orleans bought an eDe,ne. built at Bal.
timore at a cost Uf some 320,0OO, colossal
CONCERN weighing nine tons, and run on three
whaelsr two behind and one IN front. Inc
machine created q great sensation among The
citizens Of New Orleans when 1t Was received
there.
TIA advent excited disgust and .derision
among the flrenen, and gave cords OF TROUBLES
ID its managers. Soon after landing In lts
house bi9 fire broke out In the Verandah
Hotel nearly epposts the snd st III oh9 hs as
glspps church. both oIdome e ,, popu.Ies s
engines name, turned out. broke down on the
route, but finally did good service In .quenoh-
iDg the flames among the ruins, old Capt.
jack Adalna, a popular fire warden and In
eurance agent representative, holding the
nozzle" 1t Was q long time after that before
the Young America got another chance Tor
run. When 1t did the unwieldy thing broke
down In turning street corner, aud IL dtd
not reach the fire until several hours late.
The next chance IL had mud hole caught 1t
ON the bounce and no water was thrown. The
| volunteer fire boys were greatly tioAltd over
these mlshaps and the heavy expense bill Tor
| repairs.
About that time Israel Gibbons, the local
Or the Tyeacenf, and afterwards majCr Ia
the Southern army, long since gatheIsd tu
his fathers, wrote bunch OF hum oro,s
| verses about the Young Amarioa," and this
made more fun FOR the fire boys. The rhymes
were In part as follows;
I'm not much On run.
don't fancy such fun,
NY wheels all your hosgy streets hurtinR:
/ deteet such child'- play.
But permit me tn cay.
I'm III when you talk about squirting. "a
| just put my main pipe .e
In lock Adams = Rrtpe.
| And IL, throw from CANAL street TO dretna.
III knock cold In my Ire
| ANY SOFT Of n fire. .
| From a Dutchman' q smoke. pipe to an Ttna.
There was lot more OF the same style, but
this Ia enough for the noUee. as the Young
PRODUCTION OF the Latta hve-and-R-half ton
engine with four wheels. being much easier
| to handle and much more tHsCtlve In every
particular. Since then their weight has been
further reduced two tons or more. After
living idle and costing q pile 0f money. the
Ioun9 America WAS sold to large sugar
plantation owner, who carried II up the coast
and set II to work to pump sipea9e water
! from tho cane-iields and throw Ii over the
levee intD the swa,nps. Now. after more than
twenty-five years service, the old, WORKOUT
Young America is on its way North az old
iron, to be broken up and melted over Sew
eral visitors from shore examined the ancient
affair az Il lay on the steamers fOreCastle
| last night. and one or two who Witnessed ite
youthful operations and the grandeur Of its
! reception then, recognized II Oh sight, de-
spite times corroding rust and the machines
apparent lack Of care.