Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-11-30
TIE FIRE TEST.
First Day Of the Silsby and La France Fir
Engines In their Competitive Effort.

| F1ret Day OF the SilSDy ana La Franco Fire
Engines In their Competitive Effort.
The competitive trial between the
Silsby and LaFrance steam fire engines,
to decide which is the best for the city
to purchase, commenced yesterday morn.
ing in the Sixth ward, at the foot Of the
bluff and between Bridge street and
Bruggerman's brewery. To give the re-
quired lift of suction, % feet, platform
had been erected upon which both
steamers were put in position, side
by side, with only sufficient space
between them to allow the attendants
plenty of room to move about and handle
| the machines.
Under the regulations prescribed by
the council, two tests took place yester-
day, as follows: First-To raise steam
from cold water in the boiler, and to
throw water $50 feet through $50 feet of
hose, IL inch smooth nozzle. Second
To play through 600 feet of hose, ~ inch
nozzle smooth, for ten hours.
At precisely o'clock in the morning
the two machines had been gotten
IN position and ready for the
first trial At the time most of the mem
bers of the city council, the members of
the newly created board of fire commits
sioners, and between 100 and 200 citizens,
were present on the ground. At given
signal fire was applied to both furnaces.
The La France steamer made steam faster
than the Silsby, as indicated by the steam
gauge, but the Silsby was the first to
commence throwing water, and was the
first by some four minutes to throw a
stream beyond the $50 feet limit.
The second test was then commenced,
playing through 600 feet of hose, ~
smooth nozzle, and was kept up without
interruption until 6 p. m. The trial was
very exhaustive one, and the work Of
the two engines was closely watched, not
only by the judging committee, but by
the city officials, and the crowds Of citi-
zens, who were coming and going con-
tinuously during the day. A regular
record of this contest-amount of steam
carried, water pressure, coal
consumed, and length of stream
thrown, was kept by the
final decision. Both engines did good
work, but as any expression Of opinion at
this time, based upon the incomplete fig
uTeS dCCeSSlUle W tue reporter, mlSHt w
gross injustice, the GLOBE prefers to
await the completion of the trial before
attempting to give an opinion as to the
merits of the respective machines.
The tests will be continued to-day, as
follows:
To play through two lines of hose $50
feet each, siamese attachment, with so
feet of leading hose, making four streams,
a-inch smooth nozzle. Time to play, 80
minutes.
Play through 1000 feet hose, ~ inch
smooth nozzle, vertical stream. Thirty min
utes to play.
Play through $50 feet hose, TX inch smooth
nozzle. Thirty minutes to play.
Play through two lines $50 feet each, TX
smooth nozzle. Thirty minutes to play.
Play through 1000 feet hose, TX inch noz-
zle, horizontal stream. Thirty minutes to
play.
Engines 10 draft through % feet IN inch
suction.
An accurate account of coal and oil used to
be kept.
Steam in all trials to be limited to 100
pounds.
Delays from accidents, not arising from de.
fects in the engines, not to be counted in
above tests.