The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-08-09
WRESTLING WITH WATER.
Trial OF Engines-Faithful Friends OF the
Past Fighting for Fayor-The New Broom
Sweeps Clean.

Sweeps Clean.
Pursuant TO previous announcement, a
testing Of the new Silsby rotary engine
took place yesterday afternoon on the south
side Of the basin, on Tenth street.
1t is little singular what fascination
raee-horses apd machinery have for the
masses, and this observation was given
prominence yesterday when the character
OF the crowd which congregated at the
scene Of the trial Of sthe engines was no.
ticed. Men learned in the law were there
scientific and popular medical men touched
elbows with the common fireman; bankers,
| brokers. and men OF easy circumstance
stood around, looking at the preparations
| for the test, and evidently much interested
in everything that transpired.
The new engine glittered in the sun
light, and seemed to laugh a sort OF proud
! independence at the less pretentious rivals
that stood on either side oft. These Were
the old Main-Street Engine No. 2, built by
Ettinger & Edmond about 1862, and No.
Silsby rotary engine. purchased some
time since by the Council, and now doing
duty at the Brook-ayenue engine-hOuse.
About the old No. there clings quite
an interesting history. in the dread
days OF war, when public attention
was claimed by more portentOus
events. Ettinger & Edmond built
for the city OF Richmond the first steam
fire-engines the city ever had. One OF these
does duty to-day at the Third-street engine
| house, and the other was the No. , that
| had come out 10 compare Yesterday evening
with the advances and improvements in
machinery represented by the beautiful
piece Of mechanism seen in the No.
| Silsby rotary engine. The faithful old
/ fighter had seen many days OF hard
service, and showed by its heavy build
/ and wcather-beaten face the marks Of vete-
ran service, and while comparing poorly
with her more fashionable neighbor in ap-
pearance, vet in tender regard and fruitful
recollection it held high place in the men,
DRY Of all, who looked upon her rs a faith
ful servant in times Of trial.
The new engine is classed rs No. > in the
catalogue Of her builders. the SilSby Manu-
featuring Company, Of Seneca Falls, y. Y,
and Is really a thing OF beauty. Her
weight is $500 pounds, and her capacity
$50 gallons OF water per minute, with an
arrangement for throwing four streams OF
water at one time. The steamer was ORDER
ed the 10th Of last May, and, according to
| the terms Of the contract, she was
to be delivered within fifty days
from the time the contract was
closed. The painting was done ac-
cOrding to the order of the Richmond Fire
/ Committee, and their excellent taste is
plainly seen in this important particular.
/ The principle upon which the steamer
/ operates l. known ~ "IIolby's direct
acting rotary notion" The engine is
nickcl-plated, and by the terms Of agree
merit no pay was TO be asked until the
steamer had been most thoroughly put
through the seycrest practical test.
COUaTEsT ID RICIIOND.
When the Fire Department found that the
Silsby company had finished the steamer
and were ready to transport it To Rich
mond they looked ont for the cheapest
| transportation. With the liberality for
which the line is distinguished, the Old
/ Dominion Steamboat Company at once
agreed to bring the engine from New
/ York free OF charge, and through this eX-
celIent transportation line it was safely
landed in the city without an abrasion OF
paint even.
Messrs. b. Borch, agent for the company,
and Charles VESSEL, engineer, accOmpa-
MED the steamer, and yesterday evening
/ went UNL ~ ltii A'Nl VI iA' NNihAi-' 49, ~
O'Clock =. NJ, at a signal, torches were
thrown in the tire-boXcs OF the new Engine
No. 3, new No. 5, and No. >, piston-pumT
engine, built by Ettlnger Il Edmond, anc
presented TO the city by the ire-insuranc,
companies OF Richmond. No. 3 new
showed steam first-time, 2:2j, from cold
water. In minutes she had twenty pounds
Of steam. i'm minutes had forty pounds, II
T - IL. ap1 in minutes h9f
sixty pounds.
No. > steamer in . minutes had thirty
pounds steam with warm water. No.
showed steam from cold water in tire,
minutes.
The greatest distance was compassed b'
the new engine, which threw water 26'
feet through IN inch and five-eighth noz
zle with a water-pressurc OF 200 pounds
This was the fourth trial in what wa
known rs Siamesian test. The first trla
through an inch and a half nozzle was
distance Of 80 feet watcr-pressure, -
mounds. The second. through two-incl
nozzle. $50 feet. and the third, four stream
through a seven-eighth-nozzle, 100 feet.
WORK ACCEPTED.
After the committee had seen the practi
cal testing Of the engine they agreed TO &C
cent the work, and the engine was taken Z
the Broad-street engine-hOuse, and to-da
the Snsby Company will be paid for IN
: .ame. the-Firc-Department q
Watt TAYLOR spoke in the highest terms
r the working OF the new engine, a. did a
who saw it, operations. The material ant
: workmanship are guaranteed for five YEAR
! During the trial OF the engines larg
7 crowd lined the banks Of the basin, an
the house-tops and windows in the vicin
| tv. The sight at times was most beauti
7 ful one, especially when the perpendlcula
column OF water shot upward to grca
: height. and the spray, in feathery yolume'
n fell off from the highest points Of the W.
ter-sDout and shrouded it, heavy base IN
: arav-colored liquid veil. that was clearly de
!, fined against one Of the bluest skies that wa
e ever seen. perhaps, in Richmond. To al
z TO the beauty Of this scene. rich sun''
: sent glinting rays Of golden light throug
r the murky showers Of water, and beyon
!. and against the blue horizon painted II
0 gorgeous colOrs Ct the rainbow in all the
exquisite splendor.
e MoRTrARY REPORT FOR TIE WEEK EN-
II NC SATURDAY, AUGUST 3, lSc2.-CdISeS