News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-05-08
LFrom the New York SUM-

md Iabor Hitching Up, Manning, Fir
, ing, and StarIinR-New Uses OF EIectrlc
ity.
from the New York SUM-
F When city officials wish to exhibit al
engine to the utmost advantage they
, take friends to engine house 81 IL
John street, New York city. The frs
object there noticed there is the great
engine with a long black tongue pro-
iecting toward the doors, and on each
side and above the tongue a set of har-
ness spread out by cords that suspend ii
from the ceiling. Next will be noticed
great glass-faced case filled with
machinery, and beneath that a polished
gong with a hammer poised ready to
strike it. A small clock ticks cheerfully
beside the gong. Below the clock is a
little wooden case with little red
weight suspended beside it. In the case
is a horseshoe magnet, which, when a
current of electricity passes through 1t,
draws back a catch and drops the
weight.
The weight starts remarkable series
of movements. 1t strikes brass lever
that removes another catch, and then
the arm of a long brass lever is pulled
down by a heavy weight. When the
long lever goes down it pulls three wires
which run into three horse stalls, two on
one side of the room and one on the
other. It opens a circuit through nu-
merous incandescent lamps. 1t turns
over a piece of wood that instantly
stops the ticking of the little wooden
cased clock. The current of electricity
that first starts the little weight comes
from some fire-alarm box in the fire dis
trict to which this engine is assigned.
The same current passes through an
other magnet in the big case above the
gong, and releases for short interval
heavy weight, which throws the ham,
mer against the gong once for each
pulsation, and thus counts out the num-
Der of strokes indicating the box from
which the alarm was sent. The pulling
of three wires leading to the three stalls
removes three pins that fastened three
halters. When these pins are withdrawn
the halters unreeve through the rings
on the bits of the three horses, and the
animals are at liberty. Two of them
run to their places before the engine and
under the hanging harness, and the
other stops when he is beneath the har-
ness of the tender, which is in the rear
of the room.
A glass-covered ticker is near the big
gong and further away is a telephone.
The ticker records the alarm and the
telephone is to transmit the alarm, also,
so that in case of damage to the regular
wires, the telephone can be used from
the headquarters. A closer inspection
shows that the cords which support the
harness terminate in tweezers so that a
blow let's them drop on the outside and
jerk of the reins on the inside. Heavy
weights are arranged TO draw the engine
house doors apart to let the engine out.
A catch holds the doors together un til
the right moment. A bit of wood foot
long supports two pipes which connect
the boiler of the engine with coil of
pipe in a furnace in the basement.
When the engineer kicks out the bit of
wood the pipes drop into channels in the
floor and shove of an iron bar prevents
the water from running out of the engine.
This coil of pipe in the stove keeps the
steam pressure in the boiler at 20
pounds. At hand by the fire box is
torch made of pine stick with wad of
oil soaked waste around it and six
matches in the end which ignite the
waste when they are rubbed on the side
of the fire box. The torch starts roar
ing fire of pine and camel coat instantly. |
There is room for four men on the |
engine besides the driver.
On the tender six men can ride. It |
also carries fifteen lengths of hose, each |
fifty feet long, besides two MOBILES. The |
nozzle has a roughened revolving ring
near the end. Turning it cuts down the |
size of the stream until not a drop es-
capes, although the engine may be
pumping away at full speed.
81 should think the pressure would
burst the hose" said q reporter to Capt.
Joseph f. McGin, the foreman of the
company.
"There are valves on the engine set to
open at certain pressure, and thus re-
ieve the hose. We ordinarily run on so
or 80 pounds to the square inch," said
the Captain.
A stop with hook on the end of it is
to the nozzle. When the hook
is secured to a ladder rung the weight of
the hose below is supported and the
man can handle the nozzle as easily as if
on the ground.
Near the foot of the stairway leading |
y
into the foot of tower more than fifty |
pended at full length so that it can dry |
out after the men have returned from
fire. Dry hose takes its place on the |
tender reel. The stairway leads to the
sleeping room on the second floor. Two |
shining brass rods run through hatch
ways from the second floor down. Down
Il h IL H. l.. l.. IL.
engineer and his assistant at the fire
box and the men belonging on the tender
near their station. The other drops the
other men at the heads of the horses.
ALI but two of the men can go to bed at
night. These two are called the Horse
Watch, and their duty is to begin to
hitch up the horses after the gong
sounds. They also look after the com
fort of the animals during the night, re-
cord alarms, etc.
The long brass pole at the front of
this room extends up to the third floor,
where there is a comfortable reading
room. Here the men take their ease
from day to day after the usual routine
is over. Three times in the month each
man has twenty-four hours leave. Every
lay each one has an hour for each meal
They go away IN twos, so that six men
and one officer are always in the house.
At night they remove their coats and
showing the trousers legs down
over the tops of their big rubber boots
The streets without have the quiet of
country village at that time, and the men
loon fall asleep. If stranger looked in
1t that time he would find the room
pitch dark and everything about the
building denoting perfect rest. If for
innate he would look around a minute
md there would come a brilliant flash
If light from a score of electric lamps,
md with it the roar of the big gong be-
ow, hoarse shout from the men. a
of excited horses, confused
umble of white bedclothes, and dark
hadows that would seem to melt into
he floor. Then he would hear click
ng Of metal straps, a cry of ready"
mother shout, and before he could draw
second breath galloping horses would
yhlrl the great machine and its tender
hrOnOb the oman doors ,