The Portland daily press., 1884-12-03
TEE FIRE RoAT.
sHccessfaI Trials of Hts Power Made Yes
tsrdny.

Some time ago the johnson pump, which
had been removed from the old steam fra eI-
glne Portland No. to give place to larger
pump, was put on the fire boat Mary W.
Libby. Since this was done there has been
considerable talk on one side and the other,
favorable and otherN Use, about the present ef-
fciency of the FIRE boat, but there has been no
positive test of her capabilities until yesterday
afternoon. Now nobody doubts that she is
capable OF doing great work, and under great
Disadvantages too.
Yesterday was the full of the moon and the
tides were unusually high and ran out extreme
iy low. About 3o'clock in the afternoon, be-
ing then almost low tide, the Mary W. Libby
steamed into the dock at the foot of Long
wharf, and commenced work There we're
present at the trial Chief Engineer Cloves,
Asst jackson, Mayor King, Alderman Dem
ison and Noyes. and Councilman Quinn, OF the
committee on fire department, together with
the engineers OF most of the fire steamers, and
many 6remen and prominent citizens
The first test was with one line of hose which
was run up to the head of tho wharf and one
and one-eighth inch nozzle Attached. When
49, "N~~ WIS., &AfCu eGO UOAb WAS WCrklDR
about 100 pounds of steam, and she threw
water easily to height of one hundred and
twenty-five feet, in the air.
At the second test 1O0-ieet Siamese was mt
On, and with three. quarter inch nozzlss two
streams were thrown over seyenty.fiye feet
perpendicularly.
But the last grand test was to come. Chief
Cloges said: 81 can throw a stream of water
from this boat ouer the Post 06fcel'' OF course
this remark was laughed at and Alderman
Noyes said: why Pll drink all the water
you'll throw up on the roof OF the Post Office !''
"All right" said the chief, and he ordered a
line of hose to be laid across Commercial. IN
Moultcn and Exchange to the Post Office
1900 feet of hose, and up an elevation of about
fifty feet-and seyen-eighth inch nozzle
was attached.
Word was sent back to the boat by telephone
that all was ready, ana the engineer "let her
go" with sharp 100 pounds of steam on. The
excitement was great, and all eyes of the great
crowd of spectators in Post Office square were
bent on the pipemen. Water soon came crawl
ing along the line and gradually rea med the
nozzle. The pipemen held the stream back
till Sufficient force had been obtained. then
''playsd away"
Shout upon shout went up from the enthus
a'tc crowd as the water struck fair on the sec
ond story windows of the post office building,
then rose higher and higher, till The stream
went clean over the bnilding and attained a
height of seoenty.fve feet, and coming with a
foree that would do asy required execution.
Then the same Siamsse used on the wharf
was put on, and two streams were thrown to,
but not upon, the roof, and horizontal streams
distance of nearly one hundred feet
Everybody expressed the greatest satisfac-
tion with the test, and Mr.. T. j. Little, lead
ing insurance agent, remarked: "Now We in
suranee men feel greatly relieved; we have
something to protect our water 'front.'"
The pump on the FIRE boat has AZ inch
plunger and 9 ihch stroke