The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1884-05-15
From the New York Sun.

The sight of two spirited fat
horses plunging through the streets
ahead of numbering fire engine is
familiar to New Workers, but of the
hundreds Of thousands who have
watched one Of the glistening en-
gines at work not many know exact
ly the system Dy which its move
ments are as perfectly managed as
N present. This system is con-
stSl1tly being improved and render
ed more and more nearly automa-
tic. When city officials wish to
exhibit its operation to the utmost
advantage they take their friends
to the house of engine % in John
street. The first object noticed
there is the great engine with
long black tongue projecting to-
wards the doors, and on each side
of and above the tongue set of
harness that spread out by cords
that suspend from the ceiling.
Next will be noticed great glass
faced case filed with machinery,
and beneath that polished gong
with a hammer poised ready to
strike it. A small clock ticks
cheerfully beside the gong. Be-
low the clock is a little wooden
case with a little red weight sus-
pended beside it. In the case is
a horseshoe magnet, which, when a
current of electricity passes through
If, draws back a catch and drops the
weight.
The weight starts a remarkable
series of movements. 1t strikes a
brass lever that removes another
eltch, 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 runs
into three horse stalls, two on one
side of the room and one on the
other. 1t "opens circuit through
numerous incandescent lamps. 1t
turns over a piece of wood that in
stantly stops the ticking of the
little wooden-cased clock. The
currents Of electricity that first
starts the little weight comes from
some fire alarm box in the fire dis
trict to which this engine is assign
ed. The same current passes
through another magnet in the big
case above the gong, and releases
for short intervals a heavy weight,
which throws the hammer against
the gong once for each pulsation,
and thus counts out the number of
strokes indicating the box from
which the alarm was sent. The
pulling of the three wires leading
to the three stalls remove three pins
that fastened three halters. When
these pins are withdrawn the halters
unreeve through the rings Of the
bits OF the three horses, and the an
imals are at liberty. Two of them
run to their places before the en-
gine and under the hanging harness
and the other stops when be is be-
meath the harness of the tender,
which is in the rear of the room.
A glass-covered ticker is near
the big gong and further away is
telephone. The ticker records the
alarm, and the telephone is to trans
NIT the alarm al.o, 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 lets them drop on
the outside and a 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 ell
Stra With q anil of nina In n furnace