The Portland daily press., 1890-04-18
WENEMoVET, NO. 6.
A Trial Given the New Steam Fire
Engine Yesterday.


The new Clapp g. Jones fire engine Wenemovat
No. @, was given trial on Railroad wharf vester.
DAY before the committee on fire department. the
board OF engineers and large crowd of firemen
and citizens. The time set was g 40 m. Of which
hour the tide was within few inches If heing
hgh. 1t was some little time afterward. how.
ever, when the engine appeared. coming down
the wharf hauled by No AS cream colored horses
aud driven by Driver Judson ]. Keith. On the
box behind stood Engineer Porter Hermanns OF
the Clapp & Jones factory, who was to conduct
the trial, and Engineer Thomas ii. Williams Of
Falmouth A, who with Engineer WiggIn of No. 8
ana Stoker Perry of No. 4, were to assist in work
Ing the engine. The engine was placed above the
Maine Central steamboat sheds and the suction
hose lowered into the dock. Two lines of lead
ing hose, each 100 feet long were laid one having
Ia inch nozzle attached. and the other a 1 inch
nozzle that belonged to the new steamer. Hose
men Decelle, Scribner and A. b. Fuller Of Engine
managed one, while Hoseman Bragg of Engine
and Kaddeman Clark of Ladder j, held the
other. The lines were laid lengthwise down the
wharf, but as the steamboat men objected to the
annoyance of the water while they were at work,
they were changed after the roofs had been wet
down to prevent damage from flying sparks, and
the water played out into the harbor.
At 9,17 the fire was lighted. No movement of
the steam gauge was noticed for three minutes.
Then the needle began crawling around the dial
registering pounds in 3ls minutes, 10 pounds in
minutes, 10 pounds in 6 minutes and 10 sec.
onds, 20 in $40, % in .15 and 80 in 7-1-2 min
utes. When the gauge reached thirty pounds
Engineer Hermanns opened the throttle and the
machine started. The pumps worked freely. and
although the steam ran down rapidly at starting
1t soon gained, and In few minutes the engine
was blowing off fercely showing that pressure OF
1b0 pounds had been reached. This trial lasted
for half an hour. the streams although somewhat
broken by the wind, maintaining good volume
and running evenly without the gulps and gusts
Of wind that bother pipemen at times.
For the second test, the two lines were carried
up to the short wharf above and siamesed to-
gether with 11s inch nozzle on the end of a
length beyond the siamese connection. Hosemen
Henry Fuller, Albert Fuller, Scribner, Castelle
and Towle, all of Engine A, undertook to control
the young torrent that came through the pipe, but
on the pier Of the Portland bridge draw, 26o feet
away, sat man who voted no at the Cape cleo
ton the other day, catching smells. Engineer
Loring pointed hln out as mark to be aimed at
and in very short time the place that he held
spray went so far, but a member of the fire de-
partmept took the Cape mans place for a minute
and his clothes when he came back bore Isigns of
something more than spray.
The real test of the Wenemovet's powers was
now to come. water sprinkler measured to hold
1000 gallons, was brought down and two lines of
hose were carried up by Hoseman Clark Scrib-
ner, Fuller and Bragg. Charles II. Ray of Engine
3 and Alderman Lewis sat on the roof of freight
car near by ready to time the engine. The word
was given, the water started. At a foot of the
whistle the two lines were whipped down the
trap door in the top of the tank. Lewis and Ray
began counting seconds for dear life when great
shout was heard. SOMEBODY had forgotten TO shut
the valve behind and the water was pouring out
Z about half as fast as 1t went in. This was RENE
died. The engine started again. and again the
streams were dropped in the hole. This time
Hoseman Dan Towle sat on the valves and held
them shut or nearly so. Lewis and Ray counted
seconds, while the water rose rapidly in the tank
Engineer Hermanns was running the engine fer
all it was worth, and in 62 seconds, by Rays
watch, and SO by Lewis's the 1000 gallons were
In the tank and the crowd was flying right and
left from the overflow. logo gallons in the tank
and Is or twenty running out by the valve is not
bad work for 621s seconds.
Inc next proceeding was to lay three lines 100
feet each, with one inch nozzle attached There
was no appreciable difference in their volume
when thrown either horizontally or yertc ally.
The last test of the day was one of the sever
est. Two lines each fifty feet long were siamesed
together and 1913 inch nozzle screwed on the
pipe. The word was passed and the heavy steamer
started down the wharf before the wind. No ac-
curate measurement was made, but rough esti-
mate made by pacing Off the wet portion showed
that spray had gone 376 or $50 felt and that
solid water went within twenty feet Of that dis
lance. After the wharf had been thoroughly
drenched and all the Wondering sparks put out,
Driver Miles of Engine b, who had stvva ON tho
drivers box of the Wenemovet, holding a fresh
water hose in the feed-water tank throughout the
whole trial, jumped down, shook the drops off his
coat and pronounced the show over. The fire was
drawn, the steam blown of, the hose picked I'D
and everybody went home satisfied with the
Wenemovet and her performance. Engineer Her
MAINS showed what a man. skilled in the man
agement of Clapp & Jones engine, could do. 1t
now remains to see how the engine will perform
on nlocar acnuafnfonna fs,fgs