The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-08-06
THE TEST Is SATISFACTORY.
1 Trial Of The New La France Steam Fire
Engine.
1 VERY LARGE CROWD WAS PRESENT,
And They Were all Highly interested and
Talked Firemsn's Lore Like Veterans.
The Capacity OF the Machine.

A monument unwilling in Richmond Is q
grand occasion, a frst-class ball-game is
highly appreciated and real good circus
attracts splendidly, but these fade into moth
ingness as compared with the trial OF a brand
new fire engine.
Such an occurrence took place at the corner
of Nineteenth and Dock streets yesterday
evening and a fine audience was present. Peo-
pie out driving found it very convenient to
pass that way, draymen had an unusual
amount of business in that locality.
and tho entire neighborhood in the
lower city took holiday. The crowd WAS
highly interested. enthusiastic and every
man talked ffemen's lore like q veteran. One
fellow craned his head out so far in his anx-
iety 10 see the steam gauge that be got red
hot cinder down the back Of his neck and
had a hole burned i'll his skin and one in his
collar Sober mon lost their heads and
rushed headlong. with their best clothes on,
right into the drenching spray.
PROPERLY TESTED.
The city had bought new steam fire en-
CINE II had to be tried and they were there
TO see that il was satisfactorily done. The
necessity of new engine had been discussed
by the Fire Committee for some month, and
recently. after hearing statement of the
merits and dement's OF various makes of en-
gines from several manufacturers, the COM
nittee ordered one,from the La France Com
pany at Elmira. n Y. and this was tho ma
chine on trial at the dock last evening
The engine is much smaller than those
heretofore in use by the city. 1t is nickel
plated and srtistically painted IN every part,
and was pronounced a gem by all the old
timers At 3 o'clock the suction pipe was
dropped into the dock and lay-oh of hose
was made for the trial of two sections into
twin butt. with a single line leading TO a
l1s-inch nozzle thus giving double connec-
ton to a single stream.
THE KxpERT.
Mr. Asa La France, an expert from the
mandatory by that name was superintend-
ing the trial for the manufacturers and =. j.
Cralley, agent for the same company was on
hand The Board Of Fire Commissioners was
represented by President John Fl. Frischkorn,
G. Watt Taylor, Joseph Levy, W. J. Gentry
and Frank Burke. The Chief of the
Fire Department, several captains and a
number of other members OF the force we're
also interested spectators
The new engine has been assigned 10 en-
CINE company No. r, and was in charge OF
that crew as follows: Nick w. Baily, engl-
Deer: John T. Ratio. fireman, and j. }.
Loterzo. driver. When all was ready mum
Der of watches were drawn, the torch touched
10 the highly inflammsble material in the fire
box, the smoke pulled from the stack. and
the trial was on. In two minutes the round
steam gauge indicated pounds Of steam, at 3
minutes II pounds at 4 minutes 46 pounds
at minutes 70 pounds and the pressure Of
l0i pounds was reached in three-quarters of a
minute more. In the first trial the stream
was directed across the canal, and was thrown
293 feet
DOUBLE LINE.
A double line Of hose was then laid and two
streams from one inch MOBILES were thrown
along Dock street simultaneously distance
of 225 feet These two streams were after
wards directed perpendicularly in the air.
The height reached Nv the water was variousy
estimated by expert hremen to be from 150 to
100 feet The members Of the board of fire
commissioners made critical notes of every
point. and it is SAID that they are much
pleased with the performance Of the machine
that they will order another at an early day
Of the same make but lighter in weight bf a
thousand pounds.