The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-05-26
THAT AWFUL ENGINE.
Vexed Questions Discussed by
House Of Delegates.
NO DECISION YET REACHED.
The Member WAe Joined In tie Tess
Proposed sale Of City Park.


The house OF delegates last night vent
into committee Of the whole for the pur-
sose OF considering she reports on the
Waserous IRE engine. Delegate Brace was
called 70 the chair. and the following com
munieasson to the board Of public works
from the agent af the company. W. u.
Sioscn, Was read:
We wish 70 respectfully cal, your a:sensson TO
the findings Of sne committee appointed 10 test
ana rssOgt On the Waterogs Ore engine.
fs.st. the matter OK the G1s of the suction
ho&s. While the Specifications call for 5Ineh
suction bose. cur company furnished finch
suction hose ~ TIE order Of the chief OF your
hss depArtmsa, because ne desired that ali sac-
ton hose ases "a this department. be OF uniform
size. We would have preferred 20 have fur-
nished 5inca auction hose instead OF 4inch-
Now in regard % tire coupling called sister
coupling, . sample vas sen: 70 on: factory by
Chief Hunt for the purpose Of giving rs pattern
tssesd. We do pileatsd this coupling. p:esnu-
irg 10 was what you desi,ed We viii furrfh
the finch ''sss:er" coupling IL sou want IL
They also mention the piston rods on the
pump end being made Of steel instead Of nrass.
You VII! see by tho specifications the pumps
wsre TO be made OF phospnof bronze metal,
which tScy are. Piston rods were NOS speeiaed.
and We always use steel unless brass Is sfss-
eialiy specified We and that an engine in your
city which has been in service some fourteen
years has steel piston rods. which are today
CON pa,stivciy - good 40 when pat into service.
bat II deaired We viii furnish you duplicais
pair OF brass pls:ons fog water end, and should
you ever require them you will have them 10 re-
place the present ones. which can be put Ia
place without any expense.
Vita regard To lost motion, the material used
in construction OF these parts 10 steel and hard
ened. and whore brsss softer metal II used for
bearings preparations are made for taking up
loaf motion.
We would call your attention 10 guarantee
clause ia specifications. viz: 1--WE will warrant
the said cEgsns to be manufactured throughout
oil the very beat materials sud 10 the most work
mar.!ke manner, per specification herein
mentioned. should any part OF is give out.
owing to detective workmanship or material.
we agree TO replace the same at our own ex'
rense."
Regarding the damage to paint on running
gear. this was caused BY its kcing allowed to
fall from the dock into the bay In forty feet OF
salt water. Tho material In the wheels being
thoroughly seasoned, the heavy pressure of
water on them dove the moisture in, causing
the wood "a swell and crack the paint
Now. in eoueausbon. we wish TO say regarding
the test that tho committee concedc US three
strea for distance cut of five tests, the matter
We viii put the whole machine in as good con-
dit.on a. when 1t came out of the chop. and a.
for the work that the engine viii CO. the test
recently hal speaks for itsslf.
The following letter from the board was
also read:
4 great deal having been said with reference
70 tho wsterous fire engine recently bought BY
this board and especially since the board OF frc
commissioners haA seen 1T to recommend TO
hn,,n hIt 6<sfv fhe off a
this board. whom the council authorised AID d.
rected % buy said engine. desire to say that in
the Judgment af the board the VAterous engine
cqaaied tho whole, ii II did not excel. the
Ahrcns engine in the test snd that In other re-
spects, with q very few minor excsptiona. the
new engine 10 substantially in accordance with
the provisions o. the specifications In the con.
tract We DO not think the engine faulty. eithe:
In construction or workmanship. - alleged by
some. The board has endeavored 10 TIE test of
their ability to perform tho cutiss incumbent
upon them in carrying out the provisions OF the
ordinance an;horx ng the purchase OF this fire
apparatus, aad they believe that there II no
| thlrd-elsss engine superior 10 the Waterous
tiird-cgass engine
The report Of the council committee.
Messrs Wright, Hayter and Goddard,
upon the test. published few days ago.
was also read. rs well as the resolution of
| that the engine be rejected.
Secretary Heifner then read the con-
trac, with the Waterous Company. and
Commissioner Van Brockiin said the hook
and ladder truck had been accepted. Or.
Kloeber remarked that he agreed with the
fire commissioners and board of works
| that the machine v as a beauty.
Delegate Carlisle moved that the CON-
council of the Waterou, engine.
Delegate Cook hoped vote would not
lie taken. but the matter be referred TO the
fire committee.
Delegate Goddard. who is one Of the ex-
pert committee. made his maiden speech
in explanation OF the report: there were
two or three things the committee thought
it past their jurisdiction 10 repor. upon.
bar he might saw that the ease with which
the engine held her steam was in its favor,
but the power was not as great as the
Ahrens. yet the conditions were not alto
geiher favorable. At any rate she was
not working we'll
pr kloeber said Mr.. Goddard had sim
ply echoed the impression he had formed
at the test, II vas appaten. 10 mach.nists
that she " as throwing the water with so
keep i. un. The engineer vas standing
over her al the time plying her piston
slth o.l. Her speed sas altogether ont OF
proportion Ia the work being done The
Ahrens was keeping up the same power
with apparently no exerslon. lie
had consulted several mechanics and
they all agreed that the wor kinanship vas
mol satisfactory. He would ike TO see
her tested a; 4 hydrant. the Ahrens en-
CINE is notoyiously known 80 DO deficient
in drafting. hut ~ the bess 1T a hydrant.
and though the Waieroas will need to
take draft along the water front, any en-
CINE IN Seattle mast lee used chiefly at nv
dranys lie favored practical tests hy \
committee which would know what vas
needed at tres. lie hoped the committee
wna.d not accept the engine IN an oG-hand
manner
Engineer Gibson. &. the company, said
the engine was the same as THAI ia snauy
cislcs in The United states 4 similar
one in ~. paui ran ioT nlaeiy-asnc hours.
He declares. that the engine would ran
70. SIX months as IL did ~ the test. lie
explained that where the sgctioa Was so
long iAe piston would work fast because