The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-07-05
FIREMAN'S KICK.
What a Providence Veteran Thinks Of
the Squirt.
To THE EDITOR CT THE NEWS:

sfR-It may not be considered q very pru-
dent course TO attempt TO critcise the official
| action of judges OF rials, but the decision
rendered at the trial of hand engines yester-
day, has such stubborn facts connected with
IL that i cannot resist. l refer particularly to
the trial between the Pawtucket and Central
Falls companies They each own their engine;
they are the apple OF their eyes, and the great
fear is the violation of the FirstC commandment
~ they are allowed TO continue their owner
ship. When consider that each Of these
engines were built forty or more years ago
and see their present condition, they certainly
reflect great credit upon their builders.
In mechanism and working they are totally
unlike, one being double decker, end stroke,
the other a side stroke. Two great requisites
Gere necessary in this construction. one owing
TO the great speed on which they were often
moved over rough roads. and their oft rapid
stroke when In action. required extra strength
in all their parts, and on the other hand the
lightest weights that could be secured to at
tain these requisites must be adopted. 1t is
well known that the Pawtucket company.
acting, un der mechanics of the highest expert
skill, have made extensive and expensive i'm
provements on their engine. No one
doubts their right to do this, and
even should they enlarge the diameter of its
cylinders, or add to the length of its stroke,
no exception could be taken. Their engine
was entered in the trial, as il was, not as what
ment made was allowed by the judges yester-
day.
The Central Falls company had an expert
mechanic among its own members, and his
practical eye discovered at q recent trial.
when working at its best under thoroughly
competent direction and I'm the most
rapid strokes that the weight of the engine
was not sufficient to make IL
unmovable in its bearing. that 1t rocked Der.
ccptibly, actually moved on the ground.
thereby materially losing its power. Tc
obviate this an additional brake was
added as permanent fixture to the
engine, and to work which some men
were actually required to be on the engine,
The solidity was thus obtained, IL became
solid on It's bearings. and the lost power re-
gained. 0naccount of this improvement Mt which
Is part and parcel of the engine, the
judges deprived them of their well-won prize.
An.old trite remark says any article repaired
or improved preserves its identity. notwith-
standing the old story of the pocket knife.
was very much pleased TO see the spirit mani
tested by the Central Falls Company when
this tardy decision OF the judges reached
them. l heard many OF their members say
"Pawtucket very well know that they played
l'5 feet and we played lS2 feet II they can
satisfy themselves that l75 feet is really more
than ls2 they are perfectly welcome to the
prize and all they can get out of it,"
Such a deception in the palmy days of the |
old Philadelphia Volunteer Fire Department. |
would at once provoke bloody fight, but the |
Central Falls company philosophically bore |
their loss, and each member shouldered his |
well earned broom and the scompany at once |
started direct for their home.
think that fair play requires that In all fu- |
ture contests the judges should announce &C |
the outset that each engine should appear |
precisely as originally built. or else that no |
Improvement should be counted In without
allowance therefor.
Ex-ppoyIDyNcp FrauuAu