Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-08-06

The new first size Ahrens fire engine,
contracted for a month or so ago by thu
city, and built by the American Fire
Engine Company, of Cincinnati, and
Seneca Falls, New York, arrived in The
city yesterday morning, and was at
once taken to the Atlantic engine house,
and by noon was in service and ready
to respond TO any alarm Of fire which
might be sent in. During the day nun
dreds of people called at the engine
house to see the new machine, and it
was universally pronounced to be the
finest thing in the way OF fire-fghting
mechanism ever seen in this city.
A call has been issued for a special
meeting of the Council Committee on
Fire Department at six o'clock this
evening, at the City Hall, when the new
engine will be subjected to a severe test
by Mr.. c. Ahrens, of the manufacturing
Company. under the supervision Of
Chief Healy, and the test must be sat
isfactory TO the Committee. in every
manner, under the terms of the contract,
before the engine can be accepted by
the city.
The new engine is what IS known TO
fremen and the trade as first size,
and is the largest land steam fire en-
CINE manufactured, with the exception
of the mammoth extra first which is
not often turned out. The engine
weighs 1900 pounds as it comes from
the factory, or 5000 pounds with the
boiler filled. ready for fire duty, and 1t
is thus about eight hundred pounds
heavier than the second size" engines
heretofore exclusively in use in this
city. The pumping capacity Of the new
engine is $50 gallons per minute, as
against $50 gallons by the old engines,
and IL will thus be seen that the en-
CINE will be a vast Improvement over
the old and smaller engines, and viii
put the local fire department upon
much better footing than ever before.
This advantage will be very apparent
when it comes TO handling a big fire,
where lots Of water-throwing capacity
is desired, and should IL be our mis-
fortune to meet with any such contin-
gency the big engine will demonstrate
its worth in a very short time.
The new engine is thoroughly up to
date in every particular, and represents
the very latest improvements in mech
anism of this class. There isn't great
deal Of gingerbread" work on it, in the
shape of highly-pOlished ornamental
metal but it is built for business from
the ground up, which is of more import
ance than anything else. The boiler
has no polished nickel plated jacket, for
instance, and shows the simple black
paint of the steel, but the engine,
pumps. water connections, and all other
essential portions OF the machine are
of the best class An important feat
ure. which commends itself at a glance
to practical 1iremen, IS the safety gate
on the pumps. Should the engine be
running, and stream, which has been
playing on a fire, be shut off at the
nozzle for any reason, the pressure in
the hose opens an automatic valve on
the engine and the water forced through
the pumps returns back and is pumped
over again, continuing this circuit
within the engine until the nozzle shut
off is released, when the valve auto
matically closes again. and the water
once more passes through the hose in
the ordinary manner. The boiler is of
the circulating coil type, capable Of
raising steam from cold water in from
four to five minutes after the fire is
lighted, the pumps are double acting,
embracing MANY late and imDOrtaDt inn
prOvementS, and the entire outfit is of
the best description, giving the city an
engine not excelled anywhere on earth.
1t is confidently expected that this
afternoons test viii demonstrate the
fact that the city made no mistake in
procuring this machine, and property
owners will have the satisfaction OF
knowing that they have been furnished
with a large additional security against
fire.