The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-01-23
Error in New Adjutant
Generals Report.
A Chance for COuncilmen to
Play to Grand Stand.
Old HydrauliOn No. 1 and Some of
the Men Who Manned Her.

10 make II. Thu original report, as is
well known, was full OF inaccuracies and
was Of very little value because OF them.
was made. however, there would be no
further ground Of complaint; but 1t is
very doubtful whether this hope will be
realized. This morning the Gossiper
learned of a case In which II would seem
the record OF a veteran 10 improperly
given, and that, too, In way that is
calculated TO do him injury.
The gentleman in question served one
year in the navy and on being mustered
out Immediately re-eniis.ed. When he
went up for final medical examination he
was rejected and his papers, which he
10 has, were so endorsed, the cause Of
rejection being given as hernia. In the
revised report the record shows his years
service In the navy and his re-eniistment,
but nothing is said OF his rejection or
the cause OF 1t. Instead the words "failed
to appear" are given, thus creating the
impression that the veteran broke faith
with Uncle Sam auu practically deserted.
That such an error should have been
made n surprising, inasmuch as the
veteran concerned 10 employed within
three minutes' walk OF the Adjutant Gen
erals Office and could have been reached
at any nome 1t to verify the record.
The press agent OF the new Common
Council is working CALAMITY and IL large
audiences are not in attendance at each
of the meetings Of the present year 1t
will not be because he isn't doing the
best he knows how. This will probably
encourage the esteemed Mr.. Nichols and
the erudite Mr.. sturges to play to the
grand stand whenever the occasion pre-
sents itself
The bill to enable the city to create a
fund for the relief of policemen and fire.
men injured or incapacitated while In the
performance of outy is one hat ought
to be passed by the Assembly and acted
upon without delay by the City Council.
Having decided that 1t win not retire
members OF either department on q SER
vice pension the least the city can do is
to provide for those who are injured or
contract disease while in the discharge OF
their duties.
There 10 . brass eagle In the hall OF the
Veteran Firemen's Association that used
to ornament the old Hydraulion No. 1
hand fire engine which was built In 1922.
This engine wos the first of its kind used
in the country and Its construction
marked q new era in fire engine building
in this eeaHtHy-The engines In use
up to that time had to be supplied with
water by booklets. Thus two ines OF men
were employed in passing the buckets to
and from the machines Of the place
where the water was obtained. In the
hurry Of passing the buckets along much
Of the water was spilled aad 1t was sell
dom indeed that the sngine could be
supplied sufficiently to permit it to play
steady stream. In consequences of this the
fremen were seldom able TO rave q struc-
ture once It was atire, but bad to content
themselves preventing the destruction of
adjoining property.
The late Zachariah Allen was the first
to impress upon the own council the in
efficiency of the machines then In use
and he succeeded Ia getting it 10 purchase
an improved engine built by Sellers &
Pennock of Philadelphia. This was the
most powerful machine ever turned out
mp to that time. 1t pumped its W
water through q suction hose and re-
quired 80 ipep to man the brakes. 1t
demonstrates It's effectiveness ut the very
a-.t /. - sUkfah "A - --- -
people OF Providence became very proud
OF 1t. But they took no more pride in II
than did the company which manned Il,
for while the cost Of the engine was s752
the EN- bellishments and ornaments sub
sequently placed upon 1t brought 1t up
TO $4,000.
And what a company was that which
manned the Hydraulion No. IL All of
them leading professional and business
men and merchants, the foremost men in
the town, I'm fact. General Edward Car
rington was the foreman and George Cur
tbs clerk, and among those who tugged at
the ropes and manned the brakes were
Moses u. Ives, Robert ii. Ives. Zachariah
Allen, Thomas c. Koppin, Elisha Dyer,
Jr., Thomas Aldrich Alexander F. Adie,
Amos ID. Smith, Amos M. Warner,
Thomas Hardness, Anthony b. Arnold
and others For 81 years the machine did
splendid service and in is49 was sold.
1t is still the custom to teach the rising
generation that Fulton was the pioneer
in the construction OF stea mboats IL
the statement were always qualified by
making him the frst who designed snd
constructed n steamboat that was CON-
msrcislly valuable no one would question
1t, but 1t isn't speaking according to the
record to say he was the pioneer in that
line Of %inyention. Besides In making that
unqualified statement an ingenious Rhode
Islander IL robbed OF the credit that be-
ongs to him. Long before Fuiton's "Cler-