The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-06-15
MISCELLANY.
A Fire-Engine In Manila.


| piece of up-to-date American ma
chinely-a fire-engine-hy way of les
sening that balance of trade existing
against the United States.
Our wealthy friend, Aware 2, who, in
spite of the fact of his being part Span
ieh, Part Chinese, and part Malay,
owned steamers and storehouses, saw
some pictures Of American Arc -engin 8
in one OF the catalogues on our Cffice
table, and Immediately determined TO
have one. So we got him one of the
biggest that they make in Rochester,
that he might cancel the insurance
which he had placed to cover the goods
stored in his warehouses and still 60 on
collecting premiums from people who
left their hemp, sugar, and tobacco in
his care.
-Four months after placing the order
the new engine arrived on the Esmer.
elda, and was all but dropped into the
river through the clumsy handling of
the heavy cases. But in due course it
was hoisted out of lighters and dumped
on TO the quay in front of the office of
our wealthy friend Alvarez.
The Englishmen of the Manila colony
in passing laughed at the wheels of red
and gold and the nickel-plated boiler.
The local engineers made sarcastic
comments. But we didn't reply, and
only wondered how to put the parts to-
gether. For no one in the capital had
seen the like of fire. engine before.
Assisted by drawings and descriptions,
we set the boiler on its feet and ad-
justed wheels, crank. pins, and valve
connections. 1t seemed like tempting
Providence to fill the boiler by pouring
water down the whistle, but that was
what we did from an uncertain perch
on stepladder. AS the water gurgled
in all right and did not run out of the
bottom, our method seemed successful.
In due course we started the fire in the
CRATE, and were pleased to find that the
new engine got up steam enough to
work her own pumps.
My chum and l knew 30 little about
the anatomy of 6re-engines that we
were much surprised on finding that
Americas biggest variety did not blow
up when the wheels ran so speedily.
Everything seemed fitted to T, how
ever, and our friend, Alvarez, was so
pleased with the outlook that he set
day for public trial of the new toy
from the United States.
When the time came, everybody
came with it, for there was to be col
lation afterwards, and that is always a
drawing card to any entertainment
where the audience is Spanish. The
engine worked to perfection, and AL
valez stood his pet servant down in
the river in water up to his neck, in or
der 10 let him hold the big suction hose
out of the mud. Ten natives grasped
the big nozzle on the five inch hose,
and small boys, dressed only in under
shirts, played around in the mud.pu6-
dies formed by the looser joints in the
new pipes. The Englishman made
ed, but the natives looked on with open
mouths. We opened the throttle and
the big stream swished through the air
80 far that it wet down a pile of tobacco
supposedly beyond reach. The owner,
thinking squall had struck the city,
came to the door of his storehouse to
locate the trouble, and was promptly
bowled over backward into his hallway
as the hosemen pointed the powerful
current in his direction. But at this
point steam had to be shut off, and on
the next squirt, to avoid diplomatic
complications, Alvarez asked US to play
the stream along the river. In few
moments a wide.open throttle made
truly huge torrent belch from the long
nozzle, with such force as to make the
ten hosemen feel decidedly nervous.
But it did not stop them from turning
the torrent toward a lighter which was
being poled down the Pasig by two Ma
lays. The foremost was washed back
ward into the lighter and the hindmost
swept off into the liver. A Chinaman,
who was padding load of vegetables
to the Esmeralda suffered the same
fate. He and his greens were swished
out Of the barca In an instant, and he
found himself sitting on his inverted
craft and floating helplessly down the
stream.
Then, suddenly, as we opened the
throttle to the last notch, the hoseman
tried to turn the stream back on the
quay, but, with it's force of 1900 GAL
Ions to the minute, it was too quick for
them, and, with one mighty "kerchug,"
broke away, to send the nozzle flying
around like mill-wheel. The ten men
were knocked PROSTATE, and two small
boys, who were playing in the mud.
puddles near by, were whisked off into
the river like 30 much dust. A dozen
frantic wriggles of the nozzle, and a
third boy was shot through the wire
door into Alvarez's office. He went in
ON stream Of water that upset "set-
teeful" of family servants with their
infants, and washed the whole party
into promiscuous heap at the foot Of
the stairs.
Outside the audience stampeded, and
the man in the river holding the sue
ton hose had hard work to prevent his
being sucked up. Before the hose
charged on the engine We had to shut
off steam.
The two boys were hshed from the
river more frightened than hurt, and
native Malay policemen, policemanlike,
promptly arrested them for daring to be
drowned. The boy blown through the
screen-door had received badly lacer-
ated ear, but he too was arrested for
getting in the way. The natives in
general nursed their bare feet stepped
on in the rush, the Spaniards asked
where the collation. was. the English