The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-06
TESTED NEW ENGINE
MANY CITIZENS SAW BIC APPARAT-
 US AT WORK.
Trial on Court Square was Directed by Fire Chief Browder-Throws Stream of Water 20o
 Feet.

'"The Metropolitan" the new fire en gipe. recently purchased by the city for the Montgomery Fire Department was given a public trial on Cour, Square yesterday afternoon in tht presence of hundreds of persons who gathered to see the handsome fire- fighting machine in operation. The test was a success In every re- spect and Chief Browder down to the last man in the department swelleo with pride as the big engine steamed up and poured the rhythmical music of its working machinery into the fire- mems ears.
 The engine with the other fire appa- ratus collected on the Square at 3 o'clock and preparations were begun to make the test. The big rubber pipe or suction tube carried on the engine was placed in connection With the en- zine valve and the other end was thrust into the waters of the fountain basin. Stacks of kindling wood. sat- urated with oil. were placed in the fire box of the engine and lighted match stuck to the pile gave the signal for the first tiny curl of blue smoke from the stack. Three minutes after the ignition of the wood, ten pounds of steam registered on the steam dial on the side of the big black boiler and six minutes later the indicator had run up to 75 pounds.
 Engineer Osa LaFrance of Elmira. N. r., who had charge of the test. gave the signal to the pipemen and a mighty stream of water burst from the nozzle which was directed down Commerce Street. Slowly but gradually the big machine gained in power until at last it seemed to have worked itself into a frenzy of emotion as 1t rumbled and shook itself. The intricate governing machinery moved and revolved with the beautiful accuracy and precision of & piston rod. The stream reached 200 feet down Commerce Street, and when turned into the air sprayed against the top of the Moses building. A strong wind which was blowing. however. in- terfered with the straight strength of the stream of water and blew 1t to the side.
 The pipemen then directed the what the engine could do in supplying two streams
 It was nearly o'clock before the test ended and everyone who saw it was greatly satisfied. Small boys were in their glory and ran here and there in the spray of the stream preparing themselves for pneumonia.
 The engine was not tried with a fire water plug, as Chief Browder said if it pumped from a basin 1t was all right. Any engine, he said, would throw wa ter if the water was dumped into 1t by the pressure from a plug.
 T am delighted with it." said the Chief, and this expression was practi- cally the same as that of Mayor Carr. Alderman Sullivan. Chairman of the Fire Committee of the City Council. and other aldermen who witnessed the test.
 MT. La France, the engineer who came to Monts omery to test the en- zine. spoke interestedly of his former visit to Montgomery.
 "When I came here twenty three years ago to deliver the old Lomax en- gine." he said, T was on my wedding trip and on that account there is a ten- der spot in my heart for Montgomery, My wife and I were treated in most hospitable manner and the trip was never forgotten. This street." pointing to Commerce. Street, was not paved. and I remember 1t as a muddy dirt road. The Improvements in the city are marvellous and I wouldn't have rec ognized it."
 Mir. La France will leave Montgom- cry today for Niagara Falls. N. r.. to deliver an engine. In two weeks, he Is due in Mobile to test two engines in that place. He said that New York city now used seventy of the Metropol-