Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1905-04-28
A Letter from Mr.. Sanders.

Ihe importance OF the article III the
warrant for the approaching village
meeting relative to the purchase oi
the Estey steamer | feel it my duty
to urge upon the citizens. The Es-
teys discard 1t because they are tc
equip their establishment with Dean
pumps, but In their loyalty to the
town they prefer TO see 1t remain here
and, while other narties are seeking
to purchase, will give us the first
chance and will sell it to us for less
/ than Ii is worth. and so much less than
TO anybody else as to constitute a
4 handsome contribution from them, IN
addition to their share as taxpayers.
The machine is practically as good
as new, having within few years
been thoroughly overhauled and re-
paired at an outlay of s1700 and the
manufacturers guarantee is back of
it. 1t is specially built machine, they
having paid, it Is understood, nearly
IS, 900 for it. The Esteys have consent
ed to sell ii to the village for $4,000
A new machine Of ordinary make
would cost $4,000 to s4500.
II has for years been counted as
part of our e-fighting equipment,
because always at the service of the
village in case of need. have so re-
ported it in the statements called for
and so have my predecessors. Our in
surance rates have the fact as a part
of their basis and, II we allow the ma
chine to go out of town, there is grave
danger that these rates will be in
creased.
1t is practically question between
improving this opportunity. or buying
a new machine within the near future.
or Immediately laying out in repairs on
No. 3 nearly as much as the Estey
machine can be bought for. When, IN
1899, $4,000 was appropriated by the
village for repairs on the two steam
ers, s1400 of it had to be laid out on
No. 4 and the remaining $500 was
nowhere near sufficient to put No. 3
in proper condition. The boiler. the
most important part, was not touched
at all. 1t has now been in use 20 years,
whereas the life of these boilers is
not reckoned at over IS or 90 years.
During the recent work of pumping
for Mr.. Crowel. it had to be sent to
the machine shop twice and II could
not be relied upon for the strain of
a big fire.
A great deal of work Is required
every year in thawing out hydrants,
sewers and surface drain pipes-a |
kind of work that a machine in first
class order ought not to do but which, |
If we had two other steamers always |
and absolutely reliable, No 8 might /
to do and still be of use as
a reserve for fires.
In case of a big fire in the business
blocks or factories the aid of the Es
he future as in the past even as a
hird machine. In my first year of
service as chief, 1901, we had to call
IN 1t three times, and in each case l
I'm sure il saved property to an
lmount greater than we are now
lsked to pay for it. In one case it
supplied just the necessary /
orce to avert destructive conflagra-
ion.
cessor. at the Smith & Hunt fire. |,
he Estey steamer furnished practical
v all the water We had, as both the
illage engines refused to work and
he hydrant service amounted to very
title. with the stand pipe opened in {
he burning building and the sprink-
ars in operation i'm the overall factory 4
nd on Holden &. Martin's-aH con- L
itions liable to recur; and where. in {
heir recurrence with this steamer Ic
one. would be our property inter- $
SITS? G
Moreover. those large sections Of {
he village comprised i'm Esteyville, on Il
respect hill and Western avenue and d
fechanic's square must depend al c
lost entirely on the steamers, be- C
ause the hydrant streams have not a
Drce enough there for efficiency. The d
hief use of the hydrants there Is TO 4
lpply water for the cisterns, and in n
laying from these and onto the n
laze. two machines in thorough eff o
ency can usually be advantageously
sed and sometimes would be vitality j
ecessary. To let the Estey steamer. q
go out of town would under V
resent conditions. reduce by SUBJ b
antially 40 per cent the fire protec- Z;
on of these parts, v
This steamer If purchased. can he d
oused and manned at practically no "
iditional expense. The department N
ready has men enough in every al
-anch. and in the Steamer house II 81
IN have the space now occupied by n
ose Cart No. 3 which can then be m
owed TO the quarters Of No. Is. where m
ERE is plenty Of room for IL "
Harvey w. Sanders. OF
Chief engineer 81