The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-10-24
New York SUM-

are numbered, according to many pre-.
dictions and indications. Motor op-
Grated apparatus is likely to take It's
place in the largest cities in this coun-
try. as has already happened in Paris
and other foreign cities.
1t will be many years. though. BE.
fore steam fire engines are entirely
superseded by notion engines. II such
q thing ever occurs When steam IRE
engines came into general use nifty
years ago it was predicted that they
would quickly supersede hand opertt-
ed engines. and when chemical en-.
gines were introduced in the early '7os
a similar prediction was made regard.
Ing these. but a great many hand en-
gines are still In service In every state
In the union and will be for many
adapted for ONE villages than any
other kind Of apparatus. The same
thing is likely to be true Of steam Ore
engines.
For two centuries hand operated IRE
engines we're used here and abroad.
They were Of the bucket-filling pattern
until hose came into use in 1918 and
suction engines were invented In 1892.
The first steam fire engine was made
In London in 1929 from plans made by
Captain John Ericsson of monitor
AdAIe. ~ was ID ldlluTe. CduI f1oOSe
of New York, was the next to design
and construct a steam fire engine in
lS4l. This engine was made for the
insurance companies of New York. It
was impracticahle for fire service "
ing chiefly to its great weight Of eight
tons and to Its insufficient steaming
capacity. The volunteer fire ccmpa-
MES would not operate it. Pearl Hose
company %, located at Chambers and
Center streets. OF which George T.
Hope. an insurance man, was foreman.
used 1t for several months with partial
success. 1t ended its career as a sue.
cessful stationary engine In q box fac.
tory. =.
The next and first successful steam
fire engine was invented by Moses Lat
ia Of Cincinnati and constructed by his
brothers. proprietors Of . machine
shop in that city. The invention and
construction of the engine. its success
in service at fires and the organization
OF paid fire departments. which 1t
made possible. are due to Miles Green
wood. for some year Chief Of the Gin
cinnati Fire department and one Of
the leading business men of that city.
The Cincinnati Fire department in
1852 consisted OF fifteen volunteer
hand engine companies. With q total
membership of about $500 men and
boys. Each company owned its ap-
paratus and equipment and through a
central organization had absolute con-
troll over the departments affairs. The
had fallen into bad repute.
Fights between companies at fires
were Of frequent occurrence. Sundays
were looked upon as a day for fire.
mems riots and the fire stations were
centers Of disorder. The better class
Of people were dissatisfied with the de.
partment.
Miles Greenwood saw the remedy
for the fire department evils in steam
FIRE engines. He had been a volunteer
for ome years and president
the department in its bet
ter days. He was then IS and the
wealthy proprietor Of a large iron
foundry. He arranged with Mr.. Latta
to construct an experimental engine.
1t was a success. and the city coun.
ell Immediately appropriated 10000
Tor the construction OF a complete en-
sine for service. Mr.. Latta started
Work on the new engine in March
1852. Its first trial took place on New
Years day. 1883. 1t was a success and
went into commission on that day.
The engine. which was named Uncle
Ross. in honor of Alderman
Joseph Ross. who introduced the or
der for its construction. cost $1,000,
and was the heaviest fire engine ever
made. weighing thirteen tons. 1t wa
twenty-five feet long. eight feet high,
two six-inch pumps and ten-inch
steam cylinders. and it's capacity was
1000 gallons a minute. 1t was a self
pattern. with one front and two rear
wheels. The a wheels were used
for fywheels il necessary. -Four hors-
es were used to draw it until sufficient
steam was generated to drive 1t and
to steer It.
1t rendered excellent service at
many fires until December 8. 1855,
when it's boiler exploded. killing its
engineer and ending its short, success
full career in a junk heap. A defective
fue caused the explosion.
When the engine was ready for
service another problem confronted
the city authorities: How to get it in
to use. The volunteer firemen refused
to handle 1t and threatened to destroy
It at its first FIRE. They actually did
try to destroy it. but citizens in large
rallied to Its rescue and saved
1t from injury. The volunteer fire.
men. seeing that the people were
against them, submitted to the newt
able and eve again attempted to In
lure 1t.
The new engine having demonstrat-
ed its superiority at its first few fires.
citizens offered to subscribe the
amount necessary to procure another,
provided the city council would pur-
chase a third engine at the same time.
This was done and W. more steam
fire engines were added to the depart
ment before the end of the year. The
two new engines were named the Citi-
zens Gift and A. B. Letta and cost
$1,000 each. The last hand engine in
the department was retired from serv-
ice March I. 1861.