The Steam Fire Engine.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1098, 11 July 1882, Page 2

The Steam Fire Engine.

The Saturday afternoon practice cannot be termed a success, but this he it understood is not the fault of the engine ;on the contrary. Mr James Brown the Engineer, speaks in high terms of its power and adaptibility for suppressing the spread of fire. There are however many things necessary to be done before any great advantages can be obtained. In the first place a shed near the river bank is needed, and the building must necessarily afford commodious space for all requirements. Some old dray must be supplied which will carry rain water for the boiler and coal in case of emergency. We may here state that the boiler consumes 40 gallons of water per hour. Then again there must be either petroleum, kerosine or patent fuel provided in order to force a fire. On Saturday the engineer got up steam with some shavings and chips and necessarily more time was occupied than is desirable. Mr Brown states that he will if provided with the requirements, guarantee to get up steam within ten minutes, and says further that on Saturday from a fire ho obtained a 1201bs pressure in seven minutes. Some means however must be devised for obtaining a supply of rain water, otherwise the boiler tubes will become caked. Everything in connection with the engine is right and the difficulty with the brigade on Saturday consisted in the fact that it was nearly dark when operations were commenced; that the couplings of the suction hose were not screwed up and consequently air was being pumped in ; and further that the suction hose was allowed to go into the river mud. Some of these troubles could have been remedied had the lamps in connection with the engine been supplied with wicks and oil. Mr Brown who has kindly consented to work the engine for the brigade declines to incur a debt for the many odds and ends required. Who should do it? Captain Winter we understand purposes calling a practice shortly for 1 o’clock in the afternoon, and we are informed intends to apply to the Borough Council for the amount of loss the men will sustain by being taken away from their work.