343
Chap. 8.]
Stoutenburgh, who was directed to take Charge of them at a salary ofthirty pounds ; and “ the late overseer, Mr. Jacobus Turk, [was orderedto] deliver up to the said Jacobus Stoutenburgh, the said several fire-en-gines.” November 19, 1762. The Bremen were directed to wear leathercaps when on duty. May 7, 1772. An engine was ordered to be pro-vided for the Out ward. July 10, 1772. “ Alderman Gautier laid beforethis board an account of the cost of two fire-engines belonging to ThomasTillier : and Alderman Gautier is requested to purchase the same.” Sep-tember 9, 1772. A committee was authorized “to purchase one other fire-engine of David Hunt.” The three engines last named were probablyfrom England, for at the time these machines were in the list of ordinaryimported manufactures.
It is not impossible that some engines were made in Massachusetts aboutthe time of the Revolutionary war. In October 1767, the people of Bos-ton , irritated by the exactions and disgusted with the parasites of mo-narchy, determined in a town meeting to cease importing from the 31st ofDecember following, numerous articles of British manufacture, amongwhich were enumerated anchors, nails, pewter-ware, clothmg, hats, car-riages, cordage, furniture, and fire-engines. And in March 1768, the As-sembly resolved, “ that this house will, by all prudent means, endeavourto discountenance the use of foreign superfluities, and to encourage themanufactures of this province hence it is reasonable to suppose that en-gines either had been, or then could be made in the province ; otherwiseit is not likely that their importation would have been denounced. Asan article of trade they were, from the limited number required, insignifi-cant—they had no Connection with luxury ; and so far from being “ su-perfluities,” they were necessary to protect the property of the peoplefrom destruction—they would therefore be among the last things that apeople would cease to import while unable to make them.
It was not tili several years after the close of the struggle for indepen-dence that fire-engines were made in this and some other cities. Theyhave, however, long been made here and in Philadelphia, Boston , &c.Small engines were formerly used, but they have gradually disappeared,the manufacturers confining themselves principally to the largest. The useof buckets has also been discontinued on account of the extensive applica-tion of hose. Village engines are sometimes constructed with single cy-linders and double acting, but being more liable to derangement, they arenot extensively used. Rotary engines are also made in some parts ofNew-England, on the principle of Bramah and Dickenson’s pumps, (No.138.) As ordinary fire-engines are merely forcing pumps, arranged incarriages and furnished with flexible pipes ; it is not to be supposed thatany radical improvement upon them can be effected. The pump itselfis, perhaps, not capable of any material change for the better; and it is atpresent essentially the same as when used by Ctesibius and Heron inEgypt , twenty centuries ago: hence fire-engines, since hose pipes and airchambers were introduced, have differed from each other chiefly in thecarriages and in the arrangement and dimensions of the pumps—as thePosition of the cylinders, modes of working the pistons, bore and directionof the passages for the water, &c. In these respects there is not muchdifference between European and American engines; nor in the varietiesof the latter. Those made in Philadelphia rather resemble French andGerman engines, in working the pumps at the ends of the carriages, andwithout the sectors and chains; while New-York engines are preciselythe same as Newsham’s, both in the arrangement of the pumps and modeof working them, with the exception of treddles, which are not used.