Chap. 8.]

New- York Fire-Engine,

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retard the issue of the liquid more than others which discharge it fromthe top, because the water lias to descend in them n early perpendicu-larly to enter the orifice of the pipe, and its direction is then preciselyreverseä, for it has to rise perpendicularly in Order to escape.

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No. 154. New-York City Fire-engine.

In exterior decoration American engines are probably unrivaled: thefiremen take pride in ornamenting their respective machines, and hencemost of them are finished in the most superb and expensive manner. Thewhole of the iron work, except the tire of the wheels, is frequently platedwith silver; every part formed of brass is brought to the highest polish ;and while all the wood work, including the wheels, is elegantly paintedand gilded, the backs, fronts, and panels of the case that encloses theair chamber and pumps, are enriched with historical and emblematicalpaintings and carved work, by the first artists.

A new Organization of the fire department of New-York has long beenm contemplation, and the project of a law to that efiect, is at this timeunder the consideration of the legislature of the state, and of the Corpo-ration of the city.

The most valuable coniribution of American mechanicians to the meansof extinguishing fires is the riveted ho.se, invented by Seilers and Pennockof Philadelphia. It is too well known both here and in Europe to re-quire particular description. No modern apparatus is complete without it.

The Mechanics’ Institute of New-York offered a gold medal (in January1840) for the best plan of a Steam fire-engine. The publication, of thenotice was very limited, and but two or three plans were sent in. Ofthese, one by Mr. Ericsson, a European engineer now in this country, re-ceived the prize. No. 155 represents a view of the engine. No. 156 alongitudinal section of the boiler, steam engine, pump, air vessel and blow-mg apparatus. No. 157, plan. No. 158, a transverse section of the boilerthrough the furnace and steam chamber. No. 159, the lever or handlefor working the blowing apparatus by hand. The following is the inven-tor’s description, in which the same letters of reference denote the sameparts in all the figures.

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