46 ENGINE FOR RAISING AND LOWERING WEIGHTS. 



rifk of plunder diminiflied, and delays in fetting to work for 

 want of help removed. 

 Though this The great and only obftacle to its general application in this 



engine requires way j s t j ie want f natura l h^J f wa t e r in moft filiations 

 a refervou of J 



water} yet thu of warehoufes ; and the queftion in thefe cafes would be, 

 may eafily be whether it would be worth while to raife a head or refervoir 

 highly beneficial °f water for fuch purpofes. If this be done, one refervoir 

 in cafes of fire, would work any number of engines at any diftance by one 

 main pipe, and as many branch pipes as there were engines. 

 The expence of a fmall fleam engine to raife the fame water 

 (or any other) to the refervoir, would be more than repaid by 

 the fecurity it would give againft fire. ^ A gallon of water at 

 the firft alarm of fire, has more effe& in extinguifhing it, than 

 a hog (head after it has got a-head. To produce this efTecl, 

 and apply it in the fpeedieft manner wherever fuch refervoir 

 is, would only require fmall pipes to be led from the main 

 pipe that fupplies the engines, to the warehoufes, or where 

 it may otherwife be wanted, and at the end of fuch pipe, a 

 fcrew nozzle and a cock to turn on or off, a leather hofe and 

 branch pipe, fuch as all fire engines have, being provided and 

 hanging near. One man only at the firft alarm of fire, would 

 in a few minutes fcrew the hofe upon the fcrew nozzle, and 

 then turning the cock, he would of himfelf be able to play 

 upon the fire with all the force of a ftrong fire engine. 

 Propofal for Perhaps it is not too much to fay, that this ready preventa- 



public refervoirs t ive in cafe of fire, would be equal in eftecl to an infurance. 

 of water in ' * 



every pariih. Independent therefore of its application to the fyphon engine 

 for railing and lowering weights, I have conceived, that if 

 fuch refervoirs of water were provided in all cities and towns, 

 well elevated at fuitable diftances (one or more in every pariih) 

 there would not be near the danger and calamity from fire that 

 now exifts. The diftance of the refervoir from the fire is of 

 no confequence, provided the pipes were laid with fufficient 

 water way ; and it would feldom happen that more than one 

 fire at a time would break out in the fame pariih, or if it did, 

 the fame fpeedy and effectual afli fiance could be given by any 

 number of fuch powerful and felf-working engines, as long as 

 there was water in the refervoir. And even fuppofing the 

 fupply from the refervoir to be limited to any given time of 

 expenditure, common prudence would lead to its being re- 

 plenifhed by the ufual mode, before it could be entirely ex- 

 haufted. 



The 



