EXHIBITION—REPORTS AND AWARDS. 
189 
FIRE EXTINGUISHERS. 
S. F. Crampton, Milwaukee, Babock’s. Silver Medal. 
J. C. Davison, Chicago, Excelsior. Bronze Medal. 
The foregoing awards were made by the executive board on the basis of 
the following report of the special committee: 
The special committee to whom was referred the question of determining 
between the claims of the two fire extinguishers, the Babcock and Excelsior, 
beg leave to submit the following report: 
In order to give the committee an opportunity to judge of the merits of 
these machines in extinguishing fires, the proprietors of each erected on the 
fair grounds, a small wooden structure, in the interior of each of which was 
placed a number of tar barrels, together with a lot of pine shavings. These 
structures and their contents were saturated with kerosene oil. The 
buildings were then set on fire, inside and out, and when tolerably well 
under way, the word was given, and the machines set to work.. Both fires 
were extinguished in about the same length of time, but the committee 
were of the opinion that the Babcock was clearly entitled to the preference 
in this trial, because the lumber of which its structure was composed was 
much the dryest, and the fire had therefore made greater progress before 
the word was given to extinguish. This was quite apparent from the dif¬ 
ference in the burnt and charred state of the two structures after the fire 
was extinguished. 
In coming to the proper conclusion as to the respective merits of these 
two rival fire extinguishers, the committee were unable discover any very 
radical difference between them, as both are very similar in their construc¬ 
tion, and. in the manner of their operation, the only difference being in the 
manner in which they are respectively charged with acid, and in this 
respect, the committee were unable to form a conclusion, after careful 
reflection, that the Excelsior was entitled to the preference. 
The committee are, therefore, unanimously of the opinion that the Bab¬ 
cock Fire Extinguisher is clearly entitled to the first premium. And that 
justice demands that we should give to this machine the highest possible 
recommend as an extinguisher of incipient fires. The test to which it was 
submitted in our presence fully satisfies us in giving it this praise. The 
fire which was kindled upon the fair grounds, to demonstrate its efficiency 
was extinguished in less than forty seconds. In this connection we will 
add, that we do not intend to disparage the merits of the Excelsior; even 
should it be admitted that the latter could perform all that the former is 
capable of doing, the committee could not justly come to a different con¬ 
clusion, because the Babcock is the original invention. As no provision 
has been made in the list of premiums to meet this case, the committee 
would suggest that a silver medal be awarded to the proprietors of the 
