U - Newton Free Library

ORGANIZATION. 3
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therefor inserted in the warrant for the annual
town meetings of is4-0 and 184:1, which was
refused both times.
All of the engines at this time, with the exception
of No. 2 at the Upper Falls, were small,
crude affairs, which were filled by means of
buckets, and the water pumped from the tub or
body of the engine through a short line of hose
on to the fire. The No. 2 suction engine was
but little better than the others, and all were
entirely inadequate to meet the service required
of them.
Their inferiority was made signally manifest
at the Otis Pettee big machine-shop fire at the
Upper Falls, November 25, 1839, which was the
largest fire Newton ever had.
Many engines
from neighboring towns were present, including
the Hydrant No. 4 of Cambridgeport, a new
Hunneman suction engine, which did its first
duty at this fire. This engine was much larger,
more powerful, more quickly put to work, and
much more easily operated than the old diminutive
Newton engines, and easily won for itself
the admiration of every one present, and the
desire of the firemen as well as the citizens to
possess similar engines.
The demands for new suction engines
for
Newton Corner, West Newton, Upper Falls,
and Newton Centre were now imperative, but
as in most towns in such matters it required