|
GENERAL SCHUYLER ENGINE No.1
"OLD BETSY"
|
1892
in Mechanicville |
1856 BUTTON HAND TUB
"At 12 o'clock the General
Schuyler company stepped up to the mark and sent a stream of water 234 feet 6
inches. Everyone went wild with delight as this was announced. The
Schuyler has beaten the record held by the exempt firemen of Brooklyn, who had
sent a stream 230 feet."
Exert from Brooklyn Eagle, August
18, 1893
Old Betsy was built by Button of
Waterford, NY in 1856 for the No. 4 Engine Company of Albany, NY fire department
and known as Relief No. 11. Old Betsy was purchased by the Village of
Schuylerville in the early 1870's and replaced a hand pumper purchased in 1836.
After the purchase of a steam engine in the late 1880's the General Schuyler
Steamer & Hose Company competed in may muster with Old Betsy. On
August 18, 1893 Old Betsy threw a stream of 234' 11" setting a new World
Record for longest stream from a hand pumper. This record was broken two
years later. At the turn of the century extensive repair work was done on
the pump tank by the steamer boys. Old Betsy has remained under the
ownership of the many companies that have served the Village of Schuylerville.
In 1971 Old Betsy was stripped down and sent to Comstock Prison for a full
refurbishing. In the late 1990's work was done to replace the leather pump
packings.
MUSTERS
| MUSTER |
DATE |
DISTANCE |
PLACE
/ PRICE |
| Glens
Falls |
Sept.
15, 1891 |
206'5" |
1st
/ $200 |
| Glens
Falls |
July
4, 1892 |
n/a |
Lost |
| Greenwich |
Aug.
11, 1892 |
207'5" |
1st
/ $150 |
| Stillwater |
Aug.
13, 1892 |
208'6" |
1st
/ $100 |
| Mechanicville |
Aug.
24, 1892 |
215'5" |
1st
/ $200 |
| Coney
Island |
Aug.
18, 1893 |
234'
11" |
1st
/ $325 |
| Bennington,
VT |
July
1894 |
221'
8" |
1st
/ $300 |
| Glens
Falls |
July
4, 1895 |
224'8" |
1st
/ $200 |
| Fair
Haven, VT |
August
1895 |
n/a |
Lost |
| Troy |
August
1895 |
n/a |
Burst
Air Chamber |
| Greenwich |
Aug.
12, 1896 |
182'3" |
3rd
/ $50 |
| Saratoga |
September
1896 |
191'4" |
3rd
/ $50 |
| Greenwich |
July
4, 1897 |
178'
11" |
3rd
/ $50 |
| Whitehall |
July
1897 |
178'
11" |
1st
/ $300 |
| Schenectady |
August
1897 |
178'
9" |
2nd
/ $200 |
| Fort
Edward |
July
4, 1899 |
n/a |
Lost |
| Mechanicville |
September
1899 |
n/a |
1st |
At an Albany muster Old Betsy threw
185' perpendicularly through a ring (date unknown).
HISTORY
January
6, 1971
– Planning
of sending to Comstock Prison for rehab.
March
1971 – Old Betsy off to Comstock
August 5,
1971
– Work
coming along. $108.16
spent so far at prison.
September
27, 1973
–
Professional appraisal puts value at $12,500.
June
1975 – Trailer purchased for Old Betsy.
May 3, 1984
– Wheels to
be repaired.
January 14,
1988
– Leather
pump packing need to be replaced.
May
3, 1990
– Finally found someone in Mass.
To make pump gaskets. $350.
July
27-29, 2006 - In honor of Old Betsy's 150th anniversary, the
1856 hand pumper was lettered in gold leaf to a near match of the
lettering in the late 1800's. Lettering was hand painted by
Tim Beldon of Beldon's Lettering
. HEADLINES
|
