The 29th Huron Pioneer Thresher Reunion, 1990-09-05, Page 19THE CITIZEN. WEDNESDAY. SEPTEMBER 5. 1990. PAGE A-19.
People flip over
firemen s pancakes
One of the newest activities held on
Thresher Reunion weekend is growing
increasingly popular, even though it is
somewhat removed from the centre of
activity.
The promise of a home-cooked country
breakfast has been drawing large crowds to
the Blyth Fire Hall on the Saturday and
Sunday mornings of the Reunion for the
last few years. Though separate from the
other events, which are held either in the
fairgrounds or the community centre, Fire
Chief Paul Josling says the Firemen’s
Pancake Breakfasts have increased in
attendance by 100 or 150 people each year,
with a total of 850 people partaking last
year.
Preparations for the event begin about
one month prior with job assignments.
Various firemen are responsible for arrang
ing for the use of cooking grills, micro
waves, and other equipment, while others
are in charge of buying the groceries.
There are also some who have to borrow
tables and chairs from local churches and
schools.
According to Chief Josling about nine or
10 men will actually be working the
morning of the breakfast arriving at 6:30 to
Applying
steam power
to farming
took many years
•The first attempts to put steam power
to work in agriculture, at the end of the
18th century, marked the beginning of one
of the greatest revolutions in farming.
•Since then, the tireless efficiency of
engine power has been gradually replacing
human and animal drudgery in many parts
of the world. Of the progress achieved,
most has been due to internal combustion
engine: steam pioneered the principles of
power farming, but the internal combus
tion engine has taken over to make the
power revolution a practical reality.
•Thomas Newcomen, a Devonshire
blacksmith, designed the first practical
steam engine in the early 1700s, and
Newcomen engines were operating pumps
in mines and in a few other industrial uses
before serious attempts were made to link
steam to farming.
The Newcomen engine had little value to
farming, using great quantities of both
water and coal for a modest power output;
it was also designed to deliver its power
through a reciprocating motion, not the
rotary motion which might power gears or
pulleys.
•James Watt and others improved on
Newcomen’s design in the 18th century,
raising the efficiency and power output,
and paving the way for steam power to be
applied to boats and railways in the 19th
century.
•At the same time, there were other
inventors trying to devise ways of using
steam for farming, especially for ploughing
and cultivating. This was still impractical
in the 18th century, when steam power was
firmly stationary, and portable or self-pro
pelled engines were still years away.
•Credit for being the first to suggest by
steam power goes to David Ramsey and
Thomas Wildgosse of England, who filed a
patent in 1618, almost a century before the
Newcomen engine was invented, that
vaguely refers to “newe, apte, or compen
dious formes or kindes of engines or
instruments and other pfitable
invenciones.’’ It is not all clear what they
had in mind, but there is no reason to
believe it was steam - in 1618, steam was
just an interesting curiosity. The idea was
probably based on the energy in gun
powder, or even on the hope of some other
suitable power being developed. There
was, however, a later patent taken out by
Ramsey that indicated that fire was
i.i/olved in powering the invention.
•During the next 150 years, there were
other suggestions and patents aimed at
replacing horses and oxen for field work,
but none of these were obviously based on
steam, and none appeared to advance
beyond theory.
get everything ready for serving at 8 a.m.
Former fire chief Irvin Bowes comes to
lend a hand as well. Chief Josling says that
the spouses are also helping in case a fire
call comes in and the firemen must leave.
This very situation occurred two years ago,
he said, and though it was only a small
shed fire it kept the men out for a full three
hours.
The breakfasts are over at 11 a.m., but
Chief Josling said they continue serving on
Saturday until “the people stop coming
through the door’’. Sunday, however, due
to church services, they shut down
promptly at the scheduled time.
The proceeds from the breakfasts will go
this year towards the purchase of rescue
truck equipment. In previous years the
money has been used to help buy a Stokes
Basket Rescue stretcher and a VCR to show
training films to the firefighters.
When breakfast is complete the mem
bers of the Fire Department will be moving
up to the centre of activity with the medical
emergency van, which will be parked at the
fairgrounds every day from noon until 6
You’re likely to find a steam engine that’s just your size at the Thresher Reunion.
From full scalesteam enginestoscalemodelstotable top models, theengines come
in all shapes and sizes.
p.m.
id mai
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