Front:
DELUGE No. / –179L
AMERICA'S OLDEST FIRE ENGINE, OLD STONE
FORT MUSEUM, SCHOHARIE,
Back:
DELUGE NO. 1, America's Oldest Fire Engine
and the first ever used by New York City,
was built by Richard New sham of London,
England, between 1725 and 1731, arriving in
New York City in 1731. Being before the days
of hose, water was poured from buckets into
the body of the engine and with the man
power supplied
the rocker arms Wis
squirted direct from the nozzle to the flames.
About 1800 this engine, it is believed, was
brought to Esperance, Schoharie County, by
James Duane, first Mayor of New York City
after the Revolution and settler of Duanes-
burg.
on
