Remembering History: The Button Manufacturing Company built this first size engine for the town of New London, Connecticut. A crew of fifty men pulled the rig to a fire and manned the pump's brakes (this is an archaic term for pump handles, but the handles also served as brakes to stop the rig). It can pump about 200 gallons of water per minute.

The Button Manufacturing Company built this first size engine for the town of New London, Connecticut. A crew of fifty men pulled the rig to a fire and manned the pump's brakes (this is an archaic term for pump handles, but the handles also served as brakes to stop the rig). It can pump about 200 gallons of water per minute.

The Button Manufacturing Company built this first size engine for the town of New London, Connecticut. A crew of fifty men pulled the rig to a fire and manned the pump's brakes (this is an archaic term for pump handles, but the handles also served as brakes to stop the rig). It can pump about 200 gallons of water per minute.