Rare Old Fairbanks, Morse Engine

One of the treats we enjoy at Boonville is seeing this old beauty run. They had the pump running yesterday, so we were able to shoot some interesting video. This engine used to pump out of a lake to supply water to the town of Ferdinand, Indiana, and was replaced by a modern system after it was unable to keep up with demand during a big fire. It was left hooked up the water system as a backup, and finally was unhooked after it accidentally pumped unfiltered lake water, crawdads, fish, and moss into the town's water system. Duane D., the operator in this video, saved the engine from being scrapped, literally by minutes, in a breathtaking city council meeting in Ferdinand. Hats Off, to you, Duane.