Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-09-25
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
The New Improved Shifting Bar-
Ress-SeveFaI Tests.

There are being introduced some import
ant Improvements in the Fire Department
which wifi add materially to the efficiency
of the service, the latest being the newly
improved shifting harness, which is in op-
GRAFTON in the fire departments Of the large
Northern and Eastern cities, and we be-
lleve has also been lately adopted by the
Charleston Department.
The change has been made both
for the steamer and hose carriage
OF the Washington Fire Company,
and the harness has just been completed for
the horses OF the Waivers steamer, that for
the hose carriage horse not been quite I'm.
lsned yet. The next In order viii come the
barlow Fire Company, and the department
VIII be completely furnished with this new
apparatus.
In company with Chief Fireman Osceola
Butler, we on Saturday morning visited the
Waiver Engine House for the purpose OF ex
aiming its practical workings. The har-
ness is suspended by iron clamps directly
over the tongue OF the steamer, and Is
worked by pulleys, regulated by heavy iron
weights. The patent is in the collar, which
Is fastened by clasp instead OF q buckle,
and catches IN an instant.
At the tap OF the bell the horses are
turned from the stalls, and Immediately
take their position on the side Of the tongue
Of the engine, dire city beneath the harness,
the collars are pulled with ease, quickly
c'asped, the chains connected and the horses
are fully harnessed. The driver mounts his
seat, seizes the reins, gives a sudden jerk,
the clamps holding the harness are released,
and by the weights on the puueys causes
them Immediately to fly to the ceiling eD-
tirely clear Of the engine's boiler.
The Waivers horses have not been fully
trained to the new nude Of Harvesting, and
yet they were led from the stalls, har-
messed and the engine ready TO move in ex-
actly one minute and ten seconds. This
time was beaten last night by the Waivers,
as will appear from the annexed cOmmuni-
cation, and It has also been beaten by the
Washingtons.
Independent Of expedition In getting the
apparatus ready for fires there is another
great advantage in the use Of this harness.
Heretofore the companies on duty had to
keep their horses harnessed up day and
night, and IA this climate especially the
effect on the horses is injurious. They are
not able to rest easily, ard cannot lie
down In the stalls with any comfort. With
the rev harness only the brides are left on
the heads Of the horses, the bit hanging so
that It can be quickly slipped into the
mouth, and the other portions Of the gear
are adjusted as above explained.
In this connection we may state that the
Fire Department generally is In better con-
ditiOn than il has ever been. The paid
force, who are compelled to sleep at the
engine houses when on duty, have more
comfortable accommodations, and great
attention is paid to the rlDitary arrange
ments OF the houses-the cleanliness OF the
quarters being especially preserved. For
tunstely there have been very few serious
fires this year, but the Department has
always been equal to the emergency on
those occasions, and with the increased
facilities and comfort 1t may be predicted
that it's future usefulness and efficiency
will be greater.
On this subject we have the following
communication, which states that the time
mentioned lean undoubtedly be beaten
under the old system, and with the old har-
ness, and any driver in the department will
agree on this point" The communication
is as follows
EliSoT MoyYat,,o NeaOs. Upon
another trial of the new harness last evening
at the Waiver engine house the driver ard
an assistant took positions at the rear Of the
engine, which is a distance Of about fifteen
feet az not mOre) from the stalls. At the
signal given the brides were taken from
pin at the rear of the stalls, the hslters
taken off and brides put on. The horses
were lubu ACu " buO tOAG uO " VIC obSAAOj
and the driver 10 his seat cried "ready," in a
space Of twenty-seven seconds on the first
and twenty-five seconds on the second trial.
Much delay was Occasioned by the I'm.
easiness OF the horses, ana from the fact Of
cir having TO be led to their positions.
Mr.. WomsleY says when his horses shall
have become accustomed to the system,
and are trained to take their positions at
the tongue without delay, he will leave the
above record far in the shade.
a FIREMAN.
communication from q member Of the
Washingtous states that they had test re-
Gently at their engine house with the new
harness, and the time made was eighteen
seconds. This can scarcely be beaten.