The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-07-21
New \ oaK FIRe TEAMS.
Powerful Horses That Are Driven Three
Abreast rs In Roman Chariots.


Every one Of the % hook and ladder
trucks Of the New York fire department
is now drawn by a team of three horses
driven abreast. The change from two
horse teams, which was begun in 1888,
wcs brought about naturally enough by
the increased weight to be carried. The
department had been adding for some
years previously large number of life
saving implements and tools, and these
had finally weighted down the apparatus,
particularly the trucks carrying the life
saving implements, to snch an extent as
to interfere with making time going to
fires. The first team to which a third
horse was added was that Of truck 10 in
Fulton street. 1t proved SO successful
that third horse was added to all the
fire tr11ck teams in the city.
There has also been added a third
horse to the teams Of the heavier engines
and to the teams of those engines that
lie on the sides of hills or in the hilly dis
tricts Of the city. About half Of the
city's engines are now drawn by three
horse teams, and all are provided with
equipments by which they are enabled to
use three horse teams in case of emergen-
cy. With the city's better water supply
and the use Of heavier engines, the teud-
ency in the department is toward three
horse teams for all engines. There are
now no one horse tenders in use except
in the double companies. A doubl com
pany Is one provided with two complete
sets Of pparatus-practically two com
panies i'll ore. In the absence Of the first
company the second company covers
the ground. These companies are all in
the crowded lower part of the city,
where the room is not sufficient for the
with two horse teams, but in all the
other companies four wheeled tenders
with two horse teams are now used.
Fire Chief Hugh Bonner says that the
use Of the three horse teams is found ad-
vantageous in every respect. 1t takes
perhaps two or three seconds more time
to hitch up three horse team, but that
is much more than gained on the road,
and for long runs a three horse team can
keep UP a good. steady gait and get a
company there on time. It takes more
skill and more strength 70 drive a three
horse team, but there is no difficulty IN
finding in tho department men who can
drive.
The great advantage Of the three horse
team is tha5 it gets the company there
quickly. An especial benefit following
their use is observable in winter. One
now rarely or never hears Of fire APP
paratus stuck going to a fire. The three
horse team goes right ahead through the
very worst going. The old spike team
was not of much service. It could not
compare with the team of three horses
driven abreast, all under the control Of
the driver and each doing his full duty.
There has been in recent years a visi-
bic increase IN the number of three horse
teams driven abreast in business use.
There were in use in the city before 1885
a few fine three horse teams driven IN
this fashion, but it is probable that the
greatly increased use of such teams IN
recent years is to a considerable extent
due to the success attending their use in
the FIRE department. York Sun.