The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-06-17
MAY ADOPT MOTOR VEHICLES.
a Proposition for Their Use in the
LocnI Fire Dcpurt Tnent.

Robert w. DuttOD. Chief Engineer OF
the Fire Department, has under COnsid-
Grafton a proposition to provide the de-
partment with one or more motor vefi-
cles- One OF the electric companies is
arranging to submit an estimate On 4
motor vehicle TO be used by the First
Assistant Chief Engineer in running TO
fires. The type OF vehicle, it is expected.
VIII resemble the present carriage used
by the Assistant Chiefs, except that it
viii be hoTseIess- It is not yet known
what the cost of the vehicle will be- but 1t
is thought that it viii be within 81 000.
Under a recent order of the Commits
sioners, Mr.. Belt, the Chief Assistant En-
gineer. will be in command of the Fire
Department at fires. and it is thought ad-
yisabIe to provide him with vehicle tfat
will have greater speed than ordinary
horsepower, and also Of greater endUT-
ance. Mr.. Belt viii be called upon to go
to practically all the fires. and under
present conditions this duty puts
hard work upon the two horses allowed
him for the purpose This is especially
true when two fires occur nearly at the
same time in widely separated parts of
the city The idea has occurred to the off
cials Of the department and also to Com
ion over it, that a vehicle which will not
tire with long running would be of great
advantage to the First Assistant Chief in
the performance of his duty.
The matter is yet only tentative, as
nothing can be done IN the matter until
the figures as to the cost of the proposed
vehicle are in the hands Of the Chief En-
gineer~ 1t is expected, however, that If
the cost Is not too great, and if the Com
missioners approve the plan, the We
hicIe viii be purchased at an early date
On the sUppOsitiOn that the motor vehicle
costs about SI,0o9 the expense VIII not be
much greater than TO provide the First
Assistant Chief with a new outfit of car
rage, horses. harness. etc The cost OF a
new carriage similar to those now in use
IS not far from $3.50. and two good horses
cost the department about $50 each. This,
with the harness and carriage equipment.
brings the cost up about as high as the
motor vehicle. IN addition the horses
have to be fed and cared for. and some
times sent to the veterinary at consider
able expense, and the officials of the. de
partmeEt are going upon the supposition
that the now vehicle may be put into serv-
ice with an actual saving to the depart
meRt in the end, to say nothing of the in
z
Should it be found practicable 20 buy
the proposed vehicle, it would prove. of
course, the entering wedge to the gen
era change from horse-drawn to me-
chanicalIy propelled vehicles throughout
the department. or at least TO that portion
of it that runs on the asphalt pavements
in the central portions of the city # the
chiefs carriage proves successful, and as
economical as horses, the way VIII be
open for taking up the matter in earnest
and recommending TO Congress special
appropriation for the purchase of motor
engines and trucks for the use of the de-
paTtment- IN this connection it IS signif-
cant that such vehicles are already in
use in Hartford, Conn, and in Boston.
One Of the circumstances which has
great weight with the officials of the de-
partment is the difficulty experienced IN
procuring good horses. Since Mr.. DIItton
was Installed IN the Office OF Chief Engi-
neer it has been necessary TO advertise
for offers of horses twice The first ad-
voTtisement resulted in bringing into the
department on trial six horses of the
needed. These are now on trial.
and II is possible tf1ct one OF two of them
Will be thrown out at the end Of the month
as unfit for the service The annual
bill for feeding and caring for the
horses and harness is a large and increas-
ing one. and it has been suggested that
much work ard expense might be spared
by the introduction of the mechanical
vehicles. which would do away with
horses.
While the proposed innovation is yet
more or less tentative, it is very probable
that the beginning will be made within
a few months in the direction suggested