The times., 1901-06-18
AFFAIRS OF THE DISTRICT
A Proposition to Use Motor We
hicIes in Fire Department.

]
vnntagcs of Mechanical Power
Over That of Horses-CompIai't i'ts
Agninst Pools of stagnant Water.
Robert w Dutton, Chief Engineer of
the Fire Department. has under consid-
Grafton a proposition to provide the de-
partment with one OF more motor vehi-
cles. One of the electric companies is
arranging to submit estimate on a
motor vehicle to be used by the First
Assistant Chief Engineer in running to
fires. The type of vehicle, it is expected,
will resemble the present carriage used
by the Assistant Chiefs, except that it
viii be horseless 1t is not yet known
what the cost Of the vehicle will be, but 1T
is thought that it will be within l,OOO.
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-
visable to provide him with vehicle that
will have greater speed than ordinary
horsepower, and also Of greater endur-
ance Mr.. Belt will 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
missioner Macfarland, who has supervis-
ion over IT, that a vehicle which will not
tire with Iong 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 ac n tbe cost n Dropoead
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
hicle will be purchased at an early date.
On the supposition that the motor vehicle
costs about s, 900, the expense will not be
much greater than to provide the First
Assistant Chief with new outfit Of car
| riage, horses, harness, etc. The cost Of
new carriage similar to those now in use
| is not far from $500. and two good horses
! cost the department about $3.50 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-
| partment are going upon the supposition
! that the new vehicle may be put into sery-
/ ice with an actual saving TO the depart
ment in the end, to say nothing of the in
| Should ii be found practicable to buy
/ the proposed vehicle, it would prove, of
/ course; the entering wedge to the gen
eral change from horse-drawn to me-
| chanically 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. If the
! chiefs carriage proves successful, and as
economical as horses, the way will be
/ open for taking up the matter in earnest
| and recommending to Congress a special
{ 0f
| engines and trucks for the use of the de-
/ partment. In this connection it is signih-
/ 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 orses. Since Mr.. Dutton
was installed in !he office of Chief Engi-
! neer it has been necessary to advertise
/ for offers of horses twice. The first ad-
! vertisement resulted in bringing into the
! department on trial six horses of the
/ fourteen needed. These are now on trial
! and it is possible that one or 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 large and increaS-
| ing one. and ii has been suggested that
| much work and expense might be spared
| by the introduction Of the mechanical
| vehicles, which would 90 away with
| horses.
While the proposed innovation is yet
more or less tentative, il is very probable
that the beginning will be made within
few months in the direction suggested.
Eugene Grissom. jr., of 100 Tenth Street
northeast, has written to the Commits
sioners complaining of a pool Of muddy
and stagnant water which he says has be-
come nuisance to him and his family.
Mr.. Grissom writes:
Several weeks ago a vacant lot CON
tiguous to and north of my premises
above described was excavated for build
ing purposes, as L suppose. The heavy
rains quickly filed the excavation, which
is below the grade Of the street, and the
stagnant water has been eVaporating and
has been constantly roplenished, the re-
suit of which has been to keep my north
wall damp all the time and TO produce
! damp odor in the cellar, Notwithstanding
have kept the door and the window Of
the same open during the day.
The heavy rainfall of Friday night
backed the water up against the north
wall, and it is not impossible that even
the stability of the wall itself may be
affected. The mosquitoes are so bad that
my family are unable to sit out in the
front yard in the evenings with any de
gree Of comfort, and the yard and the
sidewalk in front of my house are kept
dirty by reason Of the throwing of mud
| by children playing in the vacant lot, this
requiring constant washing on with thc
hose, only to be made unsightly again i'm
mediately.
at Is essential to the health of my wife
and children that my house be kept dry,
which cannot be done with a north wall
used in the capacity Of a dam for stop
ping up q deep pool Of stagnant water.
which has time and again threatened to
food my cellar By seeping through the
wall.
"As a law abiding resident who en-
deavors to comply with the regulations OF
this District and duly TO respect the
rights privileges. and comfort OF his fel-
loW-cltiZcns ! respectfully ask your hon
orabIe body TO take steps 10 cause the
immediate abatement Of this nuisance and
the prevention OF it's future repetition.
The new water tower was out of ser
vice for few hours yesterday undergo
lnl, repairs When the tower was raised
at the fire at Eleventh and b Streets a
week ago. it was discovered that the
large screw which raises the hose standard
was some what injured by cutting The
tower was lowered, and when taken back
to Truck House c was thoroughly eX-
arnined by the machinist Of the depart
ment.
1t was first thought that by filing the
threads Of the screw the difficulty could
be obviated. but the machinist found the
lob too mitch Cor the facilities at his com
nand and reported to Chief Dutton that
il would be necessary to put the tower out
Of service until new pair of screws
could be obtained from Chicago. These
were telegraphed for, and the company
in Chicago which furnished the tower |