Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-09
AUTO FIRE ENGINES.
Backwardness of Some Departments in
Giving Place to Machines.

From the Philadelphia Ledger
American fire-fighters rather resent the
imputation that their tardiness in adopting
the automobile engine as a part of their
regular equipment is due to want of en-
terprise. to slowness. They have always
contended that the fault lay with the man.
ufacturers, who have been backward in
producing a self-propelled fine engine capa-
bic of meeting the exacting requirements
of the extremely critical service to which
it must be put. Motor vehicles for pleas
ure and for business have been developed
in almost countless varieties. but in the
case of all of these a breakdown means
at the most a little temporary inconven-
fence or delay: while stalled fire engine
may involve the loss of life and property.
They are justified, therefore. they say. in
their conversatism-a word more soothing
to the feelings than the shorter one which
is more apt to suggest itself.
Modern conditions of travel in crowded
city streets will bring this subject forward
with increasing insistence, however, and
the experience of the cities which have
tried the new machines-in this country
and abroad-Shows that the problem can
not long be shelved. This is emphasized
when we read in recent report made by
a committee of experts to the National
Fire Protection Association that a test OF
steam fire engines picked at random from
the service equipment of many OF the best
city departments in the United States re-
Yealed an efficiency of only SD per cent and
an efficiency of individual engines in many
cases of less than 90 per cent With such
results from tests made after preparation
and under favorable conditions, it may well
be asked, what would be the actual serv-
ice conditions during the continued stress
of work? The mere adoption of a different
motive power for use in going to and
from fires would not. of course, affect the
pumping capacity of engine. but time
saved at the outbreak of fire Is vastly
more important than any later advantage
from the operation of the pumps, and
would be potent factor in promoting the
general usefulness of a fire department
Boston and New York In this country. and
Paris Liverpool, Birmingham and LeiceS-
ter abroad, among the municipalities
which have begun the inevitable change
and with results thus far entirely Salts
factory.
If it were proposed or were even pos
sbIe TO make wholesale and sudden
change from horses to electric or gasoline
motor driven fire engines. there would be
more force in the objections urged against
their adoption. We should say the same
IL 1t were proposed to install an untried
piece of machinery in a position where there
was no alternative in the event of a col
lapse. At the most, SO radical a change
as the introduction of automobile fire en-
gines would have to be effected gradually.
and 1t may appropriately be asked has
the time not arrived when we in Phila-
delphia should begin experiments in this
where a number of fire companies respond
to every alarm. occasional breakdowns are
expected and provided against; and even
if several motor engines Were assigned to
single district 1t is extremely improbable
that more than one would break down at
the same time. If these modern machines
have their weak points, they doubtless
have. they can only be developed in actual
service So far as tests in other cities
show. the advantages outweigh the draw
hacks. increased speed, instant prepared
ness and greater control more than Offset
ting the possibility of a failure OF the mo-
Tors the liability 20 skid" on smooth and
slippery pavements and the other indict-
ments made against them by fire fighters
who have not yet employed them.
philadelphia leads the van in its high
pressure fire MAINS and 1t should not be too
far behind the head of the procession in q
development which Is bound to be one of
the most important in the fre-fghting
methods Of the near future.