Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1909-10-20
Local and Coast
Auto Doings

The fact that auto ambulances. pa.
trolls and fire appliances are gaining
In popular farvor and the assurance
that they are marked improvement
over similar vehicles of the horse.
drawn variety is demonstrated by the
adoption OF them by the government
and various municipal authorities.
says an exchange. The advantages OF
the auto are 80 clearly defined that q
great many municipalities have either
contracted for. or are seriously con-
sidering installing a motor car OF
whichever class Of the public service
vehicle they may need the most.
Quite few have already tried them
and found them satisfactory; some
others also have them. but for too
short time to be able to pass upon
their qualities.
The White Co. recently made deliv.
cry Of White steamer fitted with q
patrol wagon body to the police de.
partment Of Omaha. Neb. With three
shifts OF drivers. this machine has
been put into 24-hour service, In which
II replaces six horses. doing the same
amount Of work In less time and at
lower cost.
At Lansing, Michigan. It is claimed
their auto FIRE engine has responded
to seventy one alarms In 1856 days. at
, a total cost OF only $24.S1.
A second automobile patrol has al
ready been put Into service by the
Indianapolis police department.
The Philadelphia General Hospital.
Thirty.fourth and Pine streets, Phila-
delphia. Pa. Ii now using two self.
propelled ambulances. These cars ar,
White steamers with regular stock
model chassis. and has special bodies
built according to specifications. The
bodies on both ambulances are stint
lar In every respect. They are Of
wood construction. are padded on the
inside and are equipped with electric
dome light.
The first car was purchased In the
latter part OF 1905, and has been In
continuous service both night and
day until about four months ago. when
night service was discontinued. II
IL a Model F. Is II. p. stock chassis.
The car Itself weighs about 5000 lbs,
and loaded to Its capacity Of nine pat.
tents. doctor and chauffeur will weigh
close 10 5000 lbs. This car cost
5000.
The other car IL a standard model
chassis, having a 80 II. p. engine. and
was purchased In 1908. at q cost Of
Sl.5O0.
The cars are both giving entire sat
isfaction. With the first car there
wah very little mechanical trouble
and that was caused mostly by the
abuse the car received due to the In
Experience Of the operator.
With the 1908 Model *" 80 II. p,
there has been no mechanical trouble
whatever. Neither car has expert
enced any tire trouble to speak Of
nor has ever been tied up on the road
The hospital authorities claim the
steam ambulance ID much more salts
factory for hospital use than other
makes. on account Of the easy riding
Qualities possessed and the lack oi
noise and vibration. Either car will
do the work Of three twohorse drawn
vehicles. Such minor repairs a. have
been necessary are made by the
chauheurs. and even In the case o.
overhauling. when the heavy mach
inery was taken out and repaired, thu
car was taken to shop and the worl
done there by the operators.
The hrst cost OF the two cars wa
37,700. These two cars d'splace si'
pairs Of horses. which at the presen
average cost Of $500 per pair. woul'
amount to 5000. The cost Of si
ambulances would be about e2.70C
This gives q total. for the horse draw
vehicles displaced by the smbulance'
of $500. That figure. however, car
I not be compared to the cost Of tn
] motor cars, as the motor cars wor
both day and night. while the six pair
t of horses would not give continuou
Q hospital service OF even q day. T
y make fair comparison Of first cos
Z one must estimate on at least twelv
Q pairs OF horses which. computed o
/. the same scale. will swell the tota
n to $500. Then again. although tn
wages Of the former drivers were tn
/. same az those OF the chauffeurs.
q took twelve drivers for the horse
v drawn ambulances. while for the pre-
q ent motor vehicles only four oper'
4 tors are required,
These cars make as high az IL
miles apiece on some days, and ave
!, age about so miles per day. whicl
a together with the other advantage
:. they have over horse-drawn arabn
y ances. give such satisfaction that tn
;, hospital authorities say, that were
y possible. at this time. they would d
= away with the horse-drawn ambulal
:. ces altogether.