Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-03-23
MOTOR CAR WILL PROVE
DANGEROUS FOE OF FIRE
New York Driver of Seven-Ton Truck
Is Teaching Men to Speed with
Skill and Nerve

NEW YORK, March 22.-Running a
seven-ton, high-pressure. motor hose
truck to a fire at night would seem to
most people an exciting experience, but
1t isn't. according to Jerry Lynch
the man who does ia. This, however,
Is only Jerry's modesty, the firemen
say; taking all things into considera-
ton, they are right about it,
The only motor hose truck in the
city has been in service now for six
weeks-since January %, long enough
to get fair notion of its working. 1t
is at the house of engine No. 70,
Twelfth street, near University place,
although since the high-pressure SER
vice came into play this has been a
there. The engines have moved up
town, and when the motor truck came
for trial it was put at this station.
Jerry Lynch was sent along to run it.
If you would believe him, he has
never done anything and isn't anything
worth talking about. He is a little,
brown-eyed, stocky Irishman, solemn
looking, yet with a CLEAN of humor In
his face. Quiet as a mouse, the men
say-and it is only by the men talking
that you would ever find out about
him. In the six weeks that he has
been there he has won them all; among
men that lead a life of nervy work,
ne is marked by MS nerve.
TITS something grand to see," said
one of the fire fighters, 1.-THE way he
takes that truck out of here and along
the streets, and back, and not a ire
NOR. You can't understand it unless
you see it,"
Winner Of Motor Car Race
Lynch is "about % years old" He
worked up at the motor car factory
Snrinpfinld n
When the company wanted to find a
man who would do to put as mechanic
on the racing cars in the Motor Park
way sweepstakes and in the Vanderbilt
cup race, there was no doubt about
who that man should be. Choice fell
upon Jerry as matter of course; he
was the best man for the place and
he was sent. And when his car was
out for thirty-five minutes, after an
accident, Jerry and the driver didn't
think of giving up-it wasn't Jerry's
style-and they tore around the track
faster and finished second. Later, on
"a protest, the winner was diSallowed
because it was said that the car was
not a stock one; Jerrys machine was
made winner,
Then when the company put the hose
truck on trial-one of the most impor-
tant tests that had been made, where
absolute reliability was required
Jerry was again selected. He was told
to make the trial a success. He did it
He took the hardest part. working
on the night shift; when the alarm
rings he takes the truck there in rec
ord time, with never a miss.
ut isn't so hard as the cup races,
he said, land 1t isn't so exciting,
guess. It takes careful running to ge
around the corners, but she steer!
easy, and even with the long wheel
base-149 inches-and the weight
there's no trouble in handling her.
st thought it would skid at first
The truck weighs seven tons. carrying
nine or ten men and 1000 feet of three
inch hose, and taking the corners at
twelve miles an hour she doesn't slide
an inch"
The district is a large one, every
foot of it asphalt. When the streets
are slippery at night, and lights CLEAN
in the pools of water so that the