The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-01-16
BOARD TO AWARD
MOTOR CONTRACT
Fire Commissioners VIII Expert
mcnt With New Equipment
in Fighting Line.
SAVES MONEY AND IS QUICK
Successful Tests i'll New York
Will Eliminate Engines
Drawn by Horses,


Tho Board of Fire commissioners
will meet Tonight ut S o'clock in spc-
vial session TO make ont tho annual
budget of the financial needs OF the de.
pBrtment for lgii, and to award a con
tract for combination automobile tire
engine and hose wagon. Bids were
opened At a previous meeting and re-
ierrod TO a subcommittee, with plans
and specifications of tho various classes
Of engines proposed, and 1t is cN-
pcctei that the committee. which has
called into consultation Superintendent
Thompson. Secretary Jones and Master
Mechanic Jones. of the department..
with Chief Joyncs Will bc prepared TO
report tonight. The Council has
greed to provide $4,000 in the annual
appropriation ordinance for purchase
of an automobile engine. which the
board expects TO try ont in South Rich
Inond. tho fire equipment south of the
river being limited to a hose wagon,
ihc city OF Manchester never .havinE
owned modern steam fire engine.
HcHuircs No Feed.
For more than year past the board
has been anxious to experiment with
q motor engine. which II is believed
possesses great advantages. II requires
uo horses and no horse feed. If there
arc no fires. ana the engine stands idle
y
Dcnsc--no horses eating their heads off
tn idlencss. j. does not require :;
driver TO hold the horses while ri /,
ire, nor n fireman to shovel coal Icav-
ing the whole company free TO fight
flames, save tho engineer in charge
who is his own oiler. Nero all The GU.
Sines OF motor type, the services OF
several wagons used to haul coal tor
fire engines could be dispensed with
The board Will also ask funds IN the
budget for three light runabout motor
cars Tor the chief ana his two assist
ants Ninety per cent of all fires arc
discovered in their lncipiency. and it Is
believed that light, quick knowing motor
cars could get to them anu cNtinEulsh
nearly ali of them before the present
pondcrous type OF fire engine could get
up sufficient steam to pump water
Cnn Cover Distances.
The motor engine also has n distinct
advantage where the distance is great
The motor does not become wnded or
exhausted and can make from twenty
five TO forty miles ana keep 1t up. The
big pcrchcrou horses selected 10 draw
the thrco-ton engines can mako n
sprint 10 Il Arc in the ncirhborhood OF
tle onSinc lousc, but those who vii
ncssod The recent Richmond College
fire, Dcd saw engines come in from
Church lIill and Fulton. after a run of
three or four miles, partly up hill, with
horses drippinC and exhausted realized
that for rapid transit with as heavy a
machine as lire engine, gasoline
motor has great advantage over horses
Chief Joynos attended 81 convention
ot fire chiefs in Buffalo last summer.
where tho matter Of motor equipment
was July discussed, and later under
instructions Of the board H., visited a
number OF cities whore experiments
We're being made.
Situation In New York.
Chief Croker, OF the New York FIRE
Department. was ono Of those who was
skcptical nj that time. tearing that
tho motors had not been perfected to
such an cNtont as to guarantee abso-
lutc certainty. Experiments nave been
more cNtensivcly made in New York
than any other city, and ON Saturday
Fire Commissioner Waldo announced
mat the New York Fire Department
would buy no more horses, and that
from now on thcra would he a gradual
elimination OF the 1890 horses In the
lire scrvic@. CoWmissionor Wado ro-
liorts hat ti.c -chnnGc will clfcc, "A saw
Ing TO tho city OF New York of sea. 900
per year In purchase OF horses with
out taking account of cost Of feed. har-
ness, shoeinc and supplies New York
has been buying about $50 ire horses
tracts were awarded SATURDAY bv New
ork for three automobile IRE engines.
Two auto trucks ana ten motor hose
wagons. zach of which will nut ont of
commission q similar horse drawn va
Hicl". Ten motor cars for the hat
talon chiefs uro being Sroc!allv butt
Cuts Insurance Rntrs.
ne report on The subject states tina,
INC Introduction Of power wagons ms
slready resulted IN reducing Insurance
rates In Tic districts scrtod as tnc
spced with which motor vehicles can
Fet 70 f'ro has rcsultcd in choking
mo blavo IN It's incipiency Tho report
Of the iesis sayc that the speed Of
motor flrs engine is greatly In excess
81 anything q horse drawn vehicle can
hope 10 maintain for any length OF
Ine ana mat whore over any *.
tended distance IS TO te covered Inc
motor vehicle has shown Z; very de-
cided advantage aver the horse drawn
engine
There arc several tyrss 81 motor IN
tineF on The markct In richmond
The steer hlls make II nec.ssarv ina,
the motor should have annie nnvar
but these same hills are what tske ali
tho HtrenEth and spirit gu; OF . team
Of horses attempting 10 make rnend
With Z heavy engine or hack and lad
der Kew York, Boston Chicago.
Springfield, Hartford. Philadelphia &,
Louis. Newsrk nridgeport. san Antonio.
waterbury ana 'rany other cities az
NhIFins conditions have already de-
eided 70 gut their hro equipment ON a
motor basis az once
County Supervisor. to ,tc,t.
! o pass uDon scveral importani ma,