The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1911-02-17
NEED MODERN
FIRE ENGINES
Present Fire Fighting Apparatus
Wearing 0ut--ShouId Be
Replaced by Autos.
CFrOn wednesday,s AaverlIser.l

i1re department in the near future,
keeping this city up to the standard
of the fre-Gghters of the rest Of the
world. With the wear and tear upon
the engines and hose carriages and 9th.
er vehicles from year to year, there is
now a movement on foot to gradually
replace the worn out horse-drawn
equipment with automobile combina.
tion wagons, and later on to have au-
tomobile engines also. Honolulu has
always been proud of its efficient fire.
fighters, but has allowed the times to
catch up with and outstrip the appara-
tus they have to work with.
The first step to correct this will
have to be taken very soon, a number
Of the hosecarts Of the department hav-
ing been so long in service as to be
almost beyond repair. Instead of these,
1t is proposed to secure automobile
combination chemical and hose wagons,
which are now in general use in many
cities all over the world.
Day Of Horses About Gone.
At the annual convention of the In.
ternational Association of Fire En-
gineers, at Syracuse, New York, last
August, it was reported by the FIRE
chiefs of numerous cities that the day
Of the horse-drawn apparatus is al
most gone and that the automobile ap-
paratus has been found to be less ex-
pensive, serves longer and increases
the efficiency of the department in time
of fire to a very great extent.
1t has therefore been practically de-
cided in this city that as the present
apparatus wears out it shall not be
replaced by vehicles of like kind, but
that automobile fire machines be in
stalled
! Chief Thurston agrees with the heads
of fire departments in other cities that
it would be a mistake, now that the
automobile apparatus has proved SO
successful, to continue to buy the old
kind, and many prominent citizens
take the same view. In Honolulu, es-
pecially, it is claimed, the situation is
such as to make it imperative to equip
the fire department with the very best
fire-fghting apparatus obtainable.
Time and Property Savers.
Replying to inquiries from this city
in regard to the proposed equipment, a
number Of famous fire chiefs in the
United States have written of the i'm
provement in their departments since
the adoption of the automobile appara-
tus. One of these points out the fol-
lowing advantages:
"It is fact well known, that foI
the saving of time, even a second, we
OF our municipalities rather, have spent
and are still spending thousands of
dollars; the electric fire alarm, swing
ing harness, sliding poles, electric door
openers, and many other devices, have
been adopted and are now in general
use for the express purpose of saving
seconds in getting started for a fire in
response to an alarm.
"The automobile in its present state
of development is the means which
must be used to save time on the road,
in response to the fire call. For all
distances the automobile apparatus is
much quicker than horse-drawn appara-
tus the greater the distance the more
gain with the automobile; We all know
that seconds at the start of fire are
worth more to us than minutes at a
later time, so it is my opinion that Ho-
nolulu should join with the progressive
departments of other cities IN renewing
worn-out equipment with the automo-
bile improvement. The world over this
has been the correct procedure, and l
\ venture to say that in the very near
future the horse.drawn apparatus will
have disappeared from sight.
Nearly Double Ehciency.
In most cities using chemical en-
gines, or combination chemical and
hose wagons, reports state that ut least
seventy-tive per cent of the fires are
eXtinguished by chemicals alone. In
all probability the general use of the
auto combination win increase this per.
centage to eighty.fve or ninety per
cent, owing to the speed in arriving at
the fire and consequently the more gen
eral use of the chemical tank at
tacbee.
Looked at from the standpoint of
the humanitarian we see no horses
struggling to their utmost to get the
apparatus to FIRE, but see, instead,
the smoOth-running meteor making the
response as easily as can be imagined.
Looked at from the economical side
there is a great saving in space occu-
pied, 30 that new stations may be much
smaller, and the expense win be cor.
respondingly reduced. There will be
saving in men, as the drivers will
have no horses to watch and can be
used in fighting the fire.
In using horsedrawn apparatus IL
horse falls and breaks leg, the horse
must be shot, bat with the automobile
repairs are made and the apparatus Is
as good rs ever; there are no horses
to feed when the machine is not in
use and the expense IL practically moth
ing when not actually In service.
Cheaper to Maintain.
"To keep a pair Of horses, feed,
shoelng, veterinary charges, etc, cost
~ our department for the year 1903,
sSs7SO The expense OF running the
automobile 90 the present time has
been taO's5, II having been in service
eight months aud has answered lD5
sails can assure you that Honolulu
VIII mtAe no mistake IN renewing The
department MIA auto appagains,N
Measured by the reports from other
flilfH. abe bret step viii probably be
y afh foF ihe purchase 0f auto oem,
plnaiinH fhfnifal aud h0s6 wagons. N
i 10 luIlH likely flHf fha lunfA ~ auuar.