The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-12-08
BIG NEW AUTO
 HOSE WAGON IS
 NOW ACCEPTED
Commissioners and Chief Test Splendid New Piece of
 Auto Apparatus
Accepted Last Night-Will be Installed in No. Is House
 on John Street

After a thorough inspection by Fire Chief Mooney, the Board of Fire Com missioners and the auto experts of the local department, yesterday afternoon and evening. the powerful new com bination Locomobile chemical and hose wagon was accepted in behalf of the city of Bridgeport and was formally added to the city's great staff of au- tomobile fire fighters.
 The new machine is a giant, and the finest of it's kind ever turned out by the Loeomobile Company. It carries a ladders, and other fire fighting para phernalia. It has seats for six men and can carry more at a pinch.
 When it goes into commission it will be placed at No. 1's house in John street, together with the huge combi- nation steam fire engine and automo- bile, now on the way to this city Bridgeport's center will, then be pro- tected by speedy, and powerful auto mobile apparatus. The fleet chemicals will be backed up by the powerful steamer and the big hose wagon, ca pablo of quenching a huge blaze, and ah1e to whiri to fires at a tremendous rate of speed.
 The new piece of apparatus weighs 5000 pounds, yet the sturdy Type Locomobile, car can whirl it. through the streets, up hills or through mud and slush as though it were a light little runabout. The rear wheels are equipped with dual tires so that 8 blowout. on the driving wheels will not cripple the car in any way. Tire wear is saved by relieving the strain, and the car is made all the more skid proof by the wide traction surface af- forded by the four driving tires.
 The car is chain drive and differs from the regulation Locomobile Type I only in the double rear wheels and the fact that it has jump spark igni- ton instead of the regular make-and- break. The jump spark is a big ad- vantage for the fire department through the fact that it is oftentimes possible to shoot the car out of the fire house on compression without cranking it, thus saving g. few more seconds of valuable time.
 The driver of the auto hose ano chemical cart has new problem tt face in going through traffic, how ever. The two ladders, one on eacf side of the car, add considerably te it's length and width ands make pig sweep on a turn. Thus there is con. siderable danger of 'side swiping' be found more expedient later to dis pense with one of the ladders ano place the other in the center Of the car, to eliminate this danger. -t
 The greatest problem now confront ing the fire department is to secure ex. pert drivers for all the new apparatus There are not enough veterans to ge around and it requires the highest skill to pilot the heavy and expensive fire apparatus through the streets al high speed. For that reason all the spare cars of the department will be very busy for a month or two while new men are being broken in by the veteran drivers. Expert auto drivers are born, not made, and the requisite nerve and presence of mind IS no1 found everywhere; but so far the ioca department has been exceptionally for- tunate and the men chosen have turn ed crt to be splendid drivers, much bette~ than the average.
 Incidentally, with the intrOducr1on of auto apparatus the local department has developed highly skilled staff of mechanics so that ajl the repair work except that requiring special machla- cry. is done by the men themselves thus saving the city thousands of dol lars annually.
 All the commissioners and officers Of the department are delighted With the new combination chemical and hose wagon and think it is alike a credi. te the city and to the Locomo- bile Company which made :t. The tyre, will probably be extensively cop led by other cities which are eQuipping themselves with the best of modern fire fighting apparatus