The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-14
COST OF OPERATING AUTO FIRE WAGONS Chief Bennett Makes Report
 for December COMPARED TO HORSES Total Cost of Maintenance for Month Was S66.26, While Estimated
 Cost of Horse Equipment
 Would Have Been S448
COMPARED TO HORSES

Although Fire Chief A. V Bennett's report on the cost of maintenance of utomobile fire wagons for the month of December, 1911, is slightly in excess of that of November, 1911, 1t is still @ shining example of the economy of such apparatus, taking all things into consideration.
 The total cost of the up11eep of II pieces of motorized fire apparatus for the month of December was only $66.26, when for the month preceding at was s63.72. The Web motor combination fire engine at Station No. II, Fountain Heights, cost more than any two other wagons, on account of accidents lap pening to it.. They were compelled to repair a cylinder of this engine and vulcanize a tire, which ran their cost up to s20.1O. This cost however. is about SIP lower than the average cost of upkeep of horse drawn wagon, the latter average being sS2 per month for the year round.
 At Station No. f9, East Lake, the cost for the month was only 69 cents, one of the lowest cost records ever made in the city. Of course, these costs of maintenance do not include the sal aries of the firemen. The average cost of the maintenance of each wagon was $473
 There were total of 134 alarms answered by the motor wagons during the month, and 1922 blocks were tra- versed, about 200 more blocks than was run during the month of November This is estimated as being slightly more than 400 miles.
 The same number of horse drawn fire fighting vehicles for the month would have cost s44S, as sS2 is the average cost of keeging one horse drawn vehicle Thus a saving of s3s1.74 for one month is effected
 Detailed Report
 The detailed report follows:
 Hose wagon No. 1 answered 32 alarms, traversed 442 blocks, used 30 gallons gasoline, ? gallons lubricating oil, 26 pounds pressure grease. Cost of maintenance $4.90.
 Hose wagon No. 2 answered B alarms, traversed 1071 blocks, practiced 9 hours, used 40 gallons gasoline, 2h gallons lubricating oil, I4 pound pres sure grease, replaced spark plug, re- paired rear step. Cost of maintenance $793.
 Hose wagon No. 3 answered B alarms. traversed 539 blocks. used 40 gallons gasoline, 2 gallons lubricating oil, replaced ? spark plug porcelains. Cost of maintenance $5.30. Motorized steam fire engine No. an- swered 20 alarms, traversed 30l blocks, used 70 gallons gasoline, one and half | gallons lubricating oil cost of mainte- l nance, S4. 45.
 Hose wagon No. answered S6 alarms, | traversed 543 blocks, used 35 gallons gaso- line one and half gallons lubricating | oil one pound of pressure grease cost | of maintenance A.
 Hose wagon No. , answered eight alarms, traVersed 156 blocks. used 10 gal Ions gasoline, one-half gallon lubricating l oil, quarter of pound of pressure grease; cost of maintenance, A ,l6. Hose wagon No. answered 29 alarms, traversed 475 blocks, used 25 gallons gas oline. one and a half gallons lubricat- ing oil, three-quarters of a pound of pres sure grease, replaced 12 dry battery cells; cost of maintenance, S5.99.
 Hose Wagon No. 9
 Hose wagon No. g answered six alarms traversed 16l blocks, practiced two hours used 25 gallons gasoline, three-quarters of a gallon of lubrieatng oil. one-eighth of a pound of pressure grease; cost of maintenance, $2.1S.
 Hose wagon No. 10 answered seven alarms, traversed 164 blocks, practiced one hour. used 12 gallons gasoline, one-half gallon lubricating oil; cost of mainte- nance, s1.so.
 Webb combination fire engine No. Il answered IS alarms traversed o6O blocks, used 40 gallons gasoline, three gallons lubricating oil, four pounds of pressure grease had cylinder repaired, tire Vul- canized: cost of maintenance, $20.10.
 Hose wagon No. 12 answered seven alarms, traversed 9S blocks, used 10 gal Ions gasoline, one-half gallon lubricating oil: cost of maintenance, $1.l5.
 Webb combination fire engine No. IS answered six alarms. traversed 1e6 blocks, used 20 gallons gasoline, one and half gallons lubrcating oil, replaced spark plug and electric light bulb; cost or nam tenance, s3.e5
 Hose wagon No. 16 answered eight alarms, traversed 15S blocks, used 10 gall Ions easoline. used three-sixteenths Of a gallon of lubrlcating oil, replaced six dry cells cost of maintenance S2.56
 Hose wagon No. 19 answered five alarms. traversed 5S blocks used five gal Ions gasoline. used five-eighths of gal lon of lubricating oil; cost Of mainte- nance. 6oc.
 Alarms answered 134 blocks traversed. 4s22; total cost of maintenance, S66 .26; | average cost of each. S4.I3.