Norwich bulletin., 1912-01-16

After having had 1t under consider ation for many months, in fact since they took office in June. the board of ire commissioners, following careful investigation, has contracted for piece of motor driven fire apparatus for this city, definite details concerning which were completed on Monday, and the auto chemical and hose wagon will be here by the agreement the first of March,
 Tho matter was presented to the ex- ecutive committee of the court of com- mon council on Monday evening by Alderman Beckley. chairman of the board of fire commissioners, in which he said:
 Your fire committee has made a careful study ow the fire department with two objects in view. First, to in- crease the efficiency of the whole de- partment, and, secondly, to reduce the cost of maintenance. We believe the present organization and equipment much too cumbersome and expensive to maintain in their present form and To- cation, and we are. sure we can in crease the efficiency and ussfulne uf the department by few careful nd conservative changes; changes thai ill increase the value of service reno ed without reducing the number of lnen in the service, and changes that will reduce the amount of the appropriation necessary to maintain the department and save money for the taxpayer inn mediately. These changes can be eff fected without expensive experiment. ing. The means are daily demonstrat- ed in cities of this size and in smaller places in our state and also In Saassa- chusetts. The general idea is to adopt nv hVriEr d1I1 with horse drawn apparatus Motor driven apparatus Is now perfected and Is being adopted and used successfully throughout the whole country. Since the first object of your committee is to increase the efficiency of the depart ment and thereby reduce the fire risk, we are prepared to recommend the i'm mediate use of at least one piece of motor apparatus, displacing one pair of hcrses. This will give us a practical demonstration of the value of the change, and if it proves to be feasible we may continue to displace horses with other suitable machines.
 The cost of the maintenance of mo- tor-driven apparatus used for fire pur- poses is one-tenth the cost of horse drawn used for the same purpose. The average annual expense of keeping one pair of horses Is $500. The average l annual expense of combination mo- tor driven chemical and hose wagon is $40. Considering the question of de- preciation, one offsets the other Horses have to be replaced on account of age and other infrmities, and horse l drawn apparatus depreciates quite as | quickly as motor driven. There Is nc denying the fact that the cost of main tenance is largely in favor of motors and that they will save us a lot of money as soon as we adopt them. The executive committee accepted the report and adopted the recon mendations therein unanimously. | More Efficient and Cheaper. l When the fire commissioners, Alder man Beckley Councilmen John R 1 Fowler and John Barry, took up theil 1 duties it was found that there were 1T | the department some old horses which would soon have to be replaced by new | ones. With the expense attached to the same, careful consideration was giveI to mutor-driven apparatus for the pur. l pose of reducing expense, and they came to the conclusion that 1t is time ! to adopt it. Since last July the com l missioners have been at work on tht l problem, hoping to be able to secure the auto out of the years appropria. | ton. They exchanged and sold olt and useless apparatus and by the salt ] of the horses which the new machine | will displace they will be able to near l ly pay for the car out of the appro. priation for this year. The price of thu car is $5,1O0.
 Will Not Ask for Inereases
 In securing this piece of apparatus l Alderman Beckley states that the com l missioners will not ask for an in 1 creased appropriation next year, ant 1 1t is hoped to demonstrate that the, l can operate and maintain the T--@ ~+ ment at much less expenditure year | ly. as the number of pieces of motor 1 driven apparatus is incr reased and tn
 horse- drawn apparatus is disposed of By securing the auto apparatus, whicl is of the Pope Hartford make, beini Q combination chemical and hose wag l on, the machine will be brought her
 March first for demonstration of it
 ability, 1t being guaranteed to serv
 the purpose for which 1t is intender
 and climb the steepest hill. It if doe
 not fulfill all the requirements the cit
 Is not bound to accept it. Previous t
 it's arrival several men from the de
 partment will go to the factory to hay
 1t thoroughly demonstrated and be in
 structed in It's operation.
 Shown at Auto Show.
 The auto combination wagon, whicI
 is shown in the above picture, with tn
 exception that the searchlight and sev
 eral requirements of the departmen
 are not shown, is exactly the sam 2
 the one now on exhibition at the Ney
 York auto show, where no doubt man
 from here have seen 1t. Many extra
 were given by the company as request
 ed by the board and the commissioner
 and Chief Stanton have been to Hart
 ford several times regarding the speci
 4lcatiens and details. The alteration
 on the Norwich car and the adde
 equipment were secured to meet tn
 local requirements. At the request c
 the designer Chief Stanton made
 number of suggestions which wer
 adopted. The board and chief mad
 many trips at personal expense in de
 ciding upon the car.
 The car has a wheel base of 1S
 inches, the tread being 56 inches. Tn wheels, which are demountalble, are SS I51-2 inches edt5fnnAd with pnAuInati