The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-07-24
Chief ANDERSON
Re TURNS HOME.
r,r. chief Makes Number Of Deduc-
tIons Following His Trip to State
Convention at Sioux
City.
PREFER HORSE TO MOTOR
keokuk Head Of Fire Department
Says lmperfectlons Of Motor
Fire Apparatus Must be
Eradlcated.

Chief Anderson, OF the fire depart
ment. has returned from Sioux City
where he has been attending the state
convention Of Iowa fire fighters. The
chief made quite an extended trip,
and naturally, mis- Impressions OF
places he visited will be OF interest
10 Keokuk people, His full report to
the city commissioners today, follow
Ing his return, follows:
To the Honorable Commissioners OF
the City of Keokuk:
Gentlemen: Since July 18th l have
been absent from the city attending
the firemens convention of Iowa at
Sioux City. The meeting. was an in
teresting one and there was a large
attendance Of volunteer and paid de-
partments. had the pleasure OF
meeting all the fire chiefs from the
larger cities Of Iowa and the festivi-
ties consisted Of running races, hitch
es Of horses by paid departments and
other amusements The parade was
unusually fine. More than twenty
five pieces of apparatus being in line
which was participated in by firemen
from all over Iowa.
Sioux City is progressive city and
everybody there is booster and has
confidence in the town. A fine new
six story hotel is being erected to re-
na,e the o.d Mondamin which was
recently destroyed by fire. I believe
that one of the best advertisements
for town is fine hotel. Basing my
Judgment on the expressions of visi-
tors who seemed to boast of the ho-
tells OF their towns as much as II
they had factory or large water
power,
Sioux City owns its own water
plant and it is a profitable invest
ment for the town and making money
on the Investment. It is a good Job
bing town and its packing business is
large. The streets are in good CON
ditions and there is an absence OF
old barns, wood sheds and tumbled
down buildings in the city. They
have we'll equipped and disciplined
fire department there. And have one
piece of motor driven apparatus.
cannot say that am converted to
the motor driven apparatus Just yet
for the reason that it is still in, its
experimental stage. In few years
wh0n the impsrfeetiens and defects
have been worked out there will be
time enough to buy. Such piece.
Of apparatus at this time costing S5,-
10000
found while in Omaha where
spent few days that they have con-
siderable trouble with their two pieces
q motor driven trucks. One of these
trucks with hose. men, chemical tank
and equipment weighs about five
tons. So one can readily see that
driven at speed it is hard on the
machine And very few of the cities
having good horse drawn apparatus
are discarding it Tor the new mach
ines
Twisted in Council Bluffs for a
DAY and find that their department Is
affout like ours. Only they have no
ffeahers, A year ago the city ac-
CURED the water works and the city
has added some milase in pipe, new
basins, pumping engine, etc. They
nave done all this out OF the receipts
and paid the interest on the bonds
voted to purchase the plant, and have
a surplus Of sT5.o0o,oo over all ex-
renses CT every kind. Few cities will
pe able to make such a splendid
showing.
omaha has acquired It's plant re-
Gently but there seems to be too
much olitics Notwithstanding the
commission form of government. The
water board there was not eliminated
" reason Of the adoption of the com
Mason form OF government and the