The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-28
ENTIRELY bAN|SH HORSEFROMLOCAL
 FIRE DEPARTMENT Chief Bennett Asking Bids On S35,O0O Worth of
 Motor Apparatus CONTRACT TO BE
 AWARDED JUNE s Saving Made By Dropping Horses Will Soon Pay for New Equip ment, It Is Said-Recent Fire Hastened Action

Following a plan to substitute motor driven vehicles for all horses in the hre department without any actual outlay or cash by the city. yesterday Fire Chief A. V. Bennett stated that bids were being asked for on about ss5, GOO worth of equip ment.
 This will take the place of 2S horses which are now used in the department and will make other savings which will develop later. The horses alone at sl5 a month for feed would soon pay for the new motor equipment, it is said.
 Under authority given him by the city Commissioners. Chief Bennett has written to all manufacturers of fire department motors, asking for bids, which will be opened and the contracts awarded on June &. All apparatus now except the en- zines and the ladder trucks have been mo- torized, but when the new equipment ar rives all of these vehicles will be drawn by motors also, and there will not remain a horse in the entire department.
 It is claimed that actual experience has shown that not only are the horses more costly, but that in many cases they prove
  Is probable that the recent Birmingham Railway, Light and Power company fire did much to hasten the action of the com missoners, as the slowness of some of the apparatus in arriving at this fire has been blamed for the loss of life there.
 Chief Bennett has addressed the follow ing letters to manufacturers:
 .Please be advised that the board of commissioners of the city of Birmingham will open bids at 3 o'clock p m.. Monday June 8. 1914 for the following equip ment:
 "One tractor for steel-tired S5-foot aerial ladder (Seagrave company, approximate weight 1500O pounds.
 "One tractor for rubber-tired 65-foot aerial ladder (American La France Fire Engine company, approximate weigh 12.- GOO pounds.
 "One tractor for steel-tired extra first size steam fire engine (American La France Fire Engine company, approxi- mate weight 10000 pounds
 One tractor for steel-tired first size steam fire engine Metropolitan Steam Fire Engine company, approximate weight 5000 pounds.
 "One tractor for rubber tired first size steam fire engine Metropolitan Fire En zine company, approximate weight 500 pounds.
 Two motor-driven plain hose wagons with hose capacity not less than 1250 feel cotton rubber-lined hose, one 20-foot ex tension and one 12-foot roof ladder, to- gether with the usual equipment.
 Tractors must be of sufficient horse power to carry the various machines for which they are intended over 10 pei cent grade of paved street at not less than eight miles per hour.
 Motors for the hose wagons must be not less than 50-horse p.wer A. l.. A. M rating.
 Bidders will include cost of equippine all steel-tired machines with Goodrich wireless rubber tires.
 ''The successful bidder will be required to apply tractor to aerial ladders in such manner that the machines will not be out of commission exceeding 24 hours.
 The board of commissioners reserves the right to reject any and all bids. Re- spectfully yours. A. V. BENNETT.
 Chief of Fire Department"
 The tractors will be located at the fol lowing places
 At Fifteenth avenue and Third avenue No. station, to take the place of three horses in pulling the 15.O0o-pound areia ladder. This ladder is S6 feet long. anf is the largest in the city.
 At Avenue D and Nineteenth street, No ? station. to replace the horse-drawi aerial ladder This ladder weighs 1900 pounds
 At Fourth avenue and Nineteenth street No. station. to replace the 1O.OO0-pount horse-drawn fire steamer The steamer fl loca ted at the city hall. and is the arges in the department.
 At Second alley and Twenty -fourtf street. to replace the two horse-drawr fire steamers. This steamer weighs SO0t pounds and the tractor will pull 1t much faster than the two horses
 At Wylam and Graymont stations the tractors will replace the horse-dra wn trucks and wagons.