South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-12-08
A BOOSTER PUMP
Or AERIAL TRUCK?
THAT'S QUESTION
Mayor and Insurance Men Fa-
vOr Latter While Safety
Board InCIineS Toward Ma
chine to Augment Pressure.

Shall the city purchase an S5-fOot
aerial truck or will a nigh pressure
water booster better augment its pres
ent fire fighting facilities?
For the last time, according TO
Mayor Keller and Pres't Augustine
Of the board of public safety. the mat
ter was brought forward at a special
meeting of the board Tuesday morn
ing, and no definite conclusion was ar
rived at. w. l. Stone, an engineer
from the Indiana inspection bureau
of Indianapolis, Fire Chief Sibrel,
Mayor Keller, ]. b. Weber of the
board of works, ]. A. Hibberd, Glenn
SmogOr, Pres't Augustine and group
of local underwriters including j. G.
Bishop, r. G. Powell and w. z. Kel-
ley discussed the question. The in
surance men and Mayor Keller IA
vOred the purchase of the aerial
truck. Pres't Augustine and mem
bers of the board were inclined TO
doubt the wisdom OF such a step and
openly recommended the purchase Of
the pumping engine.
1t was stated by Mr.. Stone that the
purchase of the truck would be an i'm
pOrtant step in placing South Bend in
the second class of base rating of the
state. The purchase of the truck, he
said, was compulsory if such a step
be taken.
Augustine Asks Proof.
Pres't Augustine asked for proof of
the benefit that would be derived from
the change in rating, and alleged fail
ure of the production of such proof
was reason for the belief that the
board will ask city council for funds
with which to supply the fire depart
ment with a pumping engine The
matter will be turned over to the
council at the next regular meeting of
the board Of public safety, it was said
Tuesday morning.
approximately $4,000 annually
will be saved the city if it is classed
in second rank in base rating" as
serted Mr.. Stone. "Of course it is i'm
material to my office what you gentle
men decide to do. We would like, of
course. to save you money. That is
what we are for. But YOU have the
right To do as you like"
Would Reduce Risk.
why should insurance underwrit-
ers want a reduction in rate" asked
Augustine.
The chief reason for that" an
swered Mr.. Stone. lies in the fact
that fire risks and hazards would be
lowered greatly. With an improved
fire fighting force the risk would be
diminished. A lower rate would be a
surer income than a high rate and
poor fire protection"
Pres't Augustine stated that as soon
as the board was presented with fig
ures and not dope" it would be
ready to seriously consider the pur-
chase of an aerial truck. and make
the other necessary improvements to
place South Bend in the second rank.
He asked all men present to give the
board even an approximate idea of
what had been accomplished in other
cities. and was cited the case Of In
dianapOls, which city was said TO
have been benefited enormously in a
change OF base rating.
When pressed for figures they were
not forthcoming from the under
writer's present.
IT was said that Terre Haute had
adopted all the necessary improve
would soon be re-rated. In answer
to that Augustine pointed out the case
of Battle Creek. in which city the ex-
pertinent had been a failure.
Another argument used by the
board against the aerial truck was the
fact that the city would not be able
TO provide enough pressure 10 insure
its working satisfactorily 1t was said
that even with the installation Of the
three hydraulic valves which are be-
ing installed In the north pumping sta
ton. the pressure would be lacking
in sufficient force to send a powerful
stream TO the top OF an S5-foot water
tower.