The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1915-10-28
INSTALLATION OF APPARATUS
MORE THAN DOUBLE DE-
PARTMENT FACILITIES
A SEVERE TEST GIVEN
OLD EQUIPMENT HELD IN RE-
SERVE-HOUSE REMODEL
ED-DRIVERS SELECTED

The new $4,000 Wilcox fire truck
and hose wagon recently purchased
jointly by the city and the fire de-
partment relief association is now in
stalled in the fire house and ready for
action. Delay in installation was oc-
casioned by the necessity of making
alterations in the fire hall to accomo-
date the new apparatus and also to
house the old equipment in reserve.
These alterations consisted of wild
enlng the entrance to the hall, length
ening the cement runway to afford
less degree of pitch and charging the
floor space by tearing down partitions
and utilizing room which heretofore
had been little used. The change over
from the old to the new order of
things was made Wednesday night.
With practically the entire depart
ment present and Chief Joe Kusba di-
recting the work went with a vim. In
two hours time the old rigs had been
stripped, the new apparatus rugged
and the old apparatus placed in re-
serve condition. Rapidly of work was
ment embarrassed in the event of an
alarm Of fire coming in while the
change was being made. y
After the change-over, the auto
truck was taken out with a load of
tiremen and given a severe test as to
balance and engine power to pull the
load. The test proved more than sat-
isfactory.
With the installation of the new ap-
paratus, no city of its size in Mime
sofa can boast Of better fire fighting
facilities that Sank Centre. The
new truck carries equipment suffi-
Gent to handle any ordinary fire and
has the advantage of speed, being
able to reach any point in the city
within five minutes after leaving the
fire house. Another decided advantage
is that the fire ladies will not be
''tuckered to death" when they arrive
at the fire from exertion of hauling
apparatus by hand.
The auto truck carries 1000 feet of
hose, the same length as carried by
both the old reel carts. The chemical
tank is of sixty gallon capacity, the
same as the old hand-drawn chemical
and has 100 feet of hose. The truck
carries sufficient ladders to cope with
any blaze except in down town bust
ness blocks. Hand chemicals, axes,
pixies, window ladders and other par
aphernalia is carried in abundance.
The result is that when the auto truck
arrives at fire it brings with it all
needed apparatus in sufficient guam
tity to fight any ordinary blaze, elm
mo "a 11ro a
Cling in of apparatus piece by piece.
In case of more serious fire, which
of consequence would be in the down.
town district and near the fire house,
one of the present reel carts will al
ways be in readiness loaded with
500 feet of hose. The old chemical
cart will also be kept in commission
as we'll as the hook and ladder truck.
Room for all the apparatus has been
found in the remodelled fire hall. At
ter unloading at fire, the auto truck
will always be in readiness, also, for
quick run to the fire house for re-
loading with additional hose.
Thus, with the addition and install
lation of the new auto truck the IA
cilities of the department for COM
batting blaZes will be more than
doubled as, under the reserve scheme,
the new apparatus is simply an addi-
ton to the old and brings the depart
ment from the plane of obsoluteness
to modernity.
To insure the propulsion of the au-
to truck to all fires, Chief Kusba, By
appointment, has organized drivers
corps composed of George OGara,
chief, A. E. Dubeau, L. ]. Irish, Tom
Smith, Charles Miller and Everett
Jameson. The first of these drivers
to arrive at the fire house will drive
the truck to the fire. The upkeep and
maintenance of the apparatus will de-
volye upon O'Gara, who will have his
assistants under his command, and
who will also assume control of the
running of the car on his arrival at
any fire if he himself does not
take it out of the fire house. This
drivers corps was selected because of
close residence to the fire hall and be-
cause of being cool, heady automobile
drivers. During the next few weeks
all will be drilled in the handling of
the car under the direction of O'Gara.