The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1916-04-06
Subscription, $3.50 a Year, in Advance
FIRE EQUIPMENT STATISTICS

For the third successive year the
Fireman's Herald has taken census
of the fire apparatus and hose in SER
vice and reserve in American and Can.
adian fire departments, also Of the pos
sible purchase during 1915. This years
enumeration includes the cities OF 1000
population and over. OF these cities
the fire chiefs Of $40 have responded to
requests for information. In last years
enumeration the statistics for 500 cit
les were presented, so that this year
an increase of more than 80 per cent.
in the number Of cities reporting has
been obtained.
The rapid elimination of the horse
drawn apparatus from the service is
strikingly shown by a comparison be-
tween this years census and that of
1914. In that year 315 cities were rep
resented, with 1859 fire vehicles pulled
by Dobbin. This year more than twice
JudL uuu1DCl VI uCHdl CAlOACo, LASAuuAtS
the original 315, are entered, and yet
the number of hOrse.draWn pieces of
apparatus in service and reserve Is
less by over 1000.
The tabulation for this year shows
that in these $40 cities there are 1926
pieces of apparatus of all sorts in SER
vice and reserve. The total for horse
drawn equipment is $3.50, while there
are 3,426 automobiles. A heavy de-
duction must be made from the horse
drawn vehicle to provide for the large
number that are nominally held in re-
serve, but are in reality carried on fire
department books because it is not
easy to find purchasers at fair prices.
Of the horse-drawn pieces, steam fire
engines continue to be far ahead of all
others, numbering 1853, which total
includes a considerable number that
will in all likelihood never again work
at a fire. Combination wagons and
hose carriers number 2,163; aerial and
service trucks and water towers total
GAS, and there are 1908 other horse
drawn pieces of all classes.
AS has been the case with the prev
ious tabulations made by the Fireman's
Herald, the serviceable combination
chemical and hose car again leads the
motor apparatus with total of 1,012.
What appeared to be hesitation in
adopting the triple combination pump,
chemical engine and hose car seems to
have disappeared as there are 1856 of
these registered, as against 29O
straight trucks and water towers num-
Der 313; tractorized pieces 573, and all
other fire automobiles, most of them
chiefs cars, total 1853.
The fate that has befallen horse.
drawn apparatus in the fire service is
again shown by this years census of
possible purchases. Of the automo-
biles, 80S are listed, while of the horse
drawn the total stands at Z. When 1t
is considered that for obvious reasons
the enumeration of possible purchases
is not and cannot be anywhere near
complete so far as motor apparatus is
concerned, while the departments that
are condemned to horsed vehicles are
not likely to increase their purchases,
1t is plain that in year or two future
purchases will not mention the horse
at all.
Of the additions to be made this
year, chemical and hose carts are
again to the fore with 243. Pumping
engines number 81; triple combina-
lions, rs; hose cars, 81; chemicals, IA;
aerial and service trucks and water
towers, 112; tractors, 140; other auto
mobiles, 105.
PAYING BILLS.