Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1916-02-16
FIRE DEPT. EFFICIENCY
INCREASED BY TRUCK
Apparatus Tested Out by Chief
Porter Assisted by Members of
Volunteer Department.
A COMBINATION TRUCK.
Arrival Of the Aerial Chemical APP
paratus Means the MOtorizing Of
the Fire DEPARTMENT.

ANC Il lN bG pa tAANAAs
The efficiency of the fire department
of Annapolis has been increasd by the
addition of new aerial and city serT-
ice ladder truck which was tested ont
on Thursday by Chief Phil r. Porter
assisted by other members Of the fire
department. accepted by the committee
and placed in commission to be used
by the Water Witch Hook and Ladder
Company Of the First Ward.
The truck was built by the we'll
known firm of makers of FIRE appa-
ratus. the American La-France Fire
Engine Company. of Elmira y. Y. The
new machine was constructed especial
ly to meet the needs OF our city. and
that IS why il is called a combination
aerial and city service truck, being
supplied with, in addition 10 the aerial
ladder. combination ladders and single
ladders which belong TO the city serv-
ice apparatus And. also. in addition
10 the equipment belonging to a hook
and ladder truck. it carries two 30-gal-
lon tanks OF chemical fire eXtinguisher
of the latest up-to-date manufacture
The machine is equipped with an
American La-France motor and en-
bodies the very highest standards of
design. workmanship. material The
cylinder dimensions of the motor are
5 1-2 inch bore and 6-imch stroke, and
by the Association of Licensed Auto
mobile Manufacturers formula the mo-
tor is rated at 4S-horsepower. This
rating assumes piston speed of 1000
feet per minute. At greater piston
speed the motor develops on the brake
an actual horsepower of 20.
The aerial ladder reaches siXty-iiye
feet from the ground The ladder is
telescope, consisting of two sections
the upper slide or section operating
between the main rails OF the lower
section. and being elevated by means
of a phosphor bronze cable upon a
drum the drum being attached TO the
lower section The ladder is operated
by a spring raising system and com
trolled by powerful air cylinder
BY this system the aerial ladder can
be raised from a horizontal to a yerti-
cal position without manual labor and
with a material decrease in time re-
quired In other words by this sya-
TEN, the aerial is self-raising. made so
by the use o. a combination of coil
springs enclosed in steel tubs perma-
nently mountedon the turn-table. these
springs being held in compression al
all times and ready for immediate use
When the ladder is elevatd it can be
placed at any angle or turned in any
direction by operating the turn-table
upon which il is mounted
The truck is fitted with regulation
dual tired wheels in front ana single
tired wheels in the rear. of iron artil-
lery hub style and solid rubber tires.
The aerial is also fitted with turret
nozzle. which can be either operated
from the platform of the truckor from
the head of the ladder and. in case of
necessity, makes it possible to use the
areial as a water tower.
The truck withstood the official test
in a highly credtable manner. the
chemical tanks being tested to $50 lbs
to the square inch. the aerial raised
rapidly without jar. The road test
was made to South river bridge. the
machine carrying twenty-six men and
developing a speed of thir.y-fve miles
per hour This does not mean, how
ever. that the truck will be run at any
thing like this speed through the
streets OF the city, as the maximum
speed for the fire apparatus of the city
is fixed at fifteen miles per hour
The new truck cost $10.650,of which
sum the city appropriated $4,65O and
Water Witch Hook and Ladder Com
pany the balanceof the $10.650 which
the machine cost. 81. $50 has been paid,
and $4,000 is to be paid within thirty
days. leaving a balance of $4,000 for
Water Witch Hook and Ladder Com
pany to pay. This balance is secured
by interest-bearing notes of $500. each
payable in FIVE years
With the placing of the new aerial
truck in commission means the motor
izing of the fire department of the city
for all first alarms and a considerable
help to the suburbs in the saving from
flames of the property therein situated
All the horse-drawn apparatus. con-
sisting of the steamer.hose wagons and
city service hook and ladder truck will
now be placed in reserve and. in case
of necessity, be drawn by on of the
pieces of motor apparatus
Thus, in eleven years, since 1904. An
napolis has witnessed the coming into
and the passing out OF horses in the
fire department The first alarm APP
paratus of the fire department now
consists of the combination hose and
pumping engine of Independent Fire
Company No. 2, purchased in 1912. the
combination chemical and hose truck
of Rescue Hose Company No /. pur-
chased in 1915. and the combination
aerial and chemical truck of the Water
Witch Hook and ladder Company ur-