The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-08-11
FIRE HORSES FOR SALE
AT LOCAL DEPARTMENT
of Fire Department Is Now Completed and Is Be
ing Operated Without the Use of Single Horse-Motor
Driven Apparatus Less Spectacular But Far More FL
ficient-Big Saving in Fire Loss and Expenses
sy RICHARD =. LUssIER

lied fire apparatus arrives at the fire
before it can we'll get started.
| That accounts for the superceding
| of the horse by the gasoline engine
| even with gasoline at II cents
| gallon.
| In 1911, when the motorization OF
| the Birmingham fire department.
started, some 60 horses were in use ana
| ITS firemen were employed.
| Today there are no horses and only
| 100 firemen employed, including all OF
| the officials and clerks.
1t was estimated that 1t cost the city
| about $40 month or $240 year to
| feed and keep fire horse in condition.
| This meant an expense of $4,000 an
nually just to take care of the horses.
The horses cost on an average OF
| $500 each, which meant an outlay of
| $4,000 and their average life with the
department was about three to four
years.
| And then with horses there were
fewer fires in Birmingham but the fire
| losses were so appalling as to keep the
fire insurance rates at an exorbitant
figure. The rates are still exorbi-
tant-but that is now due to a combi-
| nation of fire insurance companies to
make money out of the property own
ers of the city
At the present time there are 20 fire
stations in the SO square miles of ter
ritory that Birmingham covers. For
those 20 fire stations the city commits
sion has provided 33 pieces of motorized
fire fighting apparatus of the latest
model, and this includes three automo-
biles for the use of Chief Sydney Mid
dleton, Assistant Chief Walton, and
Captain Aiken.
The motor apparatus is divided as
follows:
COST $165,000
There are IS Seagrave combination
hose wagons which cost the city about
$4,000.
Five Seagrave motor pumps and trac-
tor for the hook and ladder, which cost
$4,000.
One Webb triple combination pump
at a cost of $500.
Two AmericanLa France motor
pumps at a cost of $4,000.
One motorized steamer at cost of
$500.
One Knox tractor at cost of $500.
Three automobiles at cost of $4,000.
One motor driven hydrant inspectors
wagon at a cost of 5000.
The whole investment for motorized
fire apparatus in the past four years
will come to about $165.000 and it is
estimated it has saved several times
that sum during that period.
1t is estimated that it cost about SIS
month to maintain in gasoline, oil
and repairs each of the motorized fire
vehicles of the city of Birmingham.
This amount to about $495 month, or
$5940 annually. Compare this with $14,-
400 for the upkeep of so horses annually
in oats, hay, harnesses, and horseshoes.
But that is only direct saving. In tho
indirect saving the motorization of the
| fire department paid for itself five
times over during the year of 1915.
VALUE OF MOTORZATION
In 1914 the fire losses amounted to
about $1,500,000, while in the follow
| ing year the losses were held down to
about $4,000, or a saving in fire losses
of about million dollars. Another sig
nificent feature of this record Is that
in 1915, with fire loss of about $780,
900 there were over 500 more fire alarms
than in 1914 with fire loss of over
million and a half That clearly proved
the value of motorization in fire fight
ling.
Chief Sydney Middleton of the fire de-
| partment is also another factor in the
! cutting down Of the fire losses. He has
perfected the system among his men that
no water must be thrown on fire until
| the flames have been definitely located
| No more wild streams into clouds Of
smoke. Strategy is used. The fire ladies
penetrate the smoke and find out what
makes it. before they shoot the water.
! This method of fire fighting has saved
| thousands Of dollars to the insurance
companies.
| Chief Middleton was asked yesterday
if he regretted the passing of the horse
and he replied
WAS VERY FOND OF HORSES
! well. yes, in way In the years I've
been in the service l grew very fond
of many of the famous horses that the
city has owned. but sentiment must give
way to the saving of life and property
and the motorized apparatus is so supe-
| rior to the horse-driven vehicles tin,
there can be no comparison. The motors
| get to the fire before it can get started.
1t also means less fire stations. aid we
can answer more fire alarms. At the