The Hawaiian gazette., 1917-01-02
FlREDEPARTNENT
! Of HONOLULUNOW
READY SAYSeHIE:!F|
Installation Of Motor Driven Ap-
paratus Triples Efficiency Of
Flame Fighters

The efficiency of the Honolulu fire de-
partmcnt was increased by fully seven.
ty.fve per, cent during the year 1916,
chiefly through the motorization of the
department, according to statement
made yesterday by Charles H. Thurs
ton, head Of the FIRE fighters.
The success of the FIRE laddies keep
ing the danger of fire to minimum
is demonstrated by the fact that no
fires during the year caused heavy loss,
with the exception of two.
During the year that ended at mid.
night sunday, the FIRE department
answered l2s alarms. OF this number
considerable proportion were false
alarms.
We feel that we have the situation
well in hand now,r said Chief Thurs.
ton, commenting on the work of his de-.
partment. Thanks to the board of SUI.
pervisors in supplying us with motor
driven apparatus, the efficiency of the
department is greatly increased-cer-
tainly as much as seventy-fve per cent.
8 L.
horse-drawn apparatus. Both of these
are located at the central station. /
hope in time to replace them with mo.
tor-driven apparatus, but haven I felt
yet like asking the supervisors for any
thing more, for don't believe they
have the money available,
Apparatus the Best
with what we now have we can
got anywhere much more quickly than
we could with the old horse drawn ap-
paratus. The pieces bought for us dur
ing the past year are the very best
that are made. We could not have
bought anything better. 49,. +
1--WE have three combined pump and
hose wagons, each equipped with one
thousand feet of hose and capable Of
pumping one Thousand gallons of water
minute. %a# asa
1--WE have four combined chemical
and hose wagons of the very best pat.
tern. At the Makiki fire station we
used to have motor tractor to draw
the FIRE engine. But one of the new
motor-driven engines was sent out to
Mainland we brought the tractor in
and our own men have transformed it
into motor chemical that is an excel
lent piece of apparatus ss4{ Ht"
These motor pieces can go any.
where and climb almost any hill. The
result is that with them we can fire.
quently get to fire before il gets a
good start and put il out, where with
the old horsedrawn engines we were Of.
ten too late. 1870 a..t seE-tfs
And all this new equipment hash Z
cost the city a cent, except for the
original purchase cost. We have nc
more men than we had before, and as
a matter of fact, l have been able to
cut down 800 a month on my material
and supply bills, SO that that amount
each month can be credited toward the
cost Of the new apparatus You see
these big fine machines, when they RI
not working, just stand here and DOM
= cost a cent. Horses have to eat tire,
times q day, aud when they come bach
from q run, they have to be walket
up and down to cool OF. We just bring
these machines in and that's all. ~
And the old fire engines, when they
came back from a fire, had to hay,
; their fires drawn and new fires laid
Our new motor engines are all read,
for more work as soon as they return
from ire. 4. =, rt
The fire chief says he has no espe
eial criticism to, make of the presen
building laws, except that perhaps tn
fire limits should be extended. ~
But there are some Of the old tene
ments that were built before the pres
cnt law went into effect that still con
stitute serious menace. The FIRE chic
mentioned particularly the All Leon,
block, whore a fire took place fes
nights ago. Fortunately, he said, nc
body was injured, but he expressed tn
fear that some day fire in that fiimsy
crowded FIRE trap might claim a deadl
toll. FIJI t5t..@s..'
~ intend to see,'' said Thurstor
eff / can't make the owner put i
some more stairways, anyway"
In the central station is q pool tabl
which was presented by Charles MAJ
CUES. Chief yThursten expressed tn
wish that iSome other residents VIII
may have pool tables that are. not /
use would make similar gifts to the d,
partment. aYou see, - he said, ga
our mcn-there are ffty-fye in the d,
partment-sleep at the various ST.
toDs. They have to stay here all Ii
time, and it's pretty monotonous. III
pool table we have here is in constaI
use, except in the afternoon, when "
shut down on il on account of the me
Of the night shift being asleep. Il
like to have pool tables for each of II
other stations,D
More Books Needed &
The central fire station also has
small library of well.worn hooks, b,
y rs very small. No doubt there al