Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-10-06
new FIRE TRUCK
AT CITY HALL
Decorah's New American La Franee
Chemical Truck Now on Dtty.
One Of the Rest Machines
on the Market.
WEIGHS 5000 POUNDS
SPEED As MILES HOUR
Demonstration Given by Expert
Monday Night to the City S
Council and Firemen.

| The city received its new fire
truck last week. IL was unloaded on
Saturday and placed In the city hall.
1t is the American La France make
and weighs 5000 pounds. 1t is equip,
Ped with 3Sx7 cord tires all around,
and from all appearances, with the
proper usage, is machine that will
last for years. It arries a 40 gallon
chemical tank, and $50 feet Of
chemical hose. Besides the chemical
hose it carries 1850 feet Of regula-
tion water hose.
This modern fire fighting chemical
truck cost the city of Decorah $3.50
and everybody who knows anything
about these trucks say it is gocd
investment. Many residences are
ruined, and business stocks also, by
the too generous use of water, when
|if the chemical was used the fire
could be put out, with very little
damage. In some of the cities the
size Of Decogah. orr little larger,
who own these kind of trucks, say
80 per cent of their fires are put ut
by them.
The truck is a beauty, handsome
red color and we believe is going to
prove ine thing for the city Of De-
ccrah.
With the addition Of this truck the
membership Of the FIRE department
will be cut down to about 80 men.
At the present time there are mors
than 60 men in the department. The
No. 8 company on the West Side will
not be cut down for the present.
John PeEsrsen, q we'll known
lautosnUbife driver. win have charge
of the truck for the present, until
the council can make permanent ar
rangements for drivers. Mr.. Peter
SON is good man, careful driver.
and we believe would make first
class man for the position. He will
have sleeping quarters in the city
hall. 4, So
Mayor Bucknell has mat ; request
CT auto drivers, who might ne on
the streets when the fire truck tss
called out, to hug the curbings and
let the truck have free rein. Mauy
auto drivers have the habit of turn,
ing their cars around in the center.
Of the blocks, to drive to the fires,
and in doing so they interfere with
the progress Of the fire truck. We
will say this that il the fire truck
ever collides with an AUTO that gets
carelessly into its path that the
auto will not stand much show Of
getting to the scene of the FIRE
ahead of the. fire truck.
Monday night Mr.. F. H. Bemis.
an engineer of Minneapolis, who
came here to start the truck out for
the city and explain it's operations,
took the city council and a number
of firemen out for a demonstration
Of the truck. There were 1s men on
the truck and Mr.. Bemis drove up
around the city park, going up the
south side drive of the park on high,
and this is very steep incline, and
the machine worked to perfection.
Then run was made from the park
down East Main street as far as the
fair grounds and back on Water
street to the city hall. The firemen
were all very enthusiastic over the
truck. and the citizens in general all
feel that it is going to be a great
thing for the city.
The machine has Is horse power
motor and will travel at the rate Of
IS miles an hour. The truck carries
four ladders. two 10 foot ladders,
opa and ono rome laddar