New Britain herald., 1922-08-08
FIRE TRUCK IS NOT
 SATISFACTORY HERE Commission Believes Part Of
 Equipment Is Second Hand HAVE INFORMED THE MAKERS
Gypsics Hold Camp Near Town Line Connecticut Chautauqua Comes to Close Tcnight-C, of C. Outing Plans Will Be Made Tonight.

equipment on the new Mack fire truck Is second hand, and therefore should not be accepted by the com. mission or town, Is expressed by the members Of the fire commission and Selectman William J. Johnson fol- lowing a meeting held in the firemen's rooms yesterday afternoon This information has been forward ed to the makers of the truck at New York and the commission is awaiting | word from them. If it should turn l out that the suspicion is justified, the truck will not be accepted, it is said The commission and town officials. after making 9 careful examination | of the truck, arrived at the conclusion | that they were not getting entirely new apparatus.
 Chairman Robert Skelley said this morning that he believed the com pany would make good
 Chief Noble 1nspects. Mir. Shelley said that the truck it. self was apparently in excellent con- l dition but the trouble lies in the equipment. The machine had been
 driven to New Britain under orders of Fire Chief Edward P Prior where
 the New Britain fire chief, William J.
 Noble, inspected 1t. Chief Noble is
 quoted as remarking that the truck
 was an excellent appearing one but
 he could not state with authority | whether or not any of the equipment had been used previous to being sent to Plainville.
 It is understood that the cause for
 the complaint is that several ladders
 are in bad shape. being more or less
 scratched and presenting an appear
 ance of having been put into severe
 use elsewhere. The lanterns and
 other apparatus presents the same ap- | pearance, say the commissioners.
 Machine Is Tested.
 Mir McDonough, representative
 of the Mack company of New York.
 has been in this town for the past week, demonstrating the machine to l the firemen and commission. The
 truck has been given the severest tests
 possible, the latest one being that of
 climbing a steep hill on the outskirts
 of the town, with 23 men clinging to
 the sides of the machine.
 l The truck has a 24-horse power
 engine Mir. McDonoueh said that | the ladders, which were thought to be
 too heavy to lift with the help of a
 few men, were the. lightest make placed on truck of this size.
 Drivers Broken In.
 MT. McDonough has spent every 1 day breaking in some of the local l firemen to driving the machine. Jo- l seph Keefe, Otis Williams, Addison | Ives and William l.. Cooke have been | taught to manipulate the truck and | all have proved capable of handling | it.
 May Be Trouble Net The representative of the Mack ompany believes the commission and own would have some trouble in re- using to accept the machine in casr | they took that course.
 In his opinion, he feels that al | hough the contract for accepting it has not been signed yet, the town has | oii but done so by the procedure they | followed when the truck arrived. He aid that already $50 feet of hose has | been placed in the case of the truck | and the tank has been filled several l times. This method of practically | loading the truck down with appara- | tus and taking care of the gasoline, is, in the opinion of the company, an assurance that the machine has been satisfactory and therefore accepted. Mir McDonough also states that | when the truck was ordered three months ago and the specifications | were made. the contract for these l were signed, which generally binds the deal
 The truck itself is not q cheap enc, the town having appropriated the sum Of sS,50o for it's purchase at a special town meeting held in April. (. of C. Outing Plens
 The committee elected by the Chamber of Commerce to arrange for holding the annual outing this year, will probably have Q meeting tonight when plans will be made for the af- fair. William l.. Ca a.fertr, a member of this committee has gone to Double Beach today where he will try to make reservations for the Plainvil!e picnickers. In case he returns or time this evening. the meeting will be called and he will give a report on his findings.
 Double Beach will be selected, if possible on account of the accom- modatcns which are believed will be secured there. The roads leading to that place are in good condition ID mittee, will outline a plan which will keep all the autom obiles together on the trip down to the shore Last year, when the cars left Plainville, they were in a line, but when the outskirts were reached, it seemed that the motto was Every man for him self" and each driver took a course of his own. A pacemaker will be se- 'ected this time and all the automo- plies will be kept together Banners will be placed on the cars to signify where the party comes from
 Chsutaupua Finds
 The twenty-third annual session of the Connection. chautauqua will come to a close at the Plainvile Camp grounds this evening when the final concert will bf rendered at 7:45 o'cl oCk.
 The officials report a most success ful season this year and the attend ance has been very gratifying The chautauqus has assured its patrons that it will return again.
 The performances have all been well attended and the people were yleased with the events. The most