FIRE FIGHTING PLANT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 220, 10 June 1908, Page 9

FIRE FIGHTING PLANT.

VALUE OF MOTOR FIRE ENGINES., ■ (BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT?). ChrSstchurch, June'Q.Mr. C. J. Cooper, manager of tho Christ, church branch of the Liverpool-and London aiid Globe Insurance Company, and a membar of'the Ch'ristchurch Board, has just turned from a trip to Sydney, where ho found time to mako some investigations in regard to fire-fighting plant. The Christchiircli Fire Board is the typo of motor fireengines to adopt. Mr. Cooper has returned' more than, over impressed with the value ofrmotor, firo engines. . . .. ■ . " I have come to the ho said to a "-Times" reporter, "after visiting Wek lingtoii, ■ Auckland, and Sydney, >. that motor;. cars .aro absolutely indispensablo in fighting- ■ firo. both for pace and utility. Wellington and Sydney both' used Merryweather engines/ Of \ tho 1 Wellington ; engine, Superintendent?, Hugo," in his last report, had stated that in. eight months it .had run to over 200 calla . ■of fire, and,-witii one exception, only causing; r a delay- of twenty' seconds, it had never failed.-: to do all that',was required. In Sydney ono engine had been running three years and a half, 'aiid they were now b.tiying a third at a; ■ cost of. £1400 c.i:f. Sydney. Petrol cars alono were favoured, awl those now in Sydney had. threo. speeds, six . miles, twelve ;to fourteen , miles,' and -twenty-five miles aiidiouiv They carried eight men and 700 ft. of hose, as well as hand chemical extinguishers, and one of. them on arrival at fires could set in with a. motor pump. Superintendent Webb, of Syd-:V riey, on'hearing that it had been proposed- to' 1 get a motor chemical for Christchurcn, carrying a hoso reel and skeleton ladder, was very emphatic that tlie idea should not bo .carried out, as in .a case of breakdown the whole of the 'appliances would be; out of action. Mi-. Cooper was impressed with , the smartness, of i tho : Sydney men. in their . turn-outs, one. of v. whicV. occupied twelve seconds; They were paid from £109 '4s. per year up to £209. A' great deal was done fori their entertainment. They all had to go through a gymnastic course- every, day, and they had their, own boat, and had beaten all comers. Every--thing 'was dono at the station by tho men from" shoeing and attending to sicli times' up to the making of wheels for the engines; the repairing of engines, and so on. Mr. . ,Cooper ascertained that the brigade made a' "watching charge" against the insurance companies of Is. an hour per man engaged- at fires for every hour after the first sis hours .after the outbreak.