OLD FIRE LADDER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23044, 23 May 1938, Page 12

OLD FIRE LADDER

ONCE DRAWN BY HORSES LINK WITH EARLY DAYS PRESERVATION AT PONSONBY The oldest fire-fighting unit in Auckland was not the engine discovered last week in the engineering premises, of Mr. Walter Long when fire destroyed the D.S.C. and Cousins building in Kitchener Street. This engine, which at the age of 27 was sold by the Auckland Metropolitan Fire Board to Mr. Long, was young compared with a telescopic ladder housed in the Western Districts fire station at Ponsonby.

Designed primarily for assisting escapes from heights, the ladder has now been in Auckland for 35 years. It was brought from England in 1903 and for years did yeoman service as a horsedrawn vehicle. Among the serious fires it was to be seen at were those at Maeky, Logan's and the Strand Arcade and so far as' can bo remembered by those who have worked with it the last time it was used in the city was when ISndean's Buildings caught fire in 1914. Ready for Emergency Since tlien the ladder has been kept in reserve. When the horses which were once used for drawing the firefighting appliances about the city were disposed of in . 1917 and motor units were brought into use instead, the ladder was not sold. A motor tender was obtained, and now if the ladder was needed at a fire it would be trailed behind this tender. In addition to its advantages for assisting trapped persons to escape, the ladder can also be used for- attacking fires at heights, as a water tower, or for directing a covering stream of water on to buildings adjoining the burning one. If it has not been called upon for many years to do this, time has not been allowed by tho fire biigade to destroy its possible emergency value, and to-day it is just as spick and span and ready for use as any of the other units in the City., Use as Training Machine

The ladder has also returned more than the outlay upon it in serving as a training machine and lor the piactice which all firemen do in order to be fully equipped to meet any tire which might occur. For years, therefore, while it has not been seen at a tire, the ladder lias been in constant use. It is not the largest ladder the brigade has. it is 65ft. in length, while the one in the central station is o/rt. This one is now '26 years old. Iho larger one is also Lnghsh in make, although of continental design, having been manufactured by H. Sunouis, a man who was interned durmz. the Great War, but later resumed ins ocCU Per Imps the Western Districts ancient is in the last few years of its life. It has been the policy of the lire Board for many years to set aside each vear a sum of money for replacements or additions and it is the board s hope that bv the time the now fire station is completed a new ladder of the very latest automatic type will have been purchased. When that arrives then possiblv the oldest fire-fighting unit m Auckland will be allowed to retire.