• MOTOR AIDS TO EFFICIENCY AT BRISTOL.
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A Large Fleet of Steam Wagons for Heavy Haulage, Electric Vehicles for Refuse Collection and Motor Sweepers for Road Cleaning. Details of the Fire-fighting Equipment.
/A LITE a large fleet of motor vehicles,
Q and other appliances is maintained by the City Corporation of Bristol. Here, again, we have a city .which includes some extremely hilly dis
tricts. Gradients of 1 in 44are not unknown, there are quite e Dumber of 7 in 10, whilst those of 1 in J,2 can be called almost usual.
The fleet, with the exception of the fire appliances (with which we will deal later), is composed of 17 steam wagons, lot which two are 3-ton Yorkshires, three are of Clayton make and of 5-ton capacity, whilst the remaining 12 are 5-ton Fodor's. On the electric side there pre six G.V.s, each of 2-ton capacity, and the 'appliances include three Laffiy road sweepers.
With the exception of the three Fodens, which are partially employed in kefuse collection in outlying districts, all the steam wagons are retained for general-purpose work, smell as the carting of stone for roadmaking and work in 'connection with the large amount of Louse building which has been carried out by Bristol during the past few years. It is questionable as to what will happen to these vehicle's when the 'present housing schemes terminate ; fortunately they were purchased at a moderate cost, all with the exception of the two Yorkshires and one 'Paden having seen war service.
.It will be noted that we have not dealt with ambulances, These do not come under the jurisdiction of the Corporation, being run by the St. John Ambulance Association and the Marine Ambulance Corps.
The battery electric vehicles, which are about five years old, are employed for refuse collection. They average about 18.21 miles per day in this connection. Two destructors al's einployed,
c54 these being approximately i miles from the centre of the town, and there are also several tips. At present 100 horses are also employed in refuse collection, the total quantity obtained being 100,000 tons per year, of which 53,000 tons are burnt, whilst the rest goes to the tips.
Generating plants are installed at the destructors, aPd, apart from supplying electricity during the day, there ia ample for charging the vehicles during
the night ; in fact, the electric vehicles are absolutely paying for themselves in this way. It is of interest to note that they have now been equipped with Philadelphia accumulators. These are giving satisfaction and are guaranteed for two years.
The installation of a .third destructor and generating plant is now under consideration, and also the question as to whether more electric vehicles will be obtained, but if this be done they will certainly have a capacity of 4-5-tons; as the 2-tonners now used are considered to be on the small side.
The horse vehicles are at present employed chiefly in carrying material to the tips, where the distances are not very great. Mechanical vehicles have shown to best advantage in working in outlying districts where there may bespaces of 200 yds. to 800 yds. between the houses. This enables their quality of extra speed to show itself.
=Refuse is collected twice a week, and each vehicle has its own district to cover. 'The greatest difficulty in refuse collection,as pat forward by Mr. L. S.
McKenzie, the city engineer, is the loading height. -For instance, with the FodenS, an endeavour was made to increase their capacity for refuse by fitting sideboards only 3 ins, higher than in the ordinary wagon, but the loaders objected strongly to this procedure and it was abandoned.
It is rather interesting to compare the amount of refuse collected with the population. The last census gave a figure of 380,000, so that the average amount per year per person is approximately 5 cwt., and it must be remembered that Bristol is quite a busy industrial district.
Every vehicle, including the steam wagons, is fitted with a mileometer. so that an accurate check can be kept of their running. '
As regards the Lailly road sweepers, two of these were purchased in 1914, mid the other about four years ago, two being in cons9nt use and the other kept as a spare. These brushes do' not operate until: night-time, when they 'do from 55 to.60 miles of sweeping, making three cuts of 7-ft. 'width in a road, so that the actual road mileage covered is roughly 20. They are worked in two shifts from 10 p.m. at night to 1 p.m. the next day, two drivers being employed consecutively for each. These rotary brushes have,. in. the words of the city , engineer, ¶ proved wonderfully. .eco-.. nemical andhave saved a great deal of money.", They average abut 7 m.p.g. of petrol, -Whilst the brushes themselVes
last 180 miles, which is equivalent to three days' Work of two shifts.
All the vehicles and appliances are garaged together and repaired by a permanent staff, one lorry being overhauled each month.
We will nondeal with the fire appliances. These Coma under the jurisdiction of the Chief Constable, Mr. J. IL Watson, M.B.E., and the superintendent of the fire brigade is Mr. F. Cade, who, i widen tallY. joined the Rotherham Brigade in 1905,1"ose to superintendent and was appointed to. the Bristol Brigade in 1909.
The first motor fire appliances were purchased by Bristol in 1909, these being two Morris pumps, which, incidentally, were sold in 1920. In 1914 "ft large Dennis turbine pimp, of 60 h.p. and with a capacity of 500 gallons per minute, was bought, and this was followed in 1915 by two more Dennis appliances of the same type, and a little later by a Dennis fire tender of 45 h.p., this not carrying a pump, but being used as' a brigade van. .
In 1920 the fleet was increased by the
addition of two Leyland turbine pumps, also of 500-gallon capacity and 60 h.p. At the same time ,a Leyland tender of 60 h.p. was bought and used for the carrying of smoke helmets; extra hose and inen, and the efficiency of the brigade was increased by the addition of a Merryweather turntable fire escape extending to a height of 90 ft. In addition to this there is a Merryweather inspection car of 20 h.p. rating.
Although rather out Of our province, we must refer to the fire floats which ave. employed for protecting shipping and waterside warehouses. One of these is a Merryweather with twin screws, twd internal-combustion engines of 60-65 h.p. and two reciprocating pumps with a total capacity of 1,000 gallons per minute. There is also a small engine of 6 h.p. with a dynamo and accumulators for searchlights, etc., whilst at Avonmouth Docks the brigade 'has a steam fire float of 2,000 gallons capacity.
The system of alarms used throughout the city 4s the Gamewell, and the fire stations are also in direct communication with some of the large factories, especially that of Fry's, which has an automatic telephone system enabling the head of any department to be in direct communication with the fire station.
Bristol is considered as a dangerous area because of the numerous old works, etc., and also -the large petrol depots at Avonmouth. To cope with fires there is a personnel of 45 distributed over the headquarters and four sub-stations. In 1924 there were 541 calls, of which 22 were false alarms, five of these being through the fire-alarm system and three by telephone. Of 'these alarms eight were proved to he malicious.
As an example of the fires which have to be fought, only two or three weeks ago the brigade was called to a fire at a store containing 100 tons Of carbide in drums. Great precautions had to be taken, as there were constant explosions, but eventually the building was saved and only 12 tons of the carbide were lost.
Every engine of the fire appliances is started morning and evening and run until warm. At the same time reports are made as to whether it is satisfactory or otherwise. A very neat scheme for facilitating the starting of the " first turn-out" is the fitting of a carbon filament lamp, protected by a wire cage, close to the carburetter, so that this can be kept constantly warm. This lamp is only kept alight when the engine is practically .cold and is switched off after the engine has been used for a run, as it then remains warm for the rest of the day-. It has been found that the cost of the current for this lamp is only lid. per day, whilst the advantages of the system are most marked. The lead for it is carried to the upper part of one of the stanchions carrying the ladder and there connected to a lead suspended from the ceiling, so that it automatically disconnects as the appliance is driven away.
It is of interest to note that every policeman, before being sent cut on duty, has to pass a strict examination in tire drill. He is thus qualified to help the brigade in case of big fires and adds considerably to its strength.