Fire-Brigade Matters.
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Leicester Town Council is now inviting tenders .for the supply of motor fire-appliances and an ambulance van.
Huddersfield's new motor firetender has been formally christened " Ladas " by the daughter of Alderman j. Holroyd, Chairman of the Huddersfield Watch Committee.
Frequent demonstrations with Merrywea.ther engines are given at Bromley. The latest, with a 50 h.p. turntable escape, which has been completed to the order of the Bombay Municipal Council, took place, under the superintendence of Mr. A. T. Maryon, chief draughtsman, and Mr. C. H. Brown, works manager, a short time ago. Special fittings are em
ployed to rehe e the chassis and wheels from the weight of the turntable and ladders v, hen the vehicle is at rest.
Norwich Ready.
The Watch Committee of the Norwich City Council reports that it is of opinion that the city is considerably under equipped with respect to fire-brigade appliances, and that a Merryweather petrol fire-engine should be purchased.
Edinburgh Again.
The Plans and Works Committee of the Edinburgh Town Council, on reconsideration of the report which was remitted back to it, as reported by us, has decided to recommend the purchase of six-cylinder Merryweather engines in place of fourcylinder engines of the same make. Centrifugal or Reciprocating?
One of our Brussels subscribers, apropos the recent discussion at the L.C.C. on the subject of centrifugal or reciprocating pumps, draws attention to the fact that a preference is given by Continental brigades to the reciprocating system. He states the following summary of the reasons for this alleged preference on the Continent: "(1) that turbine pumps do not lift water so quickly or from so great a depth asreciprocating pumps ; (2) that turbine pumps are difficult to start ; (3) the lower efficiency of turbine pumps, and the greater weight of engines required to drive them ; (4) risk of failure due to any accidental aspiration of air ; (5) inability to take water from street mains ; (6) complication of machinery and accessories (7) high price." We venture to think that this correspondent is wholly ignorant of modern practice on the turbine-pump side, and would recommend him to pay attention to the results achieved by; for example, the Dennis, Halley and Leyland engines, and most of all to the achievements of turbine. rump manufacturers, such as Gwyrines Ltd., of Hammersmith, London, W., and Mather and Platt, Ltd., of Salford, in regard to efficient and reliable construction. These pump makers should at once begin an educative campaign to show foreign firemasters how much behind the times they are in their views on the subject. German Fire Insurance Co. Makes a Grant Towards a Municipal Motor Fire-engine.
Our Berlin correspondent writes : " The action of the Aachen and Munich Fire Insurance Co. in granting 1500 towards a motor fireengine, which is to cost 2.1,125, for the Aachen Municipal Eire-Bi gade, eurtainly merits widespread imitation and commendation. So far as I am aware, this is the first time that a German insurance company has made a grant of the kind, which rests on sound business principles. As yet, the companies have contented themselves with covering, more or less reluctantly, damages caused by fire ; now one comes forward with a substantial subsidy for the extinction of fires. Perhaps the Mannheim Corporation, who, I observe, have accepted a motion for a set of three automobile firebrigade vehicles, will also get assistance from the fire insurance companies represented at that city. The Mannheim set may probably be petrol-driven, supplied by Benz and Co., who have built several automobiles for the Corporation:'