The New York herald., 1876-11-17
A SALAMANDER'S FIASCO.
rEZ EXHIBITOR NEARLY sMoTHFRED b.
wATER-A LAUGHABLE SCENE.

rEz EXHIBITOR NEARLY sMoTHERED By
wATHR-A LAUGHABLE SCENE.
About $50 people assembled yesterday afternoon At
oncs' Wood Washington Park dvsionj to witness an
exhibition 10 be given by Captain Christian wraa
Marine Officer A. ID. of Oestbergs Fire Extinguish-
ing Apparatus. Among the assemblagc q number
representative insurance men, including the Sur
veyor OF the Board Of Underwriters, ex-Chief Kings.
land and quite a display of representative characters
from the Fire Department of the city, embracing
President Commissioner Perey and Commissioner
Hatch, Chiefs Batcs, Fisher, Wilhelm, Rhodes, Fire
Marshal Sheldon, Assistant Fire Marshal H,ll Secre-
tary Carl Jussen and oremcn aud attaches OF the de-
partmcnt in fair numbers Is will thus be that
although the exhibitor had not large audience he had
q very respectable and appreciative one
THE APPARATUS
consists chiefly OF double covering, which encoses
the body The inner orthesc within which cooled air
crculatcs is air and water tight. The outer ono is
made OF some porous cloth, which is always kept
soaked with water, else OF canvas close fixed to-
gether through which the water which is constantly
onvcyed there, is spread In q thin layer uniformly
about the whole body, and thus protects the person
from the effects OF the fire. IL stated that several
trials OF shis apparatus have been made Stockholm,
Berlin, Vienna, Milan, Paris Brussels and London, in
the presence OF crowned heads and competent
thorities, with testimonials in its favor.
THE EXHIBITION YEsfKRDAY-ITs FAILURE AND rHR
CAUsh
The hour announced for the beginning OF the tourna-
mont with fire four p N. Four piles of pinewood.
about cord each erected the logs ransversely
arranged with avenues about two feet broad between
each pile Tho interstices were filed with straw for
the purpose Of facilitating combustion ~ the proper
moment The shades Of cool autumn evening were
.wnere Is hsf' "Bring him out. cried some Of The
rude oncs among tho throng. Suddenly and possibly
70 the amazemcnt Of some in the crowd there emerged
from basement which hung the sign ..Reiresh.
men.s below" (the Idea OF connecting refreshments
there with she subject in handSl figure that mighs
have been mistaken for the ghost Hamiets fat her
in canvas duck had It not borne helmet that re
sembled that OF one Of General John Newton's He'll
Gate divers The ngure advanced as II It blind
folded guided by young man from Hoboken, toward
the piles OF pine logs. Here the operation OF filing
the various tubes the canvas armor with air ard
water commenced We ought to state that for
the purpose Of obtaining supply Of water fresh from
. handy Croton hydranL the services OF Captain Will
helm, chief of tho FIRE Department engaged He
had several assistants all energetic fro boys quick for
service when water was required. Tho man in the
armor stood erect his canvas helmet screening
his entire head from :hs view Of The spectators the
pumping from bellows that are used 70 inject water
hcre and there into the tubes on, when sud.
denly there was tremendous spluttsr tho part Of
the in armor. The latter waved his arms and
shook his armor tremulously, but vigorously. aHa
hap laughed some. 'Humbus! humbugl" cried
otherR That there was something wrong was certain
and, after Captain Wilhelm had, with much presence
OF mind, removed the helmet IRON tho head OF the
human frc annhilator, Il was discovered that some
stupid attendant, instead Of pumping air, had bcen
pumping cold water into the nnermost OF the
armor and had almost drowned tho intrepid exhibitor
Ii became almost a Tor u coroner instead Of one
for insurance or a fire commissioner. Bus not
withstandlng this mishap Captain Wraa peeled to the
bun on tho ''cold, cold ground" ana with the
tance Of his daughter Minnie rcadjusted his armor
and at once entered amid the burning logs But tho
audience were disappointed, disappointment that
seems 10 be altogether owing TO the blundcr Of .
stupid attendant and left the grounds grumbng and
dissatisfied IL Is stated that u Is the intention OF
Captain wraa to Try again when he will devote his
daughter the namos after no has himself adjusted
her safety armor.