Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-09-27
HOW THEY DO 1T.


The Manner IN Witch the Eircmen OF
minneapolis Respond to dm Alarm o.
FYre-An Interesting Exhibition ana
Fast Time Made,
Few readers are generally we'll aware that
Minneapolis boasts a fire department. the
peer of any department of equal size in tue
Union Since the volunteer department dis
banded and paid department has been Or
ganized to fill the vacancy, many changes
have taken place in the management OF the
departments. Now each house is supplied
with full corps of efficient men chosen
from among the very best OF the members
of the old department, and they are required
to DO at their respective hose houses at all
times, unless granted leave OF absence by
the head of the department. A certain
number of men are employed as "call menl-
bers. who are not required to be at the
houses at all hours, but must respond
promptly to every alarm of fire. sser-7. ..
MANY important time-saving improve
ments have been made in the various houses
to facilitate the speedy exit after the tap of
the gong conveys to the department the in
tellisence that a conAagration is impending.
The greatest change that has been made
is noticed In the house of Hook & Ladder
company No. I, corner of Second street aud
Third avenue north. On Wednesday even
ings the company have thorough and sys-
tematic drill, and the various trials combined
are very interesting.
reporter of the GLOBE understanding
this fact. and being DESTROYS of informing
the readers of the GLOBE how expeditiously
the department performs the duties devolv-
ing on them, visited the Hook and Ladder
house on Wednesday evening, and was more
than astonished at the remarkably good time
made in getting out of the house, raising
ladders, etc. The house is two-story brick
house with very high ceilings, and formerly
considerable time was lost in getting from
the beds on the second floor to the trucks
down stairs. Their movements greatly
accelerated now, in the following manner
In the center of the large square room in
which are the beds for tho fremen hole
has been cut, about seven feet square. From
the ground floor up through this aperture
are two iron rods two inches thick, firmly
secured and polished very smooth. Instead
of running down stairs the boys make dive
for those rods, and down they go almost
like flash of lightning. In going to bed
the men place their boots beside the bed,
with their pants turned over them. When
the gong strikes the men clear their
beds with one bound and land squarely in
their boots. Then catching hold of the
tops of their pants they straighten up and
the pants are on. Catching their coats in
one hand and hat in the other they scamper
for those iron rods, down which they slide
as though possessed. BY the time they
reach the truck hat and coat are on, and
they are ready for business. All this trans
pires with the rapidity of thought, and
while the men are coming down the horses
have not been idle, for on the first tap of
the gong the doors of the stalls swing open
and out gallop the horses to their places. As
the men reach the floor they spring about
the horses, one adjusting one portion of the
harness and the others that portion allotted
to them. The driver never touches the har
ness, but springs to his seat, and, catching
the lines in one hand, while with the other
he pulls rope over his head, the doors
swing open, the boys spring to tho foot
board and away they 60. The truck and lad
ders stand So feet inches in length,
and weighs $500 pounds. With the men on
board the combined weight is 6 400 pounds.
The men leave their beds, come down stairs,
hitch up and get out of the house in twenty
one seconds. The distance from stall to
pole is $50 feet; from stall to door, 63112
feet. Frequently the men are down and the
truck ready to go out before tue gong has
ceased striking the first alarm.
In their practice the sixty-fve foot extern
sion ladder was taken from the truck and
raised over the house in one minute and
nineteen seconds. Being laid out flat on the
ground, it was put up in forty-one seconds.
The truck, with all on board, was run one
block and fOrty-fOot ladder raised in thirty
one seconds. This ladder was raised from
the ground in just six seconds. At 8 O'Clock
every night the gong strikes and all have to
turn out and hitch up to keep in practice.
This is done in 1112 seconds.
This is showing greatly to their credit
The foreman has perfect confidence in his
men, and they in him, SO that everything
goes on harmoniously and like clio ck-work.