The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1882-11-25
Novel Fire Ladders.

Novel Fire Ladders. ,r
After reviewing the engines drawn
up in line along the Eighth. street
parks, the fire chiefs recently went to
the elbow of the canal, the place
appointed for the tests of engine
appliances extension ladders and life
saving inventions. Across the canal
the celebrated Pompicr Corps Of
st. Louis was at work, the men with
their twelve-foot ladders skinning up
and down the face of sixstory
building like so many cats. a
The ladders, in construction, are
simplicity itself. A single pole Of
hickory, with r,ings projecting from
either side, is surmounted by hook
of Norway iron, bent at a long right
angle, and supplied OH the. under
side with serrated teeth. The ladder
can thus be readily hooked through
windows of great depth. In the drill
yesterday one Of the corps, with his
ladder, got grip on the second story
window and running rapidly up
seated himself in the opening, pulled
the ladder up after him, reached up
to the next window, where he got
another grip, and in Il jiffy was one
story higher, and SO on up to the
very roof. The descent was still
more rapid. The drill was then
made by four men directed by the
voice of the Captain, who OH occasion
of fires uses shrill whistle to convey
his signals. 1t should be stated that
each fireman wore q broad belt of
canvas and leather, depending from
the front Of which by strong strap
was large wrought. iron snap hook,
SO that on mounting to the top Of
the ladder the fireman could snap
his hook around one of the standards,
and be thus secure from all possible
lty of falling, and at the same time
have his hands free for holding
hose or assisting people from the
window. .m.3,4q
The hook serves another purpose.
Making rope fast ON the inside of
the window he can, after taking two
or three turns with the rope around
the upper rim of the snap hook, OBJ
tain sufficient friction to enable him
not only to let himself down, but to
take one or two men with him il they
are strong enough to hang OH.
Chris Hocll, Captain of the corps,
lowered himself in this way from the
fifth story, and as he came past the
third floor window another man
caught OH and came down with him.
At the word of command one of the
ladders was hooked over the window
sill. At another command man
ran lightly up, stopping near the top.
At another command his hook was
snapped around the standard, and
he stood ON the rungs, his waist OH
level with the sill, and his hands
free. Instantly another ladder was
handed to him by fireman No. 2, and,
raising it quickly, he hooked it on
the sill of the third-story window
above him, At another command
he unlocked his belt, stepped on
the second ladder, and ran up to tho
third story, fireman No. 2 meanwhile
mounting to the second story. Both
men now hooked themselves to their
respective ladders, and Il third ladder
was quickly passed up by fireman No.
8. No l reached up with this and
hooked it on the sill of the fourth
story window, and then at word
mounted again No. 2 following to
the third story, and No. 0 following,
to the second. A fourth ladder was
passed by by fireman No. 4, and
No. hooked It on the sill of the
fifth stoiy. Again he mounted, No.
2 following to the fourth story, No. 8
to the third, and No, 4 to the
second. In another second each
man had entered the window OF the
floor at which he had arrived. Gin,
cinn0ti Commercial,