The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1883-07-19
DRILLING THE LIFE CORPS.
THE SQUAD RECENTLY TURNED OUT
BIZ THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
Running Up tho Front of Fronch's Hotel
and in ut tho Scvcnth-Story Windows
by Means of Scaling LndderG-
Daring Change.
from the New York SUM-

From the New York Sum-
The first public drill of the newly Or
ganized Life Saving Corps of the Fire
Department, took place in Printing
House square. One hundred nnd twen-
ty-tive policemen under command of
Captain lyman kept the square clear and
confined the great crowd of sightseers
to the edge of the City Hall Park. All
eyes were turned on the seven story
front of the unoccupicd French's Hotel.
Two windows Mt the southern end of
each floor were open, forming two per-
pendicular rows of open windows. A
number of fire chiefs from out of town
were present
The corps was two gangs of seven men
each, under command of Second Assist
ant Chief Bonner, and under rection of
Christopher Hocll, tho instructor from
st. Louis. Among the men Were John
l.cvins, John M. Murphy, Fl. M. Jones,
Charles O'Shca, Henry NJ. Adams, Sam
mel Bntt"y, f. j. Broderick, James
Monaghan, and Dennis Morrison. They
brought out twelve scaling ladders and
laid them III row in front of the hotel.
Tho ladders weigh about thirty pounds
each, and vary III length from twelve to
fifteen feet. The steps are ranged along.
side one central pole. On the top is an
arm of iron, which is hooked like the
beak of bird, and barbed on the undoy
side
The ladders are made of hickory, and
strengthened with Norway iron.
The corps marched out and saluted
the Commissioners. They were all agile
and strong young men. Each had Il
wide canvas belt strapped around the
waist. This contained a small pickaxe,
rope slide, and Oh the front q large
spring hook. At signal from Mr..
Hoell the first gang seized their ladders
and placed them againot the front
/ of the hotel. The head man then
thrust the hook of his ladder into the
window of tho first story, and, having
! secured II firm hold on the sill, climbed
up rapidly until he was Oh n level with
: the window. He then caught the Spring
and was thus held, his hands being left
free. The second man passed up a lad
der from below, and the head man
hoistcd it and caught it in the sill of the
sccond-story window. Then, releasing
his hook, he climbed to the second story,
while the second man ascended to tho
first story. The other firemen followed
IN turn with other ladders, and the head
man asccndcd until he had reached the
seventh tloOr. He entered the window
there, and all the other men ran up the
ladders, which hung in n continuous
chain, and disappeared after him. Four
minutes elapsed from the placing of the
first ladder until the disappearance of
the last man. At another signal the
men climbed out of the windows, and,
running down tho ladders, took stations
at the different stories and passed the
ladders down again. Ladders and men
were all on the sidewalk in 81 minutes.
The second gang repeated this man.
nnvre Ill quicker time, going up in 8
minutes and coming down in 3 minutes.
Two men then aSccnded to the seventh
story with a single ladder. AS soon as
the ladder was linked they would ascend
it one after the other. While one fixed
the ladder on the floor above, the other
prevented him from falling by grasping
the belt hook. 1t took these men 3
minutes to go up and 3 minutes to come
down.
Next one man started with light lad
der on each row of the windows. They
Straddlcd the castings while adjusting
their ladders. They ascended to the
seventh story i'll q minutes, and de-
seconded III one minute and half.
| Next, n common ladder was raised
: against the wall, and after ascending this
the entire corps ran scaling ladders to the
top floor. Instructor Hoell stood on tho
| top ladder just beneath the seventh floor,
and, reaching over, caught another lad
der on the sill of the adjoining window,
some ten feet way. He kept the lower
end Of this ladder close to him, and stepped
on the lowest round with his right foot.
With his left foot on the lowest round OF
the first ladder, hel himself swing, hold
ing one ladder by the right hand and the
other by the left hand. Heswung across
the wall until the two ladders formed a
e. He then let go the first ladder, and
.wunG beneath the second window. A
storm Of applause came from the crowd
at this.
A fireman appeared at seventh-stor
window, and camo down rapidly on q
rope, which was governed by his COM
| radcS above. Another fireman came
down rope, and governed his descent
| by slide at the waist. He took the
most remarkable jumps down the side
OF the wall, and avoided crushing into
| the windows by spreading his legs so
that his feet caught the castings. A fire.
man was then lowered from window to
window with another man clinging to
his waist. Two men fastened together
by hooks, were dropped with great rapid
| lty down the front of the building.
Fireman Jones was lowered very slowly,
and Fireman Murphy hung to his waist
with his arms alone.
| The mon seemed to be we'll trained,
and skillful in their work. Within year
they will be used as instructors, to teach
300 other fircmen. The Fire Commits
si"ncrs expressed themselves as pleased
with tho exhibition.