Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-04-17
FEARLESS FlREMEN
Drilling a Life Corps In the Use Of
Unique Apparatus.
SCALING A SEVEN STORY BUILDING
In the Presence of Thousands Of Spectators
-fiendish Plot to Blow Up Fac
tory Full Of Girls With Dy-
Mantle Cartridge.

Orlll Oh lhe newly OfSdnlLeu lIile. Owing
Corps of the Fire Department has taken
place in Printing House Square. One hum
dred and twenty-five policemen, under
command of Capt lyman, kept the Square
clear and confined the great crowd of sight
seers to the edge of the City Hail Park. All
eyes were turned on the seven story front
of the unoccupied French's Hotel. Two
windows at the southern end OF each floor
were open, forming two perpendicular rows
OF open windows. A number OF fire chiefs
from out Of town were present.
The corps was in two gangs OF seven men
each under command Of Second Assistant
Christopher Hoell, the instructor from st.
Louis. They brought out twelve scaling
ladders and laid them in row in front OF
the hotel. The ladders weigh about thirty
pounds each, and vary in length from
Twelve to fifteen feet The steps are ranged
alongside one central pole. On the top Is
an arm OF iron, which is hooked like the
beak Of bird. and barbed on the under
side.
The ladders are made of hickory and
strengthened with Noway iron.
The Corps Marched Out
and saluted the Commissioners. They
were all agile and strong young men. Each
he'd a wide canvas belt strapped around the
waist. This contained n small pickaxe,
rope slide, and on the: front large spring
hook. AT given signal from Mr.. Hoell
the first gang seized heir ladders and
placed them against the frC1t OF the hotel.
The head man then thrust he hook OF his
ladder into the wiHdow of the first story
and, having secured a firm hold on the sill,
climbed up rapidly until he was on level
with the window. He then caught the
spripg hook at his belt into the crook OF
the ladder and was thus held, his hands
being left free. The second man passed up
q ladder from below, and the head man
hoisted it and caught it in the sill of the
second story window. Then, releasing r,
hook he climbed TO the second sloSy, while
the second man as ended t. the e. al story
The other fremen foEowei in turn
with other ladders, and the head
man ascendeu until he had
ReRehed the seventh Floor,
L. -,-1nw thrre and NJ, 49,
l.e entered the w. 'Hefe' ana al! the
other men ran up the ladders, which nung
in a continuous chain, and disappeared
after him. Four minutes elapsed from the
placing of the first ladder until the disap-
pearance of the last man. At another sig.
nal the men climbed out OF the windows
and, running down the ladders, took sta
tions 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 manGuvre
in quicker time, going up in 3 minutes,
and coming down in minutes. Two men
then assembled 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 minutes to 20 up and minutes TO
come down.
Next one man started with light ladder
on each row of windows. They straddled
the window sils aud caught their spring
hooks in the casing while adjusting their
ladders They assembled to the seventh
story in pa minutes, and descended in
minute and half.
Next, a common ladder was raised against
the wall, and after ascending this the en-.
tire corps ran scaling ladders 10 the top
floor. Instructor Hoel stood on the top
ladder Just beneath the seventh floor, and,
reaching over, caught another ladder on
the sill OF the adjoining wiadow, some ten
feet away. He kept the lower end OF this
ladder close to him, and stepped on the
lowest roun with his right foot. With
his left foot on the lowest round of the
first ladder, he let himself swing, holding
one ladder by the right hand and the other
by the left hand. He swung across the
wall until the two ladders formed Y. He
then let go the first ladder, and swung be-
meath the second window.
A Storm Of Applause
came from the crowd at this.
A fireman appeared at seventh story
window, and came down rapidly on a rope.
which was governed by his comrades above.
Another fireman came down on a rope,
and governed his descent by a slide at his
waist. lie took the most remarkable
Jumps down the side OF the wall, and
avoided crashing into the windows by
spreading his legs SO that his feet caught
the castings. A fireman was then lowered
from window to window with another man
cliDgipg to his waist. Two men, fastened
together by hooks, were dropped with
er( at rapidity down the front of the build
ing Fireman Jones was lowered very
slowly, and Fireman Murphy hung to his
waist with his arms alone.
The men seemed to be veil trained, and
skillful in their work. Within year they
will be used as instructors, TO teach SOJ
other firemen.