Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1884-09-16
THROWING LIFE LINES.
Experiments of SIX Trventors Under
the Palisades.
Line Seat TIP 23S F-.et-ys ockess
60 Much Higher - 4 ssot-
t'c OF Air feats The
Record.
New York Sun I

| Six weeks ago the fire commissioners in.
vited all these IN the employ ef tie depart
meft to exercise their ingenuity ia tn. in
Nentioa and con tTuction Of sn apparatus for
| throwing life snss over roofs or into win
| DOVE. thirty days were given in which 10
| complete models. and US aidag yas set down
ior the cxl eriments. Pretty soon after dim
ner time aHoat TOO men had got aboard Tire
fire steanIbOi; Zoi.har NILS. Nearly all Of
! them had o. the Uniform OF the department,
and all we're patiently waiting for TIE
| fife commissioners TO finish their DIN.
pel ana ccmc 900. When tie .uge;ais-
siOuela did ce rae, the boat started
ana huge fog that was :7a up tapped and
snapped eayiy IS tie boat pi1ughed thnugh
the water. Besides the fire commissioners
there were Chef SHAY and Assistant Chief
Bonner, Chief I'Hrroy Of tie :5.c,1id battal-
ion, Capis. Sheridan, Hayes. AMI Cjstl-. and
Excise Comnissiener Join j. Morris. and
many Others. They were going Il, tic al
isadcs, and all were having good tine ax-
cept seven men, who sat alcRe eyeing one
another with di7trust, and keeping as far
apart as possible. These seven men were in
ventors Each had II machine which he
tenderly carcsscd while casting glances of
scoin upon the machines caressed by the
Others. Their eyes burned with enthusiasm
while they drew strange figures on pieces Of
paper
hen the boat Iuiied up to an old ruined
wharf leneath the Palisades, the seven in
rentors prplrcd 10 shoot seven lines over
the top % the rocks TINT doomed up 400 feet
above their heads The commissioners sat
on n log in the shade of shanty. As they
sat- Hash Of blCe, a flash of red, ard a flash
Of white appeared on the edge of the rocks
above. Everybody said, "Girislp and six
firemen started up steep path to warn the
girls to get out Of the way, while Cont,nis-
sioneT bur7y took field glass and spent five
minutes / trying 30 gauge the height of lilo
bluff. When asked how high it was. be said.
''Deuced pretty When The girls had been
showed away, the oldest inventor advanced
from the shade ot the slianty. He had gray
whiSkeIs. and carried short, heavy gun.
with seven-eighths Of an inch bore y
chain. with q bullet at cne end was dropped
into u barrel. ) long thin cord was fastened
to the Gher end 81 the CHAIN The inventor
w"l!"i up 4! shore and aimed over the tree
tops for Tie top 81 fi.e rocks Everybody
gave him plenty II room, and they who went
away the furthe>t, and seemed the most siIs.
piciou>, were The Other six inventors Com
missioner Van Colt said:
let her 20"
The Old u n puilcd the trigger, and the
chain ANA cord went sailing up and up,
while the gun kicked the inventors hat of.
The line went o III b that n, IN the ground
il seemed 10 have gone clear above the P;.l:-
sii,s; tut { ois!H't 1t Eel anio NJ the trees
1t carried up - leat Of cord, and every
holy seid It WAS pi,nlid Il worli send a
Iis,f, a r..
to spare.
My name is John Trevers," said the in
ventor: I'm fr m Albany I've been work
ing n this thing ever since heard il sug- |
gested III The Sunday sun, just t n tie old /
World building was burned I've tried every |
way. This plan is on the principle Of II fish !
line. When you've got heavy siiiker YOU |
can send the line where you lie
Then Mr. Trrcrs gave room 10 MIR. Pat
rick Ryan, engineer Of engine % Mr.. Ryan |
shot Up his cord out of little lrass cannon
about a foot long. lie had 10 lie at full |
length on the ground to sight it, He said |
that didn't matter, because no dudes went to |
a fire. He sent his string up higher than
that Of Mr.. Treyers mad gone, and it seemed
as horsh it would never stop II dropped
to Il e earth after il bad appeared IL b, t,y.ce
rs h IN as t.i--h'tI II carried up 30 feet
OF string. Aitcf Mr. Ryan came three
other fitnie4i, s. hostoi up rockets They all
went Very high. aa1 they were tie most el,-
tanning They Vei.t higher than the blur.
bet otie not aiia'3! straight. ana they didn't
Iard O H.
iEd last iaan 40 maze experiment Was
very young. he is .. G. Rigl a Inachinist
in the repair shop 81 The fire. department His
apparatus locked ike very large metal bot
Tie with IN extraordinary long neck. He
explained thai tie Liz II; Of tie bottle con
tanned or under pressure Of 10 pounds 10
tie square inch, He said he could send up n
line high rs they wanted It. ani he did.
G CIT il mp over 700 feet and heat the rec
odd Then NJ went lari, on beard the brat
ard pumped IN moe air, while lie other ~
veHlors began over again. irrtty suop they
We're all going ~ "nre The air was full OF
rockets and bullets ana the woods were full
81 inventors ge!tiI 8 laca heir missiles. while
here anu there could be seen an inyc.,tor lIpa
tree trying b. loosen his line The seventh
invent lad only 4 model to show. II was u
mortar desi qied to shoot hail up over the
cornice of a house The ball was to lie heavy
enough TO cary a flexible steel la,id IT behind
il. instead Of "A line, and 10 crush its way
through a icof. and thus give Il hold to the
ladder. This Invention was patented by
&c, rye W. Watts. Il Brooklyn