Omaha daily bee., 1884-09-23

ing of the stable on the premises some
months ago, these were found TO work
well.
There Is an iron tramway running en-
tirely around the building, with iron
cages secured with wire ropes, to aid in
conveying from the upper windows any
person, who might in case of a fire be-
low, have the means of their escape cut
OF. This tramway was designed by Gen
Meigs, and the experiments made with il
have been entirely satisfactory, In add
to tho ordinary fire escapes there are two
cauvcs escapes, reaching from tho upper
floor to the ground, aud,as is well known
these have been satisfactorily tested sey-
eral times.
In his last report Mr.. Rounds says:
Lows and arrows are also provided,
which would enable life lines to be shot
or thrown through the upper windows.
Up to the time these changes we're made
the entire Office was supplied with only
a throe-inch connection with the water
mains, which barely gave sufficient wa
ter for daily use, aud was wholly made
quate for the purposes. But by tho kindly
corporation of Mr.. Edward Clark, ar
chitect of the capitol, tho office has now
more than double the former supply, and
quite ample to render tho new fire appa.
ratus in every way efficient. All the
outside doors were originally hung 80 as
to open toward the inside of the building
and in case of u panic, with tho pressure
against them, it would have been i'm.
possible to have opened them. The
hinges have been changed so as to open
either way, and egress cannot thereby DO
~obstructed.
Besides oil those ample facilities for
the safe cgress of employees in case of
sudden alarm of fire, tho entire force of
females has been divided up into COM
panies of forty each, and each company
in charge of n captain, with several aids,
and in ceso of alarm the companies are
taken out by designated tire-escapes,
under the charge and aid of the men ap.
pointed for the purpose. The first trial
of the system demonstrated tho fact that
the bindery, containing about five hun
men, was emptied in less than one min
ute; and it is believed that after more
trials the entire office can DO cleared in
less than two minutes. 1t, therefore,
may be fairly stated that for tho first
time in the history of the office 1t Ia
reasonably safe from fire, and its en-
ployes from danger of loss of life or liml
caused by a stampede or want of sufiici'
ent egress.
RThere have been test alarms rung since
the present system was adopted, and II
wo found That ny-nr,, p,,r ~ ,,,,n
knew his or her place. By a test once
made in the bindery II was found that
the folding-room, containing over five
hundred operatives, was cleared inside of
one minute. The female operatives, how
ever, found that i'll going down the fire
escapes there were some Popping Toms
on the ground, and in subsequent tests
asked that canvas be placed on the ladder
before they would make the descent.
In each room there is q captain with
three ~lieutenants, and these direct the
others in case of au alarm, but the work.
ing force consists of about forty men to q
section. Probably no better trial Of the
system was ever given than that of last
month, when a partition on which oil
from tho bindery had dropped took fire.
ine HaIles were eAIlngulsHeu WRCn
Chief Engineer Cronin was within n few
yards of the scene, and neither he MOI
Mr.. Rounds knew of it until it was al
over, no general alarm having been given
For some years it has been though
that the old portion OF the building wa
unsafe in consequence of the great weigh
on it, but by exercising due care and re-
moving the surplus material to The Con.
gressional Globe building, there has not
been for some time past any danger, the
officers keeping i'll this portion of the
structure at any one time the smallest
possible amount of material necessary for
the work in hand.
Supt. Rounds office is connected by
telephone with every part of the build.
ing, and in case of fire he would be in.
formed of it at once.