The Washington critic., 1885-08-17
4 lInnEL rNnINE- nOrsE.


SS:rcUsC Flights Wire.
"Thcre is one fire enterprise in SYRIA
cu,c," say, the Syracuse HG0d, chat
is famous the country over. and the
chemical engine house Of Hamilton s.
White has probably been visited and
admired by every delegate to the Fire
unique i'm its character and deserves
moro than Il passing notice, for the
fame of Mr. Whites passion for FIGHT
ing fire has given him u celebrity not
confined to his own town
From boyhood his ruling passion has
Teen for Coniriynnccs for the cXlin-
puishmcnt of fires when little boy
! used to drag around little toy en-
pinc That threw u stream the diameter
Of lead pencil. Later he organized
fire company among lads Of his own
age, and when he became u student at
Cornell University he amused himself
curing vacations ia rigging II hand fire
cNtinguishor ON n pony phUiou AMI
driving OH nj every alarm.
When he reached munhnol'S years
rc was given armiolliciul position a.
aide To the Chief Engineer Of the SYRIA
cusc Fire Department. lie then, ~
continues the HyUh. procured n
fow.whcclcd chemical engine with Il
double tank. under the condition that
he should turn it over to the city If, at
any time, he decided to no longer
maintain it himself lie also built n
model engine house in the style of nrchi-
lecture popularity known az the Queen
Anne, with stained glass windows,
balcony for Towering plants, a thor
oughly equipped washroom for the
engine, workshop and engineers de-
signing room, dormtory for the fire
men, Il billiard-rOom, q library, smok-
ing-room, etc. This building was dcd-
icaiod ON January I 1870, and is one
of the most interesting objects in the
city TO all strangers.
"Thc adormcnt of the house is
elaborate, but in good taste, with its
carved woodwork, linishings of pol
ished brass, frcscocs and paper hang
ings, rugs, etc. Technically, also, ii
is marvel of completeness. 1t has
electrical connection with the regular
Fire Department alarm signals in
addition TO about fifty boxes of its own.
The keys are of the most improved
pattern, retaining the key in the
lock until il is taken out by member
of The company with u special appli-
ancc for that purpose.
AN interesting feature of the signal
system used by Mr.. White is its quick
ness. The instant that key is turned
in Il box in any part of the city and the
door opened, an electric circuit is
broken, which causes the figure repre-
scnting the number of the box to drop
from its place in an annunciator inside
The cnginc-housc, and at the same in.
slant there is n stroke upon gong
This apparatus is, in turn, connected
with an arrangement of weights and
levers, so that the horses are simulta-
nCously unhitchcd in their stalls, the
gas turned up if burning u clock
stopped at the second of the receipt of
the alarm, Il time watch started, which
marks tifths of II second with its beats,
and the clothes on the beds in the dor
mitory are snatchcd off the slccpcr5 and
suspended from the ceiling.
"At the sound of the hammer falling
on the gong the cnginc-housc becomes
scene of surprising activity, whether
at neon or midnight. The men who
are in bed, awakened by the sudden
Jerking off of the blankets, start up
and jump into composite garment
serving the purposes of trousers, boots
and waistCOat in one and Il short pea.
jacket or blouse, and rush for the
engine, on which their hats are hang
ing from pegs. The horses meanwhile
have bounded TO their places, the driver
has scrambled into his seat, and the
hOstlcrs have fastened the simple
catches which fasten the horses to the
machine. A glance at the annunciator
has revealed TO everyone the nGighbor-
hood of the fire, while the slow moving
city alarm bell is perhaps still tolling
the last figure of the district number,
and before the final stroke the driver
has pulled up lever suspended from
the ceiling within reach of his hand,
the front doors have been thrown open
by it and the time watch stopped. All
this, on test alarm, has been done in
ms short Il space rs one second and n
quarter. In the middle of the night
without any of the conditions of speci.
men test, it has usually taken only ten
or twelve seconds, and has been done
in fraction over six seconds.
"Whcn the engine has rolled ont
into the street clockwork apparatus
inside, after Il certain number of min
utes, turns the gas down again, and
everything is restored to its normal
state of quiet till the machine returns
again, At first Mr.. Whites company
was composed of young men who, like
himself, had Il passion for fire fighting.
1t included representatives from every
department of business and professional
activity in the city. Domestic ties and
the increasing cares of business grad
ually weancd these persons away from
their enthusiasm or intcrfcrcd with
their work as volunteer tiremcn. Mr..
White then hired and paid out of his
own pocket small number of picked
men, strong, agile, fearless fellows,
who soon caught the infection of his
enthusiasm and took great pride in
beating the record time by quarter
of second in getting out of the house, "