New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-08
GOLD MEDALS FOR FIREMEN.
ANNUAL PARADE OF THE DEPARTMENT.
AND 9TH AYES


EXIT BITING THE METHODS USED TO SAVE LIVES
AND PROPERTY.
The annual exhibition and parade Of the New-fork
Fire Department Yesterday afternoon was one OF te
best shows the OF this city have ever mas
In public Riverside ave. from Seventy -secoho-st "
Eighteth st. was the Of the brilliant display
and fully 10000 admlrng NEWCOMERS were therc W
see and applaud. Tho exhibition Included drlh Oh
the le-saving corps, review OF the parsdhs coiun'
a response to an alarm signal, and display OF the
freboats and watertower. Only ESQ OF the Depart
ments fremen participated 1t being necessary for ue
Others to remain duty because OF the everpreseh'
possibility OF conhagration. Chief Hugh bonner
dineC tho exercises OF the day.
At 1 80 O'Clock an exhibition given by twelve
members Of the fe-savng corps In command OF Fore
man Henry McAdam. The scaling ladders were run
ND to the roof Of the Riverside Hotel, large four
story building In Seventy sixthst, and In the remark
ably brief time OF three minutes the fremen went
through all the movements incident to the rescuing
OF the inmates Of the burned bulldlhS. ihe
lifeline, apparatus which has been In use by this
corps only few months, was thrown over the puiid-
Ing and three fireman who stood upon the roof were
almost in an instant lowered safely to the ground
Then the nfenet which is employed by Chief Bonners
men only when all other Of escape are cut Oh,
was spread and Fireman Mccarthy leaped from the
third story OF the building, dropping safely into tho
net.
The attention OF the crowd then directed to the
fire boats New Yorker and Zophar Mills, which were
anchored in the North River at Seventy hfthst. The
exhibitions given by the crew OF the New Yorker, In
command of Captain Ryan, were highly satisfactory,
II being in the opinion of Chief Bonner the best
vice that has been obtained from the new boat. The
new Hale water tower from the Thirty sixth-st sta
ton stood the bank Of the river distance OF POO
yards from the boat with which 1t was connected by
four lines Of hose. pressure OF 200 pounds was 80
cured and a stream OF water was thrown from the
tower perpendiculaly to height Of 1875 feet. Then
the tower was moved over to the river and another
powerful stream thrown out distance Of 300 feet
One OF the interesting features Of the programme
was the presentation Of the Bennett and Stephenson
medals which took place from the reviewing stand on
Riverside-ave Many well-known men, including
Mayor Grant. Carl Schnrz. Fire Commissioners Henry
D. Purroy, S. Rowland Robbins and Anthony Eickhoff,
Senator John f. Ahearn Albert Gallup and City Cham
| berlain Grain, were present. number Of femen
from other cities including Chief Hendricks, Of tho
New Haven Department, guests Of Chief Bonner
and occupied seats on the stand
Fire Commissioner Purroy called the assemblage to
order and introduced DR.. John Hall, who presented
four gold medals for heroic conduct of remen. The
James Gordon Bennett medal for the year 1880 was
Owen to Fireman william Reilly, of Engine Company
No. a. who rlsked his life in the tenement fire in
Barrowst. In April, 1889, and rescued from the top
story helpless invalid, sixtyi years DID, who would
otherwise have persisted The Bennett medal for the
| year 1890 was given TO Foreman Thomas j. Ahearn,
OF Engine Company No. s. who nearly lost his own life
in the fire at the Consolidated Gas Works, In Twenty
| frstst, when he entered the burning building and
carried out the body of James Devoe. The
stephenson medals, which grow out of the generosity
Of John Stephenson the carbuilder presented 70
| Captain william Duane, of Engine Company No. 80,
and Captain John S. HOnan, of Hook and Ladder Com
pany No. /. The handsome medals appropriately
Inscribed with the name OF the recipient and the oc-
| caslon and cause of their presentation.
DR.. Hall made a short address. In point of dis
cipne he believed the New York Fire Department ex-
celled all the great departments Of this country and
Europe.
Then came the parade, in command Of Chief Bonner
The line consisted of two oattallons Of five companies
each under command of Battalion Chiefs Joseph +.
McCiill and Peter IL. short. Engine Companies Nos.
4 lS Do 30 30 and Hook and Ladder Company No.
were In the first battalion, and Chief shorts COM
mand included the members of Engine Companies Nos.
s. 10, IL :|5 So and Hook and Ladder Company No.
eleven men, all of whom In bright, new uniforms.
The most exciting feature Of the afternoon was the
response to an alarm signal, which closed the ex.
hibluon. From temporary fire alarm box which had
been erected In front OF the reviewing stand, Fire
Commissioner Robbins sent the call 1t was received
at temporary station in Sixty thirdst. where the
$50 fremen aud all the apparatus which had APP
peared in the parade were In waiting. In less than
galoped by the reviewing stand at full speed followed
quickly by engine No IS, and eight other engines and
the hook and ladder trucks. each accompanied by
ten As the procession moved past the reviewing
stand fast as horses could travel, each company
was greeted with cheers.