The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1893-09-16
MADE THE BRITONS GASP.
Kansas City Firemen Astonish Staid
Old London.

Old London.
Rarely does an American get chance
to shock staid old London. But there
was one man in Chicago yesterday who
lately gave the town authorities and dig
nitaries spasm of astonishment that
they will not soon forget.
He is a small man with just a sprinkle
of gray in his inky hair. He has a
deeply sparkling eye that never blinks,
and is as quick and alert as the tight,
snugly knit and wirey muscles on his
iron legs and arms. His mouth is that
Of disciplinarian, and yet is capable Of
the warmest possible smile. He is Chief
George g. Hale of the Kansas City fire
department. He has but recently re-
turned from the international fire con-
gress at London, where he and his nine
agile men with their trained fire horses,
water. tower. swinging harnesses, and
score of other odd devices, were not only
made the lions of the hour but also
awarded a handsome gold medal
each as the best fire fighters on earth.
Chief Hale briefly related yesterday
his experience in the tight little island.
"On June ~" he said, "the contest
came off. There was only one company
entered against us-one of the metropol-
itan fire brigades of London. They
went first. l watched them jump out Of
their hunks, button up their coats and
buckle on their great belts. had brass
poles provided for my men to slide down
on. The English fremen looked at them
suspciously and then scrambled down
the less dangerous stairway.
ssThaxx intn Tho h,,il1;nrv
for their horses, as the sanitary laws of
London do not permit horses to be
stabbed in buildings containing sleeping
apartments. They had to put on the
harness and slip the tongue of the engine
in place. Finally when they came out
the great crowd went mad with enthusi-
asm.
"When the Judge announced the time,
one minute and seventeen seconds, a
crowd gathered about and began to ban
ter me. 'Eh, America, what do you
think of thatl one old man cried, clap
ping me soundly on the shoulder. told
him it was good work. / knew we could
get out in less than a minute, but
wanted to increase the English agony as
much as possible. We got all ready. At
the clang of the bell we tumbled out of
bed, down the poles we ripped. Clang
went the harness on the horses, and they
rushed to their places unaided. There
was rumble and we were out, spick and
span. Everybody looked at their
watches, and when the Judge announced
eight and one -ha I seconds the people
fairly gasped.
''Then they broke loose in regular
hurricane. A half dozen grabbed me
and pulled me along. What's the mat
terr l yelled, apprehensive of violence.
They didn't answer. l was pulled and
hauled up into the royal box and intro
duced to Sir Somebody and Lady So and
So the lord mayors of London, Dublin,
York, and score of provincial mayors
in gold cord and powdered wigs.
1--WE were dined later by the Lord
Mayor of London.
"The London fire brigade did not
show up again. We were invited to
give daily exhibitions.
"We did. You should have seen
those English crowds. They were
thunderstruck with our exhibition of
climbing with pompiers. They said we
were better than a circus. Two of my
men-John Egnar and Herman Greggs-
used to be circus tumblers. You can i'm
agine the exclamation of the Britons
when one of them would rush up lad
der twenty feet, throw himself into mid
air, turn couple of somersaults and
light on his feet, grab a nozzle and turn
a handspring and then tear up the ladder
again.
"Chief Hale and his men were the
only Americans present at the compe-
titiOn. Representatives from Russia,
Portugal, France, Germany and Belgium
were also in ATTENDANCE. Mr.. Hale
further gave exhibitions in the Royal
Agricultural Hall at Islington and Vic
toria Park, London, and in Glasgow.
He says that while the foreign fire de-
partments are crude, buildings are con-
structed with more care and with view
to greater protection from fire in Europe
than in this country. ~ Chicago Inter
Ocean.