New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-06-03
nANGER IN THE FIRE BELL.
.oox1YN PEOPLE WHO OBJECT TO ITS
WARNING CLANG.
ns SAY IT HAS AND MAY CAUSE PANICs
- rHEATREs-How IT ALARMS PEOPLE AT
,,cur-PNEUMATIC TIRES FOR THE
ENGINE wHEELs-wHAT CHIEF
FERRY SAYS.

FERRY SAYS.
..orrse il IS right and proper that when there Is
VI a big city nothing should stand IN the way
s"neav gathering of the machines that put the
fire Out, .... soros rsonle-nrogressve peo-
= sonle who observe and thlnk-"ho nave reacheu
ps pe~ciusion that the CHATTER and bang and clang
the V% the clang attendant upon the rush OF
pai'Sn ,,res might be somewhat lessened.
l' "a Cor excellent reasons. too Not long ago there
Anu sr,au fire in South Slxth-st. Williamsburg
tonanled by the usual assortment OF narrowing
AI 49, the nre-englnes rumbled and bumped past the
n0'e' tbeatre The people in the theatre nervous
e hocame frightened at the changing OF the oeIis
Fvp' manic was caused. There was no loss OF me-
tho ,,. but the incident served to set some peo-
io"u,.,,rq Joseph W. Frankel, one Of the man
pc Brooklyn theatre, Is one OF those ioiK'
&c said: ,o,, ,,,as thu, pedestrians on
80, might be warned OF the approach OF the
's ,s.s and saved from being run over Also 10
ems wagons and other vehicles TO get out OF the
va" ca far the bell served good purpose. IT
TS, a,,,, became the signal of a fire. and wheh
e',c,,g NJ this bell was heard everybody WITHIN
~ssr kne,c that some ones house was on nre'
Do "a no bell which has the same awful terrifying
' .s az this same fire bell 1t has more eHeet on
W.. nerves than the ringing Of all the o'her MINUS
o.. ., :, the city put together. Now 1t seems 10
~ ~
80, that some modification OF this a"iui Gang
ta''e ~ adopted by the fire department.
ms could De du'pON -
80 instant that people in theatre hear the en-
-. ,esr mas. the door during a performance they
- tina, the fire Is in or near the theatre' anu
Immediately arises the danger OF panic with
NE horror attendant upon panics where there are
gatherings Of people AT night when foK are III
ss,,sv are suddenly awakened by the harsh warn
e74 ~" cha a-e bell The fire may be blocks. miles
We hr, that awful bell suggests that an I'M
80 escape from their own house Is imperative
car readily see that the effect of this startling
'V- ,.n,,r mon nervous women. or nervous men,
,y,lids or children is bad
,.o,sr ENOUGH WITHOUT THE BELL.
"WeN but ~ :.
mvs, 7 know II is necessary to ring the pen III
.,sr 10 prevent people from being run over No"
10 The catier that the engines make. the rat
~ ,na wheels and the pounding Of the horses
80. mako noise enough 10 warn any one not GEAR
- hund that the engines coming The chiet
.r,rs which travels much faster than any OF the
apparatus does not carry a oeii' yet we w NV
hear o. !. ~ the Wheels and pounding OF hoofs
vo1ldr't that scare people just as much as ''e
's ayo Brewery wagons. butcher carts, elevated
railroad trains tToeycars iisnI -a az fashions past
,Sssre o- ten-stOry hotel for all they are worth.
and scare ~or.q ionow: s1tenfen 70 them. 1t
nT,ksni ~ that s.gnfcan horrible bang of the FIRE
bell that jars peopes nerves hr51e5 rs 2 nnt
Then YOU think that dong away with the Del =,
"WonM 10 away with the possibility OF pancs IA
,,as,vss nails where people congregate churches
and nriya,e houses which might be on the Ioute %
engines y going to FIRE. Ana do not see why the
.sa nssi when the volunteer fire department was
nv ns Sas scr; Of call 10 arms as it were. and
Mas escaped the many and important changes that
nav ne 0[ Sowntown districts Of Newly rk man runs
ahead Of the machine and keeps the track clear.
ing SsIi YET believe they still cling 10 it..
sWouN Won suggest a man running ahead OF
the engine: here
PNEUMATIC TIRES SUGGESTED.
81 do not think it necessary. AS / said BEFORE
the machines and horses make all the noise heces-
sary 10 keep people out Of the way. l would even
20 further This is a progressive age why would
Il not be practicable TO put pneumatic tires on the
wheels Of the machines? They would run easier
be less weight for the horses TO pull anu c0HSe-
That Would make them noselsss"
"Yes. ana 50 much the better The clatter OF the
horses hoofs would make al! the noise necessary
10 warn people out OF the way 49, .,,... I'D
Mr.. Frankei is interested in this subject, ana
i Sf rpFesen fsi'5 70 the Fire. Department,
b interested in the matter
There is a law in England" he said. that com
I<l,s all fire appara ringing bells when
passing a church in which service is being held a
hal during the holding OF meeting, OF theatre
SSs sfs 's'''" ""y 'o'' Ia" '0''a mo- OBTAIN
have the same effect as the ringing Of the be!l?'
mo; at all Other wagons do not cause people
peoples minds with fire. that does the mischief"
Here Mr.. Washburne went over much the same
ground ala Mr.. Frankel with regard - the bell
ss distinguished from the noise OF the wheels ana
horses Referring 10 the panic in the theatre. NJ
while 1t did not amount to much, it might have
been serious Had the engines ratified past during
FNFFa sffN n lgh .
Danger. There were 800 children in the theatre.
Had the feeling OF panic struck them we could no,
large windows OF the gallery were open. Had the
Ssvs ss Sgs9me hey would pTooa Y
e esn reason "i,n grown people you Know but win
Mr. Wsshburne thought It not only possible but
Necessary, that the bell should be abolished from
the engine
THE OPINION OF AN OLD FIREMAN.
Assls'an, Chief Engineer John Perry had just
cane in from a fire in a varnlsn factory when the
reporter asked him for the side Of the story.
lie promptly went over the old ground that Il,
was necessary to have the bell to save peop.e from
II you did away with the bell" he said, you
rv Vao ma that more people would be run over ana
Killed than would be frightened at the sound Of It,
,, MATS your opinion Of the idea that pneumatic
s sasss ssu-a be placed on the wheels Of the ma
And one Of the tires became punctured-a pos
tteLty you VIII a.low-that engine might be too
a.s a. the fire 70 be Of much They might as
wei pu; pneumatic shoes the horses. No. ! do
~ mink much OF scheme"
lou 90 rot carry a bell your buggy. Chief. and
90 faster than the engines. Yet you do not run
That's because drive carefully" was the reply
men, again. "a buggy Is easily turned aside OF
ssmDyssa A heavy engine truck is not so easily
ss-1ee NO 10, they won't do away with the bell OF
'as apparatus Just yet
80 teere an emphasis the Just YETI
eva cn coupled with the twinkle In the old freman's
VIZ mean, d great deal.
TIE NArT YARD INQCIRY ENDED