The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1896-02-23
LONDON FlRsmsN.
Mostly Recruited From the Sea- Must BE
klun Of Nerve.

AANM u
A member of the Metropolitan Gre
brigade, seated In his street shelter
and scowling at the curious public
who peep in at him or hurrying
from ono station 10 another, with
his AK and helmet slung over his
shoulder, is not seen to advantage
He looks surly, and that is precisely
the feeling that is most seldom dis.
played by flromen. They are an in.
torosting body Of men. Most Of
them have been sailors, and, as n
rule, they retain the FREQ and easy
jollity for which seamen have al
ways been celebrated. The brigade
of which they are members has been
in existence for only 30 years, but
the origin Of the FIRE brigade move
ment takes Us back to very ancient
history indeed. There were bri.
gades before the great fire Of 1866,
when each parish employed q few
men whose duty il was TO attend
outbreaks Of fro and do whatever
they could 10 prevent the connagra-
ton spreading. Their only equip.
mont consisted Of n few ladders and
hand squirts about equal 20 thoso
used by our gardeners, and they
could not venture too near the fire
lest they should spoil tho gold lace
ON their uniforms In spite of the
terrible fires that from time 10 time
arose In London, no serious effort
seems 20 have been made 10 render
tho fire brigade moro ollicientuntil
the end of last century, when q
brigade was formed by the insur
anco companies. Thirty years later
tho question was again brought for
ward, and the result was the forma.
ton Of a much moro effective bri.
adoundor James Braidwood, a clev.
or and fearless Scotsman.
Tho on who compose the brigade
are mostly, If not wholly, recruited
from tho sea. Il has been found
that men who have spent a number
of years at sea and become accus.
toned TO danger who can climb era.
zy, swaying ropo ladders In a storm,
and at an emergency can oven make
their way TO the yards without tho
assistance of a ladder, mako by far
tho best flremen. Thoy possess, as
a rule, the s0undost of constitutions
and tho strongest Of nerves, both
being absolutely necessary for fire
brigade service. Before boing al.
lowed 90 assist at an outbreak OF
fire the recruit has 10 pass through
a regular course of instruction and
drill and is taught how 20 overcome
or avoid the difficulties and dangers
that present themselves nc every So
rious fire. Firomon have u multi.
tudo Of duties, and in all these the
recruit Is carefully instructed before
being placed on tho staff Of any sta.
ton. Tho daily drill is very trying
and soon tells tales on any recruit
who does not start with q first rate
constitution. Thoroscue drill is the
most interesting and probably the
most cxacting and taxes tho norves
and tho muscles Of tho men to the
utmost. A building Is supposed To
DO on fire, a fire escape Is run out
and two lromon climb up like mon
keys and jump into a room ON the
second story. One Stimulates a half
suifocatod person, while the othcI
takes the rolo OF roscuer. Tho for.
mor of course romans quito still,
while tho lattor raises him and car.
rios him down tho ladder 20 the
opening Of the shoot Tlcro the ros.
ouor places tho supposed victim head
downward in the not, and, throwing
himself into tho same position, pro.
goods towork his way 90 the ground,
taking caro- that the descent Is not
too rapid. There arc Of course 9th.
or methods Of rescue and II the per.
sons 20 DO rescued retain their con.
seriousness and calmness tho danger
is not nearly so great An itom of
drill that tries tho nerve Of the men
is that Of jumping from a window
over 20 feet from the ground into a
shoot hold out by their comrades be-.
low london sketch
Enormous Cost of a Hog.
OKLAHOMA. O. T., Feb 2l.-John
Stuher Is being tried In the probate
court on a charge Of stealing a hog from
o neighbor. The case has baaa tried five
times, the Jury each time disagreeing,
aud though tho animal was valued At
only e. 10 the costs 60 tho county in the
case have been $780,