The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1896-08-01
THE TEST WAS A SUCCESS.
Fire FleeS Before the Rescue COmpany'S
Chemical Engine.
THOUSANDS SEE THE EXHIBITION
Enthusiasm over the Results and Praises
showered Upon the Rescue for Their En-
terprising and Prosperous work--Im-
portant Joint Committee Action.

pOIbdub JOlut OOulIllIbee ACblOu,
Fully five thousand people turned out last
evening to witness the testing Of the Rescue
Hook & Ladder Company's chemical engine,
and so far as can be learned not one in the
great gathering left the grounds disappointed,
or displeased. The test was made on the
base ball grounds near the Kelley Run col
liery and the sheds in Fowler's lumber yard
and Crafts screen factory. The railroad en-
bankment and Kelley Run breaker afforded
excellent seats of a grand stand order.
The test was attended by considerable cere-
mony and the enthusiasm in behalf Of the
volunteer firemen ran high, the Rescue boys
being the recipients of compliments and con-
CALCULATIONS on all sides for the enterprising
and progressive spirit they have exhibited.
The Rescue boys deserve all the praise that is
being showered upon them. For several
months past they have made a record in the
enlargement and improvement of their
facilities to fight fire that would reflect credit
upon a much larger and far richer company,
They have enlarged their apparatus room to
almost double its former size, have pur-
chased an additional team of large, fine look
ing horses, and have the purchase of a fifth
horse in negotiation, have invested in a sub
stantial and attractive transfer truck, and
now come forward with a chemical engine.
With these additions to their hook and ladder
truck the company stands better equipped
for fire service than any other in this county
and equal to many of the best in the state.
At about seven o'clock last evening Mar
shall Hughes, the head driver for the company,
started from the headquarters seated on the
new chemical engine drawn by John" and
bill, - as fine a team of horses as ever pulled
an apparatus over the streets of town. The
latter horse is one of the recent purchases
and the team has been assigned for Mr..
Hughes regular use. He is justly proud of it.
Accompanying the apparatus were Messrs. r.
Rose Holloway and G. f. Callaghan, repre-
%senting the manufacturers of the engine for
the test, and several members of the Rescue
company. The First Lithuanian Band ar
rived upon the testing grounds soon after the
apparatus and played 1.-THE Mckinley Club
March" while final arrangements were made
for the exhibition.
The following joint committee of members
of the Borough Council and citizens was
selected to witness and pass upon the results
of the test COuncilmen A. D.. Gable, +. E..
Magargle and Daniel Coakley and Messrs.
George Folmer, Michael Graham, James
Grant, George W. Beddall, p. J. Ferguson
and James Kane. The committee was under
the care of Joseph Temple, of the Rescue
members, and assigned a position where all
work in connection with the test could be
observed.
The program was to set on fire q small
shanty filled with material of the most in
hammable kind at hand and after the fire
had secured full Roadway to see how soon it
pnu1I Ia. ,v4;,up;,l,l H., Al, ,,rr;,, g Al,
chemical engine. The structure erected for
the purpose was a skeleton of very light
boards ~ feet high, IL feet deep and 10 feet
wide, 1t was filled with old store boxes,
waste paper and cast off pitch barrels M the
whole, including the structure itself, was
thoroughly saturated with coal oil, so that
no doubt was left as to the intlammable
character Of the structure.
At exactly 1871 minutes after Z o'clock the
torch was applied. The oil and pitch ignited
in an instant and with a great roar the flames
shot h%eavenward. 1t seemed that the shanty
and all its contents would be consumed be.
fore the flremen could pick up the hose. The
heat became so intense Immediately after the
fire started that the great crowd surged away
to escape the effects. The fire was
allowed TO rage almost half a min
ute and by that time seemed to
have progressed as far as possible without
Transforming the shanty into complete ruin.
At a given signal Mr. allaghan, dressed in an
old suit of clothes for the purpose and carry
ing a wet sponge between his teeth, dashed
towards the burning pile with a hose con-
nected with the chemical engine in hand. He
was assisted in carrying the hose forward by
several members of the Rescue company.
Mr., Callaghan quickly operated the shut-off
nozzle, there was a suffering and spraying
of white fluid, and almost instantly the
blazing furnace was transferred into a black
smouldering mass and the shanty still
stood erect. The fluid from the chemical
engine had done its work so quickly that the
flames were cut off before they could eat
their way through the thin boards of the
structure. One of the citizens committee,
Mr.. Beddall, timed the operation with a stop
watch and announced that the fire was ex-
tinguished in So seconds. The fire was re-
kindled and with the shut-off nozzle in the
hands of Joseph Nader, one Of the Rescue
members, the flames were extinguished in 20
seconds. The second fire was not as strong
as the first, still it was fierce enough Ia
make Mader's work surprising.
The test was followed by more music by
the band, after which the committee Of
judges and invited guests proceeded to the
Rescue company's headquarters. Tit joint
committee held a meeting in the company
parlors, Councilman Gable presiding. Messrs
Gable, Coakley, Ferguson, Graham, Grant
Kane, Beddall, Folmer and Magargle madt
short addresses on their observations of the
test and strongly endorsed the apparatus
used. The Rescue Company was also highly
complimented and the remarks were eventu
ally concentrated in a sentiment thatit would
be only fair for the taxpayers to sustain the
cost of the apparatus and the best and easiesi
method TO bring this about would be al
action by the Borough Council to purchase
the engine. 1t was also the sentiment of th'
committee that a second chemical engine
should be purchased for one of the othel
companies and that even three Of the engines
would be a wise expenditure.