The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-05-06
THE FIREMEN DRILL.
VISITORS MARVEL AT THE
sKILFUL WORK OF THE MEN.

r,.Cbies homer Took Charge of the Exhi-
hilton, aud the Fire Fighters Did All
s,rts of stunts, from Responding to an
Alarm to Jumping Into Life Nets.
r,.Chief Hugh Bonner and two fire com
nar,os illustrated New York's methods OF
sch,ine fire and saving life for the edifcation
otarorty OF Englishmcn in and around Fire
uoadnuartcrs, on Fast Sixty-seventh street.
In.t night. The party was made up OF Ernest
rur,rd a director OF the Cunard line; Sir
,horles Hunter, Mr.. j. Harbotter and Mr..
Cly,Io Daley. who ia in the British consular
saryice. The party. with the exception OF
Mr. DALEY. arrived here on tho Lucania
last week, and on Thursday night were enter
,oired AT dinner by ex-Mayor Abram \. Hew-
az Mr.. Hewitt was expatiating on the WON
,larfuI efficiency OF the local Fire Department
whom one q. the visitors asked IL it would be
ros.ihlo 70 see the fremen drill. Mr.. Hewitt
sad he would see what he could do about the
matter, and wrote to Commissioner Scannell.
vlpnr,aNgod last nights exhibition.
The Marty arrived at Fire Headquarters att
,,,,s and w,r, introduced to Mr.. Bonner.
xh, had been selected 10 conduct the exhibit
,,oc hy commissioner Scannell because OF his
III torior Knowledge OF the details of the fire.
mons work. After an inspection OF the quar-
tors Of the men the party went into the rear
court. where three large calcium lights had
boon rlacod. sending a blaze OF light over the
whole back Of the building. Mr.. Scannell ex-
rlained 10 the visitors that calcium lights we're
not used at fires in New York. but said the city
was now considering the ACCESSIBILITY Of send
ing thom ont to all two-alarm fires occurring
after dark.
prhl chief John McAdam was in command
n, tie men selected tn show the Englishmen
N ,,. N,r. prnu,ap do THAR work He had
ten men under him. among them being three
frameu who distinguished themselves at the
Windsor Hotel fire. EdwariF Ford OF Truck 20.
bernard McDermott Of Truck n. and Edward
swnony Of Truck 4. The mon first
showed how they got up side walls
with sealing ladders. the entire ten making
tter way from the ground to the roof
Of Fire. Headquarters in this way. Next. a
strong cord was shot from a mortar to the roof
o' the hu tld,nE. The tlremen hauled up a rope
which was attached TO the cord. made it fast.
and hen began to descend. Each man stopped
a, some one window on his way down to take
another man from it in his arms and bring him
ia the ground. The men did their work 80 rap
an, and apparently with such ease that the
Tngli-hm"n were amazed and applauded them
literally
several Of the nrrmen jumped from the first
floor INTO the nets. but it remained for Fireman
70 - make the NlSltOrS open tnelT eyes. tie
" u m TO the third floor and without a
n. m r. Jnmued out of the window into a net
hi, umpanions held for him. To show how
servireahie the nets really are. a .1BO-pOund
dummy was thrown from the roof of the build
inC into the not. The 1remen caught 1t sue
c~oe-fully and not a man lost his gripon the net.
out Of the men and hitching Of the horses in
the Iuarters Of Truck IL and Engine 30. which
are IN the Fire Headquarters building. they
went over to Park avenue and Sixty-seventh
street. in front OF the Seventh Regiment
Armorv, where eK-Chief Bonner turned In an
alarm. The truck and engine from Fire Head
quarters responded promptly. and in exactly
three minutes. an .eighty-fve-t foot extern
sion ladder had been raised alongside
the armory and fremen were on II playing a
iour-inch stream of water on the roof. Capt.
Donohue OF the East Sixty-seventh street sta
ton turned out his reserves with equal prompt
ness, and the fire lines we're established in a
jify. There was plenty for the policemen to
do. too, for a tremendous crow collected. and
word went al over the neighbOrhood that the
Seventh Regiment Armory was on fire.
The visitors were greatly pleased at what
they saw and said all kinds of nice things to
Mr.. Scannell when they returned to Fire
Headquarters. To a SUN reporter Mr.. Cunard
said:
" For rapid work and clever mechanical con-
%trivanceS the New York Fire Department ex-
GELS anything I have ever seen or heard Of. It
Is truly marvellous the way these men did their
work tonight. New York may well be proud
Of her Fire Department.
Mr.. Cunard. Sir Charles Hunter and Mr.. Har-
botter will sail for home to-day on the Lucania.