The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-10-25
PARADE OF The
fire LADDIES

remOdelled and repalnteu nose WaSo''
and after them came Alexanuers s
Ninth Regiment band, from Wilkes
Barre, leading the members oil the
Hook and Ladder company as they
marched along in front Of their out-ol :
date truck. the sight Of which shouit
fire every councilman In the city WITH
the desire to purchase new and up
to-date and safe piece of apparatus
for the Hooks.
The Lawrence band, attired in white
trousers and dark red coats next ap-
peared in line. in front of the Will
liam Connell Hose company.
Camp 435, Patriotic Order Sons OF
America drum corps followed. head
ing the Centurys. who had large
quota in the parade. prominent among
them being ex-Chief =. D. Hickey,
who was on one end of one OF the
lines and who got quite bit of APP
plause along the line of march The
Centurys were followed by the cum
berland Hose company led bN the
Cumberland Cornet band.
MAYOR WAS PLEASED.
MAYOR Moir expressed himself, after
the parade as being especially pleased
HL tnp Spl'HUlu SHONlilS iii'ii' ~ ''''
the fire and police departments.
"Therc is very little to be desired,
said he ",rhe apparatus was in splen-
did condition and the 1iremen again
demonstrated by their appearance that
they arc the equals of any in the coun-
try. The policemen also made very
fine showing. The appearance of both
departments is a credit to their heads,
,t.., pNl,l
The exhibition given after the par
adc by the life saving corps of the
William Connel Hose company was
the most remarkable performance of
its kind ever seen in this city. 1t
was given on the west side of the four
story Raub building. at the corner of
Spruce street and Breck court.
1t was witnessed by Il crowd of peo-
pie which numbered at least 5000. and
which almost filled Spruce street as
far as Wyoming avenue and which
Overfowcd into the vacant lot to the
west of the Raub building. People
were gathered on all the roofs in the
vicinity. and the windows of every
neighboring building We're full.
1t was n crowd which had It's heart
in its mouth. metaphorcaly speaking,
nearly all the time, as it.,watched the
hazardous feats of the young men
comprising the corps who seemed as
much at ease on their swaying scaling
ladders as if they We're merely walking
up or down stairs.
THE SCALING LADDERS.
The exhibition opened with a dis
play of the method of ascending and
a.
ladders. These ladders are sixteen feet
high and are fitted at the top with
an iron arm or hook which. being
thrown over the window sill holds the
ladder fast. That is to say. it can't
fall but it can and does sway
perilously.
The men used these ladders in as
cending to the roof. Al first one was
used and then a chain of four was
formed from the ground to the roof
in about two minutes time. When the
roof was reached after showing the
several methods of using the scaling
ladders, one of the methods of rescu-
ing people was shown.
A loop was made at one end of a
heavy rope which was carried up and
in this one of the members sat. He
was lowered from the roof to the
ground in less than fifteen seconds
and the rope was then nuled up and
lowered again until six OF seven had
reached the ground this way.
Then another method was shown
The rope was fastened on the roof and
one of the men wound several loops
of it around the steel hooks which he
wears fastened to his belt. BY holding
the slack with his left hand he was
enabled to go fast or slow or stop en-.
tirely on his way to the ground
Another member of the corps stpoG
IN the fourth story window and as
the first came down the rope he
caught hold of him around the neck
and both descended to the ground ir
safety.
In case of "A fire the rope is fastened
to some heavy article of furniture ir
the room and the person to be rescued
is then taken down ass.was the mar
yesterday. Even with the combined
weight of the two the speed can bt
slackened.
TAKING PEOPLE OUT.
y clever exhibition was also givel
of the method of carrying down un
conscious persons on an ordinary trucl
ladder. Perhaps the most daring thin.
done was an exhibition of the use o
the life net. The net which is abou
ten feet in diameter was held by ;
number of the members of the com
pany and several members of thu
corps jumped into it from the uppe
stories.
Several jumped from the third foo
but it remained for Lieutenant JOIN
McGraw to drop from the fourtl
floor, a distance of over fifty feet
He didn't spend much time in maxim:
up his mind. He simply appeared II
the window; shouted "all ready" an,
jumped, landing safe and sound an,
laughing right in the center of tn
net.
The exhibition was given under tn
direction of Captain Sterling Linnel
and was participated in by the follow
ing members of the corps: Lieutenan
John McGraw, John Fink, Davi
Binke. Ernest Simrell, Fred Sullivan
William Reilly, John Connell, Joh
Murray, Walter Apanalp and Waite
Quick.
I'M ARGUMENT COIJRT