The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-10-27

line with It. This is picked up by the fire
man on the roof. and by 1t lie pulls up a
stronger rope. This he makes fast to the
chimney or some otter fastening. Then lie
puts on a broad-webbed belt, to which Is
fastened an immense steel hook or snap.
takes two half bitches of the rope around
this hook. and lowers himself over the
roof. By graspins the rope with the right
hand. and the hook with the left, he may
lower himself at any speed desired.
When there is an unconscious man to
be lowered. the operation is somewhat diff
ferent. Then the rope is placed around the
unconscious man so that it forms q cradle.
from which 1t Is impossible for him to
slip, and he Is lowered 10 the ground.
1t takes but slight stretch of the magma
tion to wildly picture in ones mind the
burning OF a building. hotel. factory or
apartment house. where perhaps scores of
human lives are endangered. Then the life
saving corps of the Fire Department would
come to the rescue ard perform heroic
work. Such events are not OF frequent &C.
currence. even in great cities. tu. they GO
transpire. Il is wet to meet the einersefl-
cies. especially when the cost OF equipment
and maintenance of such a school Is so
email.
JUMPING INTO THE NET.
There, are times IN the progress OF a fire
when scores OF lives may be Endangered.
and there is absolutely no opportunity TO
save them, either by means or the sealing
ladder or the life line. One or two modes
OF action confront those who are In danger.
They must either remain in the building
and be burned to death, or jump from a
third, fourth, fifth or sixth story window.
Until quite recently there has been no es-
cape provided for such victims. but within
the last year there has been introduced a
Hfe-saylng net, which has been marvellous
ly effective in its work. 1t Is circular in
form and about ten feet in diameter. IT
net proper is made of strong cord. fastened
to q circular wooden frame. and so sup
ported on the under side by supplementary
springs attached to the center Of the end
and thence to the frame that impact Of a
falling body Is so broken as to prevent in
jury. Only q few months ago this life-sav-
ing net was used with great success at q
large apartment-house fire in Upper New
York, where more than twenty lives were
saved. In this particular instance more
than twenty people were left In a building
which was burning with frightful rapidity
with absolutely no means Of escape other
than jumping from the third. fourth and
fifth stories, a distance Of many feet.
This was the first real test in actual prac-
tice OF tho life-saving net, and the eight
men who held 1t out beneath the windows
where the frightened victims were gathered
performed their part in the service with cour-
age and intelligence. It took considerable
persuasion on the part OF Chief Croker to
induce a woman In a third-story window
to Jump into the net, but 1t soon resolved
itself into a choice for her between death
by fire or a possible escape by jumping into
the net. and she chose the latter. She was
caught and lifted out to the ground. suf-
fering no injury whatever. The others,
seeing the success Of this operation, fol.
lowed her example more rapidly. and soms