Omaha daily bee., 1902-11-20
ROUND ABOUT NEW YORK.
RippIes on the Current of Life I'm the
Metropolis.


RippIes on the Current of Life I'm the
Metropolis.
A notable exhibition Of up-to-date FIRE
fighting apparatus was given in New York
last Sunday. Ever since tall buildings
became a feature OF cities the problem
Of fire protection has been a serious one to
municipal authorities and fire insurance
companies. Fireproof construction does not
remove the anxiety, for hreproof buildings
do burn. Besides, the height Of skyscrap-
ers place them to a large extent beyond the
range Of fire hose and fire engines. The
skyscraper chosen for the test of the stand
pipe system was the Flatiron, so named
because OF its shape, located at the inter-
section Of Broadway and Twenty-third
street. The building is equipped with the
best known system Of standpipes. by means
Of which any floor may be flooded. The
main question was whether water could be
forced to the top Of the building, 3O4 feet
from the sidewalk. Two Of the most power
full engines in the fire service were used,
and nine streams Of water were poured out
Of the windows of the top floor. when
the connection was made" says the World,
"the water pressure at the hydrant on
engine 1 was twenty-four pounds, and on
Engine IA twenty-one pounds. Engine l
is the most powerful steamer in the de-
partment. being capable Of pumping 1000
gallons a minute. Engine las capacity is
300 gallons.
Engine 1 was first used In getting a
single stream to the roof. This was &C,
complished without much difficulty, and in
a few minutes the gauge at the nozzle,
which was one and one-eighth inches in
diameter, showed a working pressure of
100 pounds. Similar results were obtained
when a Observation-Disclosures nozzle was
used.
Next nine simultaneous streams we're
thrown across Broadway from windows on
each floor, beginning at the thirteenth
story and ending at the roof. The nozzles
used for these streams each measured
three-quarters Of an inch. The water for
this display was furnished by Engine 1
working at its full capacity. The steam
gague registered 142 pounds pressure to the
square inch and the water pressure at the
engines pump was 300 pounds. The pres
sure at the nozzle on the roof was forty
seven pounds"
Ideas count for success, even in street
begging. Old tricks become tiresome
through familiarity. The mendicant of the
present day, II he would live we'll, must get
something new. One Of the latest lodges
Of the New York solicitor of aims Is heroic.
It first arouses the indignation Of the VIC
tim, then pacihes him, and finally wins his
sympathy and his money. 1t is worked in
this way: A shabbily attired man hurries
along the steet, apparently unconscious of
his surroundings. He expectorates, as
though by chance, on to the well-polished
shoe Of a passerby. Before the man has
time to protest the mendicant drops on his
knees and, with the remnants of a WELL
worn handkerchief, rubs way at the soiled
shoe, meanwhile pouring forth profuse
apologies. Nine times out of ten he gets
a dime for his pollteness.
The tremendous amount Of business
transacted in the course of a year on the
floor of the New York Stock exchange, says
a New York letter, can be understood only
by an examination of the figures for a
recent financial publication. Making a
condensed use OF his figures we find these
facts: During 1879 the sales of shares of
stock recorded amounted to "A, 166, 652, and
in both 1881 and 1882 they exceeded 49,
000, 900. But in the next year they dropped
to $4,000, 900, and, with the exception OF
the year 1886, suffered a steady decline to
1890, when they we're only Sc. 200, 900.
In the three years. following there was
a slight reaction, but in 1895 the sales
reached the lowest point they have known
In a quarter of a century-9, 600. 900. From
that year they increased steadily up to
1899, when they reached the hitherto I'M
precedented figure of 173, $40, 943. In 1900
they declined to 140, 900 900, but this was
greater than in any year in the history
of the exchange except 1899, and In 1901
they amounted to the tremendous total
Of PSI, 7s6, 341. This last year was an
exceedingly lively one on the exchange,
both in the wide range and rapid fuctu-
ations in prices and in the number of
times the previous record of sales in a
single session was broken. The year
opened we'll, with transactions averaging
over 1900, 900 a day and on January 7, for
the first time In the history Of the ex-
change the sales recorded on the ticker
passed the 1900, 900 mark, reaching a
total OF 2, 164, 500. The contest for the con-
troll Of Northern Pacific began early in
the year and so lively did the trading
become that on April 4 the 1000, 900 mark
was again passed. Fifteen days later the
record was again broken by a total OF
2,226, 700 sales. For two weeks following
his the sales exceeded 1000, 900 daily, the
total for the week ending May 4 beine
1t, 626, 1892. Twice in this week the daily
sales exceeded'3 900, 900; on Tuesday. April
80, the highest mark ever attained on the
New York Stock exchange was reached
with a record of 1895, 900 shares sold, and
on May 9, the day of the crisis, the sales
amounted to $500, 800. 1t is worth noting
that in this period the record in sales OF
a single stock was also made, the sales OF
Union Pacific reaching eco, 900 on April "a.