New-York tribune., 1903-07-12
SCHOOL FOB FIREMEN.
Work Done by Chief McAdams tn
Training Fire Fighters.

York Fire Department placed the re-
dred list at his own request Ever since this
city has had school for fire fghters-Tnore
than twenty years-Chief McAdams has been at
It's head and every in the department,
with the exception Of four five Brooklyn
battalion Chiefs graduated under him.
In the last twenty years no less than thirty
Ave thousand 6remen have passed through his
hands The last four heads OF the departments
Bonner. now building up fire department in
Manila for the government; Shay, Croker and
Purroy, the present chief-are graduates More
than that, twenty-five cities in the United
States have sent to New-York for the
regular sixty days course In life saving and
fire fighting These men have returned home
and have instructed their own departments in
the New-York methods, which McAdams's
methods.
But the reputation of the chief instructor and
his school Is by confined to the
United States. Officers of departments in vari-
foreign countries from Germany to New
Zealand, have spent the under him. There
have been many visiting fire commissions sent
from abroad to study American methods and
appliances. They all found food for thought in
the New-York school
Last fail, when the fire chiefs of the United
States held their convention in this city. many
foreign chiefs attended. One of them was G.
A. W. Parker. chief of the department Of Man
chester England He is somewhat of a giant.
strong as steel. and handsome as he is gruf.
He strOde into headquarters in East Sixty-sev-
enth-st. and demanded:
Show McAdams. I've been hunting for
him for two days. and you've got to produce
him"
He was taken across the yard and introduced
TO a stocky broad shouldered individual with
the mustache of q German dragoon and the
broadest, happest smile that wrinkled
face
Are you McAdams?" cried the Manchester
chief.
We'll, you're looking about all that is left
of him." said the chief instructor.
Blast if there's not jolly good deal of
you leftg' said Chief Parker; and L want to
tel you that you've caused more trouble
than any man alive
How IS that?" asked Chief MoAdams.
DO you remember that a year or two ago a
commission OF big bugs from Manchester came
over here 10 investigate fire fighting?"
i do remember They several of our
drills"
That's il. That's just the trouble. Now,
every time We have bad fire or few lives are
lost, The commissioners come to me, saying:
Why don't you so 10 McAdaMS and learn how
to nght fres?'"
The chief instructor has been a hard man to
fud since he went on the retired list. He has
mad no vacation III twenty years, SASSPl luS
Sundays Of each week. and he made for the
country the day his resignation accepted
A Tribune reporter saw him the other afternoon,
however, in his cOsey apartments near Fire
Headquarters, and he talked most Interestingly
Of his services. and the improvements which
have grown out Of it
1t was q disastrous fire about 1882 which
started the school for hrenen in New-York,'
he began. "a skyscraper in flames proved to be
lar out Of reach Of any Of the ladders which
the department possessed. and people in the
upper stories had to drop from the slls to death
o. the pavement below, or fail back into still
more horrible death by burning From all parts
OF the city came the cry, Find some way to
save lives in high building fires"
The commissioners junketed through Eu-
rope and visited many cities in the United
Hoeu IL St Louis He was the inventor OF the
scaling ladder, and had no trouble demonstrat-
ing its usefulness. They brought him to New
York to instruct our fremen in its use. There
vas a call for volunteers to spend sixty days In
the training school l was lieutenant and as
sistant foreman Of Engine No. p in those days,
and was one Of six who took try at it. The
other FIVE were privates. and every one of them
been q sailor, but 1 had always found that 1
could DO what any other could do when 1t
was a case of nerve, muscle and activity. So l