The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-06-02
FIGHTING A FIRE.
Topeka Department Gives a
Thrilling Exhibition.
Work on an Imaginary Blaze in
City Hall.
TOOK BUT 80 SECONDS.
In That Time a Stream Was on
the Roof.
Excellent Feats of Climbing on
the Aerial Ladder.
OOK BUT 80 SECONDS.

An immense crowd thronged Quincy
street in the vicinity of fire department
headquarters this morning to witness
the service test" of Topeka's fire fight
ing apparatus, arranged by Fire Mar
shall C. O. Wilmarth. 1t was one of
the most interesting and instructive
displays of the kind ever given in the
city. and furnished a good supply Of
thrills" for the audience-some OF
them rather damp thrills
1T was my purpose" says Chief Will
marth, Ito show as nearly as possible
under the conditions, how we would go
to work to fight fire on top of a big
building like the Auditorium. We had
no men stationed on top of the build
ing beforehand"
After the crowd had been par
TALLY driven back from the fire Depart
ment to give a runway for the apparat-
us, a fire alarm was turned in and the
apparatus dashed out and made the cir
cult of the block north of the fire de-
partment. Chief Wimarth arrived first,
rushed into the front door of the city
hall, and presumably located the fire in
the roof. He at once gave orders for
the chemical and two hose lines to be
taken to the roof while the aerial lad
der was thrown up by the side of the
building. Firemen at once went to the
roof through the interior of the build
fing, and drew UP the chemical and
hose lines with ropes over the cornice
blocks. A stream of water was on the
roof 80 seconds after the department
arrived.
A stream was then taken to the top
of the aerial ladder and thrown to a
height OF about $50 feet. The two way
siamese was then coupled up, and the
big hose taken to the top of the aerial,
rom which a powerful stream was
thrown. Hose No. 8 then coupled up a
three-way siamese, which consists of
three 21z inch streams of water all con-
centrated in one pipe. This throws a
stream 1A inches in diameter and the
water was shot at least 100 feet into
the air from the ground for a continu-
Gus period of 20 minutes.
Meantime some fancy ladder climb
ing was being done by the aerial truck
corps. The extension ladder was set up
from the ground, and a squad of men
sent to the top of the building in a
hurry. The big aerial was then ex-
tended to its full height of IS feet
straight up in the air, and four of the
pest climbers in the department went
up one side and down the other. The
four men were Goodrich, Petit Lucas
and Hopper Some of the other aerial
men, who are equally good climbers
are too heavy for this risky climb over
the top of the trembling extension lad
der. This feat of climbing pleased the
crowd immensely, and they gave each
climber applause, as he reached the
top of the ladder and went over on the
down trip.
giving an exhibition of various STYLES
of nozzles used in fire fighting. The
Boose-neck MOBILES for attic and cellar
work were exhibited. These nozz1es
throw fiat stream of spray calcrIa-
ted to submerge the whole wall snaca
of q room and smother a fire which for
any reason is hard to get at with the
solid streams.