New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-24
ELLIS ISLAND PREPARED.
Employees There Trained in Fire
Fighting.

Months before tho Iroquois Theatre horror sent
the owners Of public buildings and municipal off,
cials scurrying TO safeguard the places in which
are gathered large crowds, immigration Com
missioner Williams had organized a fire brigade
on Ellis Island and established a network Of
water mains and hose pipes that makes fire there
practically impossibilty.
A danger greater than that of fire exists the
island-that Of the hordes OF ignorant immigrants
becoming panicstricken without Even II
the hundreds that often the island became
stricken with terror, the finely drilled staff of
poyes under the inspectors and the numerous exits
in every direction would rob a stampede of most Of
its danger.
At time when immigration is at normal level.
from fifteen hundred to two thousand immigrants
OF the lowest types that admitted to this coun
try often detained overnight in the dormtorles
| OF the big administration building. To care for
these people there are about thirty matTons and
two hundred immigration inspectors. With the
other employes-clerks stenOgraphers and scrub
womsn-there is always disciplined force ready
to cope with any emergency.
In case of fire every member OF the Ellis Island
force has his assigned station and work. The
chiefs OF each division have under them several
men. They themselves are the nozzle men ana
have the command OF their particular line over
them all Commissioner Williams and his lieu
tenant, William Leonard the chief inspector, who
organized and drilled the fire brigade to its present
efficiency. In the powerhouse are engines capable
Of throwing two and half inch stream through
every hose in the building.
Scattered at regular intervals through all the
buildings hand fire extnguishers that have
been subjected to searching test and which have
extinguished a fire of kerosene soaked wood and
excelsior in less than ten seconds. II fire should
be discovered IN any place Ellis Island there il
always a rack Of these extnguishers Immediately
at hand. II the first application fails 10 put out
the blaze then the discoverer of the fire has TO
sound alarm. Set at near intervals In the wall
signals which require only the smashing OF a
An sbaet off, oil nd ha fup Of he
to turn out everybody the island. from the
Commissioner TO the scrubwOmen, and get them 10
their posts in less than minute.
Then the pipe and nozzle men, whose posts
in the section fire. turn their streams. The
fire plugs situated fifty feet apart, with a
reel of fifty feet of hose attached, and only need
the water turned TO be OF
BY the time the water Is pouring on the blaze
the matrons are at their stations among tho women
immigrants in the various pens on the outside
OF these pens are big double doors that when
the room All the matrons have had great expert
Snee in handling these people some OF mem h9srS
years. They all capable. as experience mas
being cared for, the men inspectors march out
all the men immigrants. If hre Is proved 70 oe OF
magnitude the white men that Is, the BTltlsh
German or Scandinavian immigrants-w0uId be or
stations In the fire such as called for
bo hoised OK the e DOME Of the aGHnisratoR build
ing to signal the hreboat at the Battery where
Cleanliness is considered to be by the Commits
sioner the greatest safeguard against the start OF
fire and there IS nothing left the floors that
would help fire to spread Every night the floors
are flushed and disinfected In addition 10 this
there is a large force OF scrubwomen always on
hand all hours 10 discover scrap OF paper or
the least hint OF dirt.
Inspector Leonard said the other day:
The buildings Ellis Island as hreproof as
any IN the country, but | never nreproOf
building that would not burn Barring the bag
gage in the basement and the small amount Of fur
nture in offices, there Is nothing apparently
that could burn. but taking no chances. We
holding fire drills frequently at the present but
when some repairs which we making ara
finished and hose IS received there will be 4
drill at least a week. In OF fire there Is
not employe the island that does not know
his place and his work. There Is not the slightest
excuse for any not doing his duty In such
case. The sheds that lead 70 tho boat landings
are all sheathed with asbestos"