Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1905-11-30
FIREMEN OF A CITY.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN AN
ALARM COMES IN.
Alertness with Which the Several
Companies of Fire Fighters Re
spond-Methods of Noting Alarms
a Peep Into the Department..

An alarm of fire. How much this
| suggests to the mind-the fright, the
confusion, the destruction Of property,
the possible loss Of life-the putting
engines and the shouting men! How
the blood tingles as after the clang Of
the fire bell comes the sharp sound of
the engine gong, it's iron voice crying
jargon Of warning! What excite
ment 1t causes! Truckmen hastily
drive their wagons to the curb; street
cars are brought to halt and pedes-
TRANS leap nimbly aside. Then down
the street, under clouds Of rolling
black smoke, comes the fire engine
The plunging horses are going like
mad and the glistening body Of the ap-
paratus sways from side to side with
the terrific speed. Leaning far out
from his little iron seat, the daring
driver urges the maddened horses to
even greater speed With roar and
clang the engine flies by. Then
comes the sharp, staccato sound of
single horse at a furious gallop, and
the fire chiefs gig flashes by. In the
distance there is the W nging of
the bell On the aerial truck Three
| magnificent horses plunging along at
top speed and behind them the mon
ster hook and ladder careening along
with its sides lined with men! Far
down under the ladders, hunched up in
his seat of iron, is the tillerman, who
steers this monster apparatus. Upon
him depends the safety Of all his COM
rades. No use for the driver to han
die his horses with the hands of q
master If the steersman lose his head
for single instant. In the tillerman's
seat must be a man with a calm head
and nerves Of iron. Amid the sway
ing and lurching, the crashing and
yelling, his eyes never waver from the
driver. A sharp turn to the right, he
holds his tiller steady until the ladders
have Strengthened out on the turn, and
then he tugs with might and main to
twist the rear wheels into their new
path. Then the long dash-straight
away, with his watching, waiting for
the next turn, and above him the tire
less bell, crashing out it's warming
1t is an inspiring sight-this watch
Ing firemen answering an alarm, but
how many realize the intricate agen-
c1es which start these great machines
almost on the instant Of the call? Let
us step into fire house and become
acquainted. The first thing we notice
after glancing at the shining appar-
atus and the great alarm gong, are the
books In orderly array in a desk The
most important book is the house jour
nal, which contains a record of alarms
of fire received, whether this particu-
lar company is called or not, and the
exact moment they are received. The
movements Of the officers and men are
also recorded here, the hour and min
ute Of their leaving quarters each day
for meals, and the time of their return
and an entry is made Of any event
pertaining to the workings Of the de.
partment which might have to be re-
ferred to later.
Tracing an Alarm.
Let us trace an alarm. This leads
us into the mysteries of the fire alarm
| telegraph system, without which the
science Of fire-fghting to-day would
! be utterly inadequate. A barn is dis
covered on fire. The owner runs to
| the nearest box. He opens the door
and pulls down the lever OF the in
side once Then what does he hear?
| Only the buzzing of machinery at
first, then ting on little bell in
side, A pause and then. ting, ting,