Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-09-07

A little while ago it was my prlvn.
ege to witness the unVelllhg VI e,ieai
most magnificent monument ~
in New York city to the men Oh Il1
fire department who died at the ca,
of duty, and as l gazed upon II win
admiration | thought OF the hieiii 'o5
| have known, and the WIDOWS anu anu
orphans, and the tears that nave peeii
shed by those near and dear 10 tli :,
"Soldiers in a war that never enus'
and while the soldiers and sailors Oh
ali great nations valiantly defend
their country and flag, much is pre-
pared for them, and they know the
strength of opposing forces, but not
so with the members of the nre ue-
partment, for when the alarm souIlus
in quarters they respond instantly
they are on duty constantly ana tney
must meet the enemy as they Ilnu 1t
and conquer.
The Ginning of the bells and the
blowing of the whistles mas always
been sweet music to my ears, not tlaI
there may be danger and destruction
ahead, possibly death, but for the
reason that these brave men are on
the way to rescue and to save, ana
unfortunately their deeds of valor,
their acts of heroism, pass down IN
the history of many great cities I'M
told.
Nearly everyone at some time or
another has witnessed She burning OF
a large structure. The sight is awe
inspiring to say the least. You nave
observed the water towers in action
with the turret nozzle throwing great
streams of water, you have seen the
extension ladders raised with men
directing lines of hose from points OF
vantage. It's a great sight, isn't 1t?
But have you ever given thought TO
the men inside, these men facing the
heat until their faces and hands are
blistered, inhaling the dense smoke
and sometimes acid fumes, until they
fall from utter suffocation? Have you
ever thought of these men inside lying
fiat upon floors or just hanging on to.
something that they may get below
the smoke and maintain a good posi-
ton? At any instant there may come
back-d draft, a crushing of timbers
or the buckling of a girder that may
drop tons of burning debris upon
them. Think Of the men inside and in
such time of great peril they may be
able to escape by crawling out in the
darkness over lines of hose, and in
doing so it may direct them to the
open air, and 1t is not uncommon to
find a hose has been burnt apart or
cut or covered by falling walls. Think
Of the men inside as you and l have
seen them. / remember an incident
when an entire company of eleven
men were trapped in the fifth floor of
a trunk factory building, the flames
were eating through the floors be-
meath them, the chief saw that at any
1t might mean instant death
to all, and | repeat his command:
Make those lines of hose fast some
where, boys, and slide down to the
street" the last man out was the
chief himself, and when only three
feet from the ground the hose had
been burnt from its fastening and it
seemed almost miracle that these
men were saved.
On another occasion / saw a chief
rush into building and shout: drop
your pipes, get out quick, the wall will
fall" Hardly had he spoken when
there was report like a cannon shot.
Hot burning dust mingled with in
tense heat covered them as though
forced by volcanic fury. The men
were out but the chief was caught,
he had to think quick. At q glance
he saw the wall towering towards
him and stepping back to a position
where an open window would cover
his body he dove upwards through it
emerging on the top of the fallen
wall, and while he struggled out Of
the mass of stone around his legs he
gave the order Get a couple of lines
in here, there is nothing to it now"
During our recent winter a fire
broke out over bank building, and
on the arrival of the first piece of APP
paratus the men were confronted with
the sight of a woman leaning far out
over window on the fifth floor and
suspending from her hands she was
holding beautiful child about five
years old, the smoke was issuing in
tense volumes over her head and peo-
pie in the street were wildly calling:
Hold fast, the firemen are her"
The fire had started under the stair
way and was travelling upwards, as
only fire can. A motor truck had ar
rived simultaneously with the first
engine company and before it came to
stop the men had jumped off with
a life net calling out Don't drop her,
we will get you from the inside" for
they know the danger of life-net work