The New York herald., 1922-04-23
KENLON SEES RADIO
AS NEW FOE OF FIRE.
Chief at Feast Predicts Air
ships Will Fight Flames
With Chemicals.
HAS SERVED FOR 35 YEARS
Prominent Citizens Hear of
Wonderful Progress of
Department.

The science OF fighting fire will keep
pace with the phenomenal development
of science In war and commerce, SO
that the war against fire IN the future
will be the war OF chemicals, the air
ship and radio. Fire stations VIII be on
the roofs Of buildings; fire engines Will
be mounted on heiocopters which VIII
hover over blaze and by releasing
gases instantly smother the most stub
born conflagration; even the present fire
alarm system will become obsolete. and
every building of the future may be
equipped with a radio alarm system
which will automatically sound the
alarm without human Intervention.
These, and more, forecasts were the
Indulgence OF Fire Chief John kenlon
at testimonial dinner in the Waldorf
Astoria last evening In recognition OF
his completion of thirty-five years OF
service in the New York Fire Depart
ment. still suffering from a collision
Friday evening. when he and several
subordinates had a narrow escape from
serious injury, Chief kenlon responded
with modesty and evident gratitude TO
felicitous addresses by former Governor
Alfred L. Smith, who was postmaster:
Archbishop Patrick J Hayes. William
p. Larkin and Fire Commissioner Thorn
as j. brennan. and INDUCED briefly in
reminiscence and sweeplngly in forecast.
Chief kenIon's Forecast.
Here is the forecast in which Chief
Kenlon indulged
- think we have reached in these
days almost perfection in fire fighting
u.ff ntty. fuh
tom. our chemical engines, rescue
squads, wonderful fire boats, motorza-
tion and such equipment.
But, great as have been the improve
ments in the last thirty-five years. the
next thirty-five years will witness still
more startling changes. These will come.
] feel sure. in the way of chemical de-
velopment. and the use of the airship
and of the radio. As to chemicals, our
progress in the world war showed what
could be done in this line. and I think
the same ideas will be applied in the
war against fire. The use of such
chemicals carbon tatrachloride and
other substances will be developed. !
sec no reason why. even at the present
day. we should not have buildings
Equipped with sprinkler systems using
chemicals instead of water"
Then. drawing from the fund of his
of the future. he continued:
.'Firc houses as we know them will
disappear They will be located upon
the roofs of buildings. Fire engines will
be mounted upon heliocopters which
viii hover over a blaze and quickly
extinguish 1t by releasing newly dis
covered gases. which. though harmless
TO human beings. viii instantly smother
the most stubborn conflagration. 1t is
not too much to suppose that the pres
ent fire alarm system will become OBJ
5olcte. May we not imagine that
within the next fifty years every build
ing will be equipped with radio fire
alarm system which will automatically
act at the start OF the fire so that the
blaze itself may give its own alarm
without human intervention
kenIon's Rise In Service.
Chief Kenlon was appointed to the
Fire Department March 3. 1887. and as
signed TO Engine Company "a. in Nor
ION street lie became engineer five
years later. 2 lieutenant December n.
1875 captain three years later. battalion
chief IN 1909. deputy chief May j. 1909.
and chief August J. 1911. He has had
three citations on the roll of merit for
work at his personal risk. and in 1910
wa ranked class ]. winning tho DE-.
pariment medal.