The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-04-28


Director; J. Quinn, Second Director NJ. Far
rel, Third Director G. G. Reyter, Fourth Dl-
rector; James s. Westendorff, Treasurer; J. T.
Maher, Secretary; j. Ross, Engineer; w. Ma
honey, Assistant Engineer; M. Lawler, f. Cal |
lahan, L. MOnahan and r. c. Patterson. Ak
men.
The Young America was drawn by four bay |
horses who must have found it task to move !
the violet and white wreaths and the masses |
or verdure which adorned the machine On |
both engine and reel were handsomely painted
scrolls with the company motto sWhere duty
calls, there you'll find u.s."
The Limo OF March
Was down Calhoun to King, through King to
Hasel, and through Meeting to Broad-street,
where IN front Of the Guardhouse the line was
inspected by the Mayor and Aldermen. After
passing down Broad to Now, the column coun-
termarched and returned TO the vicinity of the
Mills House, which was
The Starting Point.
This consisted of gallOws like arrangement
erected in the centre Of Meeting street at tn
junction of Queen. large red ball. run down
Dy haiyards, indicated to the judges in front
OF the Charleston Hotel the exact moment of
starting. The starting judges were Messrs H.
Is. Oiney and A. Stemmerman. AS each engine
came up to this point it was examined by
committee consisting Of one director from
each contesting company. This, it will be OBJ
| served, insured fair play to ALL and no engine
was allowed to start until every requirement of
the regulations of the day had been religiously
complied with by it's officers. In each instance
care was, Of course, taken to select the most
active and muscular men in the company tor
the contest.
The Goal.
| Twelve hundred yards distant by actual mea-
| surement, on the corner of Hayne and Meet
| ing streets, was the fre-wel from which each
company was to draw and throw water. At
| the bottom oi this we'll basket was arranged
to prevent the suctions from touching bottom.
| One hundred feet beyo nd this was the central
point OF attraction. Here the stream darted
| from the nozzle, and rope fifty feet in length
measured the first splash of water that touch
ed the mark at this point Messrs Geo. H.
Walter and w. G.. Whilden acted as Judges,
and, provided with stop watches, noted the
dropping Of the ball. the starting OF
the several companies and the instant
that w,ter was thrown to the requr-
| ed limit. The entire street between Pinck-
ney and Hayne streets was enclosed by
ropes, which were closely guarded by Gordon
| Of policemen who most effectually did tt cir
duty in keeping clear that portion OF the
thoroughtare. Not even the memorable yell
low-tailed dog which, as usual, made it's ap-
pearance on the scene was permit ted to 60 un i.
scathed, and, between the batons OF the police
and the innumerable legs OF still moro innu-
merable Ethiopians who fringed the sidewalks,
the poor canine must have realized the truth
that however easy it is to got into trouble, it is
not go easy to get out. Besides the judges,
members of the press. and the chief and his
assistants, no one was allowed to remain with
in the enclosure. On this theatre of action,
probably ten thousand pair Of eyes, set in
every species of frame imaginable, looked from
porch and window and house-top, to cay moth
ing of the sidewalks, which in their monotony
Of coloring remind aed one of dense lining of
Grape.
T!.e sret II the pror~"~.-~ were the nand
anpines c~-~. unese the first to start was the
vlg,lant. Twenty-nine men. good and true,
had been picked to tussle tor the honors of the
, -. - and within two or three minutes Of twelve
cy,.. :, van re long white streak bending to
its work. Less than two minutes roll by and
they are on the ground Mhe cap is lifted
from the wheel; with the precision o. walk ~ae
drilled soldiers every hand finds its place: the
lower brakes are unstrapped and dropped into
position the hose is unroed and the nozzle
attached and apparently before half dozen
strokes are given-while the crowd are vet
woniering-the stream darts out at one
d dash to it's limit Of ffty-feet, the Judge
Tshouts time and a cheer rends the
air. The entire performance is finished in
less time than we can record it, and ID q
minute more the announcement is made that
the Vieiiants have done their work in too
minutes and thirteen seconds. Until then,
every man on the ropes and at the brakes had
held his breath as IL bent on doing his whole
duty and nothing but his duty. Indeed, the
order Of their President had been-"No fool
ishness to-day, boys, and not drop until you
have won cup to drink it in; and, true to
their instructions, the Vigilants bent to their
task with vim and machine-like motion that
were not excelled during the day.
The next hand engine in order was the Ger
man. Sturdy fellows those, too, with abund-
ance of muscle, and pluck written all over their
broad faces. The ball drops, and the next we
see through the rift in the crowd that sways
tothe pressure Of the police, is line of red,
something like stick of sealing-wax in motion,
coming forward at genuine Teutonic trct
They make capital time-reach the WE'LL and
like their predecessors, without any fuss. get
to work. A dozen strokes bring tie water, and
O. few seconds more there stands out upon the
blackboard before tho gaze of the multitude,
"German, minutes Is seconds" The friends
Of the German vent their admiration on the
air, and in truth it was noble achievement
In starting this company, some point was
n made as to- the propriety OF strapping their
brakes. 1t was stated by the officers, how.
ever, that straps had never been used, and the
omission was accordingly allowed with the
understanding that ii the breaks fell during
the run, the company would be ruled out.
Next followed the washingtons, Of Augusta,
Il Ga. trim looking felloXs well diacinlinad and